STATUS_SXS_MANIFEST_TOO_BIG (0XC0150022) — Manifest size limit

Cause 1: Corrupted or bloated manifest from a bad .NET Framework update

This is the culprit almost always. You’ll see this error after a Windows Update or a .NET framework patch that didn’t install right. The manifest file gets way bigger than it should be — like 5MB when it should be 50KB. Windows has a hard limit on manifest size (around 2MB), and when the file blows past that, you get 0XC0150022.

Here’s the fix: locate the offending manifest. It’s usually in C:\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests or inside the app’s install folder under app.manifest. Use this PowerShell command to find big manifests:

Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests" -Filter "*.manifest" | 
  Where-Object {$_.Length -gt 1MB} | 
  Select-Object Name, Length

If you see any manifest over 2MB, note the name. Check the related app or system file. The real fix is to uninstall and reinstall that .NET update. Run this to remove the problem update:

wusa /uninstall /kb:xxxxxx

Replace xxxxxx with the KB number from the update that caused the error. If you don’t know, look in View Update History in Windows Update settings. Match the dates with when the error started. Reboot after uninstalling, then reinstall the update cleanly from Microsoft Catalog.

Sometimes you can just delete the oversized manifest and let Windows rebuild it. But that’s risky — do it only if you’re comfortable. Backup first.

Cause 2: Third-party software with a bloated or malformed manifest

Some apps — especially older ones or ones built with custom installers — ship with manifest files that are way too large. I’ve seen this with Autodesk products, some Cisco network tools, and even antivirus software. The manifest includes embedded XML definitions that balloon the file size.

To find the app, check the error details. Look at Event Viewer under Windows Logs > Application. Filter for Event ID 33 or 35 from source SideBySide. It’ll give you the manifest path. The path looks like C:\Program Files\SomeApp\app.exe.manifest or ...\some.dll.manifest.

The fix depends on the app. If it’s a known one:

• For Autodesk: Run the Autodesk Uninstall Tool, then reinstall with the latest version. They fixed this in recent builds.
• For antivirus: Disable real-time protection, delete the manifest file (if the app allows it), then reinstall.
• For custom/legacy apps: Contact the vendor. Tell them the manifest exceeds 2MB. They need to rebuild it.

As a workaround, you can sometimes trim the manifest yourself. Open it in Notepad++ or VS Code. Look for repeated assemblyIdentity references or long embedded XML. Remove duplicates cautiously. Save, then test the app. This is a hack, not a fix.

If nothing works, isolate the app in a virtual machine running an older OS version where the limit is higher (like Windows 7). I know that sucks, but it’s the only option sometimes.

Cause 3: Corrupted system files or disk errors that bloated WinSxS

Rare, but happens. If the WinSxS folder itself gets corrupted — from a bad disk sector or a failed update — manifests can get truncated or duplicated. That duplication makes them huge. You’ll also see other SXS errors like 0xc0150002 or 0x80073712 if this is the case.

Run these commands as admin:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
chkdsk c: /f

DISM first, then SFC, then chkdsk. Reboot between each. This fixes corruption about 70% of the time. After that, check the manifest size again. If it’s still big, you might need to do a repair install of Windows using the Media Creation Tool — keep your files and apps, just refresh the OS.

Don’t bother with third-party registry cleaners. They don’t help here.

Quick reference summary