DISM Isn’t Working – Now What?

Quick Tips

• Always run DISM from Command Prompt or Windows Terminal opened as an administrator; otherwise, you may get “access denied” errors.
• A DISM scan can take several minutes or longer, depending on the system and the repair needed, so give it time before determining it’s stuck.
• If DISM can’t find source files (for example, error 0x800f081f), you may need to point it to a suitable repair source, such as a mounted Windows ISO that matches your installed Windows version, edition, and language.

If DISM is not working, the problem may be a typo in the command, corruption in the Windows component store, or an issue with the source files DISM uses for repairs. The issue can show up as a scan that hangs, a “DISM failed. No operation was performed” message, or an error code.

Here’s what to do when DISM fails, starting with error codes:

• 87 – The parameter is incorrect, usually a syntax mistake.
• 5 or 740 – DISM isn’t running with admin rights.
• 0x800f081f, 0x800f0915, or 0x800f0906 – DISM can’t find or download the repair files.
• 50 – DISM doesn’t support servicing Windows PE with the “/Online” option, which can happen if you run it from a recovery environment.

Fix 1 – Check the Syntax if DISM Is Not Working

Error 87 often means DISM didn’t understand a parameter or command. Make sure the command follows the correct syntax, including spaces between its components. Copying commands from websites can also introduce incorrect characters.

Step 1. Search for “Command Prompt,” select “Run as administrator,” and confirm the User Account Control prompt.

Step 2. If needed, enter the command manually, making sure it matches the following syntax.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Step 3. Click “Enter” and wait for the scan to finish without closing the window.

Fix 2 – Clean Up the Component Store if DISM Is Not Working

When RestoreHealth stalls or keeps failing, leftover update files or pending operations in the component store might be blocking it.

Step 1. In the Command Prompt, run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Step 2. If Windows is failing to boot after an update or servicing operation, use the appropriate recovery procedure to revert pending actions. Do not run “/RevertPendingActions” as a routine repair step on a working Windows installation.

Step 3. Run the RestoreHealth command from Fix 1 again.

You can also add “/ResetBase” to the end of the StartComponentCleanup command for a deeper cleanup, but keep in mind it means you won’t be able to uninstall any updates that are already installed.

Fix 3 – Reset Windows Update Components

Since DISM downloads repair files through Windows Update by default, a broken update cache can make it hang while downloading or fail outright. Resetting it clears out the cached files.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Run the following commands one at a time, selecting “Enter” after each:

net stop wuauserv

net stop bits

net stop cryptsvc

ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start wuauserv

net start bits

net start cryptsvc

Step 3. Restart the PC and run DISM again.

If you use a proxy or a third-party antivirus, it’s also worth turning off the proxy under “Settings” > “Network & internet” > “Proxy” and pausing the antivirus temporarily, since both can block DISM’s downloads.

Fix 4 – Run CHKDSK to Rule Out Disk Errors

If DISM gets stuck or fails without a clear message, file system errors on the drive might be interfering with it.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run:

chkdsk C: /f /r

Step 2. If prompted to schedule the scan for the next restart, type Y and press “Enter.”

Step 3. Restart the PC and let the scan finish. This can take a while on larger or older drives.

Step 4. Once Windows loads, run DISM again.

Fix 5 – Do an In-Place Upgrade if DISM Still Fails

If none of the above works, an in-place upgrade reinstalls Windows over itself while keeping your files, apps, and most settings, which replaces the damaged image DISM couldn’t repair.

Step 1. Download a Windows 11 ISO that matches your existing installation, mount it, and then run setup.exe from the mounted drive.

Step 2. Follow the prompts, and when you reach the “Ready to install” screen, make sure “Keep personal files and apps” is selected. If it isn’t, click “Change what to keep” to select it.

Step 3. Click “Install” and let the PC restart as many times as it needs.

On recent Windows 11 versions, you can also go to “Settings” > “System” > “Recovery” and click “Reinstall now” next to “Fix problems using Windows Update” to do the same thing without an ISO.

Once DISM completes successfully, run sfc /scannow to scan for and replace corrupted system files using the repaired component store.