Re: Actual Install or just Repair?
The Windows SxS is almost entirely virtual in size, people complain how big it is but it actual only takes up a few hundred megabytes of disk space.
You can check the actual size by following the instructions here:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn898537(v=vs.60)
There are ways to reduced the size of WIndows SxS folder, but they don't normally make a big difference.
Running Disk Cleanup as Administrator and ticking everything often gains a lot of space back, by removing old update rollback data and temp files. If you've done a Windows 10 version update or two you can gain back up to 30GB.
Things like old graphics or system driver install files can take up a surprising amount of space and often stored in folder in the C drive root. (HP likes to decompress driver files to C:\SWINSTALL before install them and doesn't delete them afterward, you can safely delete this folder and often save a couple of gigabytes.)
Reducing the size and cleaning out old System restore points helps too, reducing the size of pagefile, and if you desperate you can turn off the Hibernation file and gain back the same amount of disk space as you have RAM.
If your still desperate for space you can get Windows 10 to compress itself:
https://www.intowindows.com/how-to-compress-windows-10-installation-files-folders/
Treesize free is great for tracking down disk drive bloat.
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/
Biting the hand that feeds IT
