What goes in the winsxs file and where does the stuff come from?  I just joined this forum,  I am a new IT student so please bear with me.  I really like this forum and become more intrigued with I.T. every time I check it out.

• Edited by Dorothea dot Saturday, October 11, 2014 1:57 AM

Hi

The Windows component store (C:\Windows\winsxs) directory is used during servicing operations within Windows installations. Servicing operations include, but are not limited to, Windows Update, service pack, and hotfix installations. 

What goes in the winsxs file and where does the stuff come from? 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-au/library/dn251569.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa376307.aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2008/09/17/what-is-the-winsxs-directory-in-windows-2008-and-windows-vista-and-why-is-it-so-large.aspx

http://spench.net/drupal/resources/winsxs

The stuff comes from Windows itself (components which ship as part of Windows), plus updates/hotfixes/patches for Windows.
It also comes from other components which are often added as part of software installation (additional runtime components for Visual Studio developed applications, for example)

A major feature, is the ability to host multiple versions of the same file/component, such that version conflicts/dependencies are able to be resolved.