Microsoft VSS includes the ability to exclude file patterns from snapshots. Although this can be useful in removing unnecessary files from images and clones the functionality isn't 100% reliable. Removing files is reliant on the VSS Optimization Writer and the if the files are not removed before the VSS timeout time has elapsed then snapshots may not exclude all the desired files. However, In general, unless you are removing many thousands of files then there shouldn't be a problem.
...