Slow scanning c:\windows\winsxs\x86...

[megalos]

Hello,

I'm running Windows Vista Home Premium on my notebook. When I do a full scan, the scan runs fine and fast. But when Anti-Malware is scanning the c:\windows\winsxs\... folders, it's realy, realy slow suddenly. To scan c:\windows\winsxs\..., it takes a couple of hours.

Does someone know why Anti-Malware is this slow when it arrives at c:\windows\winsxs\... ?

Thanks in advance,

Megalos

[exile360]

Probably because the winsxs folder is huge and contains a lot of files and directories and it also increases over time and never shrinks. The reason for this is that whenever you install a program it uses certain program files, like .dll's and .ocx files that are used by several programs on your system, the winsxs folder (which stands for Windows Side by Side) contains backups of the various versions of those files. For example, there are many versions of the file COMCTL32.OCX that are used by various programs. You may have installed a piece of software on your system in the past that installed a certain version of that file. Later on you may have removed that program, but Windows keeps a backup of that file in the winsxs folder in case other programs that you have installed since you installed the first program depend on that version of the file and if it were removed, it would break the other programs.

[megalos]

Probably because the winsxs folder is huge and contains a lot of files and directories and it also increases over time and never shrinks. The reason for this is that whenever you install a program it uses certain program files, like .dll's and .ocx files that are used by several programs on your system, the winsxs folder (which stands for Windows Side by Side) contains backups of the various versions of those files. For example, there are many versions of the file COMCTL32.OCX that are used by various programs. You may have installed a piece of software on your system in the past that installed a certain version of that file. Later on you may have removed that program, but Windows keeps a backup of that file in the winsxs folder in case other programs that you have installed since you installed the first program depend on that version of the file and if it were removed, it would break the other programs.

Ok, thanks for the explanation. This folder is huge indeed (6,6 GB and over 34.000 files). Is there a way to exclude the winsxs folder from scanning (without choosing Quick Scan)?

[exile360]

Unfortunately there isn't, at least not yet, but a Custom Scan option has been suggested by several users so perhaps the developers will decide to add this feature at some point in the future.

[megalos]

Ok, we'll see.