How to use DISM command
tool to repair Windows 10 image
If Windows 10 has missing or
corrupted files, this guide will show you how to repair the setup using the
DISM and SFC command tools.
On Windows 10, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management is a command-line tool that allows administrators to prepare, modify, and repair system images, including Windows Recovery Environment, Windows Setup, and Windows PE (WinPE). However, you can also use it with the local recovery image to fix system problems.
Typically,
when you need to troubleshoot a specific error, figure out why the computer no
longer boots correctly, or resolve performance issues, you can use the System
File Checker tool to replace missing or corrupted system files using the
recovery image. The caveat utilizing this approach is that if one or more Windows
10 files in the local image are
damaged, the SFC command won't work. In this scenario, you can use the
"install.wim" image with DISM to repair the image and then use the
SFC tool to fix the setup without having to reinstall
Windows.
In this Windows 10 guide, we will
walk you through the steps to use the DISM and SFC tools to bring a computer
back to a healthy working state without the need for reinstallation.
Warning: The commands outlined in this guide are non-destructive, but since
you will be making system changes, it is still recommended to create a
temporary
PLAY SOUND
How to use
DISM to repair image of Windows 10
On Windows 10, the DISM command tool
includes three options to repair an image, including "CheckHealth,"
"ScanHealth," and "RestoreHealth," which you want to use in
order. Also, depending on the issue, you can use the "RestoreHealth"
option to fix the locally available image using different source files.
DISM
command with CheckHealth option
The CheckHealth option with the DISM tool allows you
to determine any corruptions inside the local Windows 10 image. However, the
option does not perform any repairs.
To check the Windows 10 image for
issues with DISM, use these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to perform
a quick check and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image
/CheckHealth
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
Once you complete the steps, the
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool will run and verify any data
corruption that may require fixing.
DISM
command with ScanHealth option
The ScanHealth option does a more advanced scan to
find out whether the image has any problems.
To check image problems with the
ScanHealth option, use these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to perform
an advanced DISM scan and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
After you complete the steps, the
scan may take several minutes to check whether the Windows 10 image needs
repairing.
DISM
command with RestoreHealth option
If there
are problems with the system image, use DISM with the RestoreHealth option to automatically scan and
repair common issues.
To repair Windows 10 image problems
with the DISM command tool, use these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to repair
the Windows 10 image and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image
/RestoreHealthQuick note: If the command appears stuck, this is normal behavior. After a few
minutes, the process will complete successfully.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
Once you complete the steps, the tool
will connect to Windows Update online to download and replace damaged files (as
necessary).
Fix
problems with DISM using install.wim image
The
Deployment Image Servicing and Management command usually doesn't cause issues.
However, if the tool finds problems replacing the damaged files or the computer
isn't connected to the internet, you will need to provide another image using
the Source option. Typically, you can use an
"install.wim" or "install.esd" file from another device,
bootable install media, or Windows 10 ISO file. You only need to make sure that
the files match the version, edition, and language of the version of Windows 10
you are trying to fix.
Download
Windows 10 ISO file
If you need to use another file
source, it is recommended to use the Media Creation Tool to download a fresh
copy of Windows 10.
To download the ISO file of Windows
10, use these steps:
1.
Open this Microsoft support website(opens in new tab).
2.
Click the Download tool now button.
3.
Double-click the MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe file to launch the
setup.
4.
Click the Accept button to agree to the terms.
5.
Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for
another PC option.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
6.
Click the Next button.
7.
Click the Next button again.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
8.
Select the ISO file option.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
9.
Click the Next button.
10.
Select the destination to store the
Windows 10 ISO file.
11.
Click the Save button.
12.
Click the link to open the file
location with File Explorer.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
13.
Click the Finish button.
14.
Double-click the Windows.iso file to mount the image.
15.
Under the "This PC"
section, confirm the drive letter for the mount point.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
After you complete the steps, you can
continue with the DISM tool using the "Source" option to repair the
local image.
Fix
Windows 10 recovery image
To run Deployment Image Servicing and
Management tool with an alternate source (install.wim) image, use these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to repair
the Windows 10 image and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image
/RestoreHealth /Source:E:\Sources\install.wimIn the
command, replace "F" with the ISO
mount point drive letter in File Explorer.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
4.
(Optional) Type the following command
to limit the use of Windows Update and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image
/RestoreHealth /Source:E\Sources\install.wim /LimitAccess
5.
(Optional) Type the following variant
of the previous command to accomplish the same task and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
/Source:wim:E:\Sources\install.wim:1 /LimitAccessIn the
command, change E:\Sources, for the path to the "install.wim" file.
Once you complete the steps, the
command will scan and repair the problems using the "install.wim"
file you specified as the alternative source.
Fix
problems with DISM using ESD image
If you have an encrypted
"install.esd" image, it's possible to use it to repair the damaged
files on Windows 10.
To use DISM with an
"install.esd" image file as the source to repair Windows 10, use
these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to repair
the image with an "install.esd" file and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
/Source:C:\ESD\Windows\sources\install.esdIn the
command, change C:\ESD\Windows\sources with the path to the location of the ".esd" file (if
different).
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
4.
(Optional) Type the following command
to limit the use of Windows Update and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image
/RestoreHealth /Source:C:\ESD\Windows\sources\install.esd /LimitAccess
5.
(Optional) Type the following variant
of the previous command to accomplish the same task and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:C:\ESD\Windows\sources\install.esd:1
/LimitAccess
6.
(Optional) Type the following command
to use an install.esd file located in another drive and press Enter:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
/Source:E:\Sources\install.esdIn the command, replace E:\Sources with the path to the location of the "install.esd" file.
After you complete the steps, the
tool will repair the damaged files using the files included in the
"install.esd" image.
How to run
SFC to repair problems on Windows 10
The above instructions will resolve
problems with the system image, not the issues with the Windows 10
installation. After restoring the image to a healthy state, use the System File
Checker (SFC) command tool to repair the current setup.
To use the SFC command tool to repair
Windows 10 problems, use these steps:
1.
Open Start.
2.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select
the Run as administrator option.
3.
Type the following command to repair
the installation and press Enter:SFC /scannowQuick
tip: If errors are found, you may
want to run the command around three times to ensure that everything was fixed
correctly.
Source:
Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
Once you complete the steps, the
System File Checker tool will repair the system files using the local image
files, and the log files will be saved on
%windir%/Logs/CBS/CBS.log
and
%windir%\Logs\DISM\dism.log
, which you can view to get more
details about the process.
You can use this guide to learn more
ways to use the SFC tool to fix problems on Windows 10.
