Windows File Protection Does Not Reduce Cache Size Automatically

After you run the sfc /cachesize=xx command to reduce the amount of space allocated to the Windows File Protection (WFP) cache, you are prompted to reboot the computer. After you reboot the computer, you may notice that the amount of space used by the WFP cache (%SystemRoot%\System32\Dllcache) is not reduced to match the cache size you specified.

This behavior occurs because the size of the cache in use is decreased only after you run the sfc /purgecache command.

To resolve this issue, run the sfc /purgecache command at a command prompt.

NOTE: This operation requires access to the Windows 2000 installation source files to repopulate the cache.

This behavior is by design.

For additional information about the System File Checker tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: