After administering dozens of Windows Server 2008 instances, I've found the WinSXS growth pattern follows this trajectory:

Initial install: ~2.5GB
After 30 patches: ~5GB
After 60 patches: ~8GB+
Critical threshold: When free space < 15% of volume

When you're down to megabytes of free space, try these immediate actions:

:: PowerShell command to purge update uninstallers
dism /online /cleanup-image /spsuperseded

:: Manual cleanup of temp files (safe to delete)
del /f /s /q %windir%\temp\*
del /f /s /q %windir%\logs\CBS\*.log

Windows 2008's servicing stack has a fundamental flaw - it maintains every version of every updated component. Here's what's actually happening:

• Each cumulative update contains full copies of system files
• Language packs (even unused ones) get cached
• The component store database (CBS.log) grows exponentially

For servers that can't install SP2 (and its compcln.exe), try this workaround:

# PowerShell script to identify largest WinSXS components
Get-ChildItem -Path "$env:windir\winsxs" -Recurse |
Where-Object { $_.PSIsContainer -eq $false } |
Sort-Object -Property Length -Descending |
Select-Object -First 20 FullName,Length |
Format-Table -AutoSize

Configure these registry settings to limit future growth:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing]
"MaxTempInstallerFolders"=dword:00000005
"MaxPendingTransactions"=dword:0000000a

For advanced admins, consider redirecting WinSXS to alternate storage:

robocopy C:\Windows\winsxs D:\winsxs_store /MIR
rmdir C:\Windows\winsxs /s /q
mklink /J C:\Windows\winsxs D:\winsxs_store

After cleanup, always verify system integrity:

sfc /scannow
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

When your Windows Server 2008 virtual machine suddenly starts consuming disk space like there's no tomorrow, the WinSXS directory is often the prime suspect. I recently encountered a case where a 10GB VM ballooned to 15GB within weeks, with WinSXS alone occupying 8GB - and this was without any major software installations.

The standard approaches don't cut it here:

# These won't solve the core problem:
cleanmgr.exe
vsp1clean.exe (not present after SP1 integration)
compcln.exe (requires SP2 installation space we don't have)

Even Windows' built-in Disk Cleanup utility typically recovers mere megabytes when we need gigabytes.

Before attempting WinSXS surgery, try these safer methods first:

:: PowerShell command to remove old update packages
Get-WindowsPackage -Online | Where-Object {$_.PackageState -eq "Superseded"} | Remove-WindowsPackage -NoRestart

Understanding what's eating your space:

• Component manifests (.manifest files)
• Assembly copies
• Update payloads
• Service pack remnants

For desperate situations, consider these approaches:

# DISM command to analyze component store
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

# Sample output analysis:
# Component Store Cleanup Recommended : Yes
# Date of Last Cleanup : 2023-01-15
# Reclaimable Packages : 12
# Reclaimable Space : 3.52 GB

When all else fails, creating a customized installation image might be your last resort:

:: Slipstreaming SP2 into installation media
imagex /mountrw d:\sources\install.wim 1 c:\mount
dism /image:c:\mount /add-package /packagepath:e:\updates\sp2.cab
dism /image:c:\mount /cleanup-image /spsuperseded
imagex /unmount /commit c:\mount

To avoid future space crises:

• Schedule monthly component store cleanup
• Monitor WinSXS growth with PowerShell scripts
• Consider disabling unnecessary language packs
• Implement storage alerts