WinSxS component breaks in-place upgrade

angelos12345

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Hi. Its very strange that for the last month approximately cleaning winsxs component database breaks in-place upgrade. The pc restarts but after the that at around 9% it restarts and undoes all the changes it made. This happens even if i remove only the winsxs component.
 
Thanks, will add it to the Host Refresh compatibility for now.
Btw how is the WinSxS Component Store removal, is it only the database?
 
Thanks, will add it to the Host Refresh compatibility for now.
Btw how is the WinSxS Component Store removal, is it only the database?
If you remove any of them it breaks the upgrade. Component store is crusial because the resulted iso size difference is huge.
 
Should not be huge if you disable Components - toolbar - Compatibility - Servicing Stack compatibility.
Turn that off next time, and keep Store+Database, and let me know if Host Refresh works, it should.
If not, please attach or send me the preset for testing.
Keep Host Refresh compatibility turned on.

When Servicing Stack compatibility is turned off, it removes all WinSxS files that are from removed components.
The rest is used in Windows and just linked in WinSxS, making its size non-existent.

It's different with that compatibility turned on, then it keeps files for Windows Updates functionality, files that are not just links.
 
Should not be huge if you disable Components - toolbar - Compatibility - Servicing Stack compatibility.
Turn that off next time, and keep Store+Database, and let me know if Host Refresh works, it should.
If not, please attach or send me the preset for testing.
Keep Host Refresh compatibility turned on.

When Servicing Stack compatibility is turned off, it removes all WinSxS files that are from removed components.
The rest is used in Windows and just linked in WinSxS, making its size non-existent.

It's different with that compatibility turned on, then it keeps files for Windows Updates functionality, files that are not just links.
I already disable servicing stack compatibility. If i keep store+database it results a 2.8gb iso (esd compression). If i don't keep store + database it results a 2.25gb iso. Its a huge difference for me and it worked a few weeks ago. Now as i said it breaks the in-place upgrade.
 
I already disable servicing stack compatibility. If i keep store+database it results a 2.8gb iso (esd compression). If i don't keep store + database it results a 2.25gb iso. Its a huge difference for me and it worked a few weeks ago. Now as i said it breaks the in-place upgrade.
Attach or send me that preset, there shouldn't be that difference.
Thanks.
 
Size difference when removing WinSxS in a full image makes sense, it removes not installed Features as well (unique files on the image).

Will check the preset, if there are such features kept, it will be simple to add them to the preset as you don't need them (removing WinSxS anyway).
This gives an idea to tie/move them under the WinSxS component for a simpler overview of such a situation.
 
Size difference when removing WinSxS in a full image makes sense, it removes not installed Features as well (unique files on the image).

Will check the preset, if there are such features kept, it will be simple to add them to the preset as you don't need them (removing WinSxS anyway).
This gives an idea to tie/move them under the WinSxS component for a simpler overview of such a situation.
Thank you. For me personally it would be a big deal if even removing only store + component didn't break the upgrade like it does now. Perhaps even when you choose to remove only these two it removes files that it should not so the upgrade is broken. I repeat that removing them (only the two or using my preset) it worked a few weeks ago. Something changed since then.
 
Confirmed unexpected size difference for WinSxS alone, around 400MB, will investigate.

Note that WinSxS database and some bits are expected to be adding in size, but I would be surprised if Host Refreshed worked without those.
Do you have any info when it worked without the database, which Windows and NTLite version?

Thanks.
 
Confirmed unexpected size difference for WinSxS alone, around 400MB, will investigate.

Note that WinSxS database and some bits are expected to be adding in size, but I would be surprised if Host Refreshed worked without those.
Do you have any info when it worked without the database, which Windows and NTLite version?

Thanks.
Without being absolutely sure i think that it worked for windows 24h2 26100.2448 and it stopped working for 26100.2454. For 26100.2454 i produced the iso with the same preset but the upgrade was broken. The ntlite version was the same so perhaps something changed in the iso. I am not sure i say for the windows version that i started having this problem. If it helps i can make tests and tell you with which version the problem starts.
 
Let's wait until I have hit a wall.
Should have results today.
Thank you.
 
OK, regarding the size before WinSxS removal.
The biggest cause is not having used the Custom update cleanup in the preset.
Please enable Updates - Update cleanup - Custom.
It removes 900+MB on top of unique files from the applied preset.
That will remove the older versions of kept pieces, making the ISO size much closer to the removed WinSxS and should not break Host Refresh.

Will automate this with WinSxS removal, cannot believe it's not - plan is to make a switch to either have SStack compatibility or not, then it does everything automatically.

You should also be able to remove WinSxS Backup without breaking Host Refresh.

As for the store and database being needed for Host Refresh, wouldn't be surprised, but will test that these days anyway - not so important when this size mistery is solved.
Let me know when you try.
 
OK, regarding the size before WinSxS removal.
The biggest cause is not having used the Custom update cleanup in the preset.
Please enable Updates - Update cleanup - Custom.
It removes 900+MB on top of unique files from the applied preset.
That will remove the older versions of kept pieces, making the ISO size much closer to the removed WinSxS and should not break Host Refresh.

Will automate this with WinSxS removal, cannot believe it's not - plan is to make a switch to either have SStack compatibility or not, then it does everything automatically.

You should also be able to remove WinSxS Backup without breaking Host Refresh.

As for the store and database being needed for Host Refresh, wouldn't be surprised, but will test that these days anyway - not so important when this size mistery is solved.
Let me know when you try.
Ok, i will fo the test you propose. In the next 2 days i will also find the windows version that started the problem. Regarless if you can remove store and database it contributes even more to the final size. We will be in touch.
 
Please make the comparison in size again, make sure to enable custom cleanup and remove winsxs backup.
Then in second load just remove database and store - then we can check the potentially hanging features if any.

Btw if database is removed, cannot remove subsequent components in next sessions without reinstall, people usually keep that one to be able to remove new components when they are out.
 
Please make the comparison in size again, make sure to enable custom cleanup and remove winsxs backup.
Then in second load just remove database and store - then we can check the potentially hanging features if any.

Btw if database is removed, cannot remove subsequent components in next sessions without reinstall, people usually keep that one to be able to remove new components when they are out.
Hi. I produced the following iso's with the 26100.2605 version

1. Only my above preset, iso size 2.67gb and in-place upgrade works fine
2. My preset + updates custom cleanup, 2.55gb iso ugrade broken
3. My preset + updates cleanup + winsxs backup, 2.49gb upgrade broken
4. My preset + updates cleanup + winsxs backup + component store. 2.31gb upgrade broken

I also 3 different iso and in each one i only enabled
1. updates custom cleanup
2. winsxs backup
3. component store

In each one of the three the upgrade was broken.

I am almost sure that in some windows version something changed. I will begin tests, from 26100.2605 an backwards, removing only this three components to find out in which windows version the problem began.
 
Thanks, will check the custom cleanup Host refresh dependency replicability, should not be like that, then we can move forward - and maybe the cause is found.

Btw you can add winsxs backup in your preset to simplify in the future - should not matter.

For now just wait.
 
Thanks, will check the custom cleanup Host refresh dependency replicability, should not be like that, then we can move forward - and maybe the cause is found.

Btw you can add winsxs backup in your preset to simplify in the future - should not matter.

For now just wait.
Its no big deal. I like testing. Btw i tested 26100.1742, 26100.2314, 26100.2448, 26100.2454, 26100.2605 an the problem remains. I will try with 26100.2605 and an older ntlite version to see if something changed in ntlite.

P.S.1 Used ntlite 2024-9-10073 with windows 26100.2605 and the problem remains. I will make one last try with ntlite 2024-9-10073 and 26100.1742
 
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Appreciated, but if custom cleanup breaks it, it's best to wait, that makes all other causes irrelevant and needs to be adapted.

Before I continue, I just realized that in your preset Host Refresh is not protected in compatibilities.
In this case it is the missing component <c>migwiz 'Easy Transfer'</c>

So if you want to retest Host Refresh dependency, please try with that component kept (removed from your preset).
You can add WinSxS Backup.
That should of course work.
Once confirmed, add Custom Cleanup + WinSxS Store, keep database and try that liter version after confirming the first.

I suggest to skip ESD compression until the end, to save time testing, effect is the same, just size-wize you can compare them at the end if important (if it works).
Right-click on the image page on install.wim and choose Convert - ESD.
 
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