Windows optional features (WSL, Virtual Machine Platform, Hyper-V management tools) stack on top of each other. Removing WSL distributions from inside wsl --unregister is separate from turning off the platform feature in Settings.
If disk space is tight, uninstall Linux distros first, reboot, then disable the platform checkboxes only when no dev tools still need them. Mixed order sometimes leaves large ext4.vhdx files behind.
Use the app list in Revo to spot companion agents that re-enable features on boot. Cross-check with Features and the startup module before you delete feature-related folders under Program Files.
Treat optional features like dominoes. Virtual Machine Platform, Hyper-V, and WSL interlock. Removing one checkbox may fail until its dependent workloads are gone—especially Linux distros that still hold virtual disks open.
After unregistering WSL distros, confirm large .vhdx files under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages shrink or delete as expected. If a VHD stays locked, shut down WSL completely (wsl --shutdown) before toggling features off.
Administrators sometimes use DISM or PowerShell feature cmdlets for repeatability. Those commands are powerful; dry-run them on a VM when possible, and capture the exact string you used so you can reverse it if a dev tool suddenly cannot launch emulators.
Some “optional” capabilities reinstall with feature updates. If a checkbox returns after a Windows upgrade, check whether the OEM pre-provisioned the feature or whether MDM policy re-applied it.
When disk pressure is severe, combine feature removal with Disk space after uninstall steps so you are not chasing the same gigabytes twice.
BIOS/UEFI virtualization toggles still gate some stacks. If Hyper-V enablement fails with obscure errors, verify firmware virtualization (Intel VT-x/AMD-V) is on and that another hypervisor is not already exclusive-locking the CPU extensions.
Android subsystem and other preview features may depend on Insider builds. Do not rip out servicing packages on production machines to mimic Insider behavior—use supported SKUs or a lab VM instead.
After removing language packs or handwriting models, run one reboot before measuring disk savings; component cleanup jobs finish asynchronously in the background.
Document which developers still need WSLg or GPU pass-through before you disable Virtual Machine Platform—those features fail quietly in IDEs until you re-enable the whole chain.