Reducing the Server Core disk footprint
In the Server Core installation option, there is a way to remove the server roles and optional features from the disk, to free up more space. In addition to reducing disk usage, this could be used to ensure an administrator doesn’t add a role or feature to a server that is supposed to perform a fixed function.
Warning: This is a one way operation, once you remove a role or feature there is NO way to bring it back. If you realize later that you need the role or feature the only option is to reinstall.
To do this:
1. Run: pkgmgr /up:<package to remove>
2. Reboot – you can remove multiple packages before rebooting.
3. Wait about 30 minutes for the disk cleanup to occur.
You will then see the disk space used by the role or feature is freed up, oclist will no longer show the role or feature as being available, and trying to install it using ocsetup will result in an error. Once again, read the warning above – there is no way to put the role or feature back, it is permanently gone from the system.
The role and feature packages available for removal are:
· Microsoft-Hyper-V-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-BLB-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DFSN-ServerCore~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DFSR-ServerEdition-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DhcpServerCore-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DirectoryServices-ADAM-SrvFnd-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DirectoryServices-DomainController-SrvFnd-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Server-Core-Role-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-FailoverCluster-Core-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-FileReplication-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-IIS-WebServer-Core-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-Internet-Naming-Service-SC-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-MultipathIo-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-NetworkLoadBalancingHeadlessServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-NFS-ServerFoundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-Printing-ServerCore-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-QWAVE-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-RemovableStorageManagementCore-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-SecureStartup-OC-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-SNMP-SC-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-SUA-Core-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-Telnet-Client-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
If you are running on an x86 box, change the amd64 above to x86.
In addition to the roles and features listed in oclist, it is also possible to remove IME support as well as the supporting fonts by removing the following packages:
· Microsoft-Windows-ServerCore-EA-IME-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
· Microsoft-Windows-ServerCore-EA-Fonts-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000
Removing these will reduce the on disk footprint by ~200MB.
Andrew
p.s. - don't forget about the warning above
