# cleanmgr.exe on Win Server 2008 R2 wont run



## pmg2010

I want to run the disk cleanup tool cleanmgr.exe on my Windows 2008 R2 server. Unfortunately, cleanmgr.exe is not installed with Windows 2008 R2 server. The option is not available unless you install the desktop experience feature, which is a bloated install full of lots of other things I don't need. Plus it requires several reboots to get installed.

So I researched a fix: Copy the cleanmgr.exe file from the \winsxs folder to the \system32 folder, and the cleanmgr.exe.mui file to the \system32\en-us folder.

This fix is touted across the web as working great. But no so much for me. I copied the files and triple checked the folders. cleanmgr.exe will not run. Double clicking on the EXE or a shortcut to the EXE does nothing. No pop ups, no errors, nothing in the event log. Nothing in the process explorer. Nothing.

So I researched that too. Suggested solution #1 is to edit the registry. Specifically the keys 
HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\explorer\mycomputer\cleanuppath
HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\explorer\mycomputer\volumecaches

Suggested solution #1 is to run cleanmgr.exe /setup, let it run fora while, then run it again.

Those solutions didn't work either. 

So I tried copying the cleanmgr.exe & cleanmgr.exe.mui from a windows 7 machine to the appropriate folders on my win server 2008 R2 box. Still no luck.

Help!

Thanks.


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## srhoades

You can always go to add/remove features and install the Desktop Experiences add-on. It installs some other things, but disk cleanup is part of it.


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