Compact OS
A system file compression tool built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 that saves disk space by compressing operating system files, suitable for devices with limited storage.
Timeline (last 90 days)
Windows 10 and 11 include the Compact OS tool, designed specifically to compress operating system files, trading computational overhead for storage space.
Compact OS uses a mechanism similar to WIMBoot, storing system files in compressed form in a separate data area and using reparse points to make the files appear to be in their original locations; it uses the XPRESS or LZX algorithm, with a compression ratio of about 1.5:1 to 2:1, but at the cost of some read performance. Users can enable it manually via `compact.exe /compactos:always`.
For that Reddit user, the more appropriate tool is Compact OS rather than WinRAR, but even with Compact OS, since most of the content on the hard drive (photos, music, videos, documents) is already in compressed formats, the space savings would be quite limited.
All Facts (3)
Windows 10 and 11 include the Compact OS tool, designed specifically to compress operating system files, trading computational overhead for storage space.
50%UnverifiedCompact OS uses a mechanism similar to WIMBoot, storing system files in compressed form in a separate data area and using reparse points to make the files appear to be in their original locations; it uses the XPRESS or LZX algorithm, with a compression ratio of about 1.5:1 to 2:1, but at the cost of some read performance. Users can enable it manually via `compact.exe /compactos:always`.
50%UnverifiedFor that Reddit user, the more appropriate tool is Compact OS rather than WinRAR, but even with Compact OS, since most of the content on the hard drive (photos, music, videos, documents) is already in compressed formats, the space savings would be quite limited.
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