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Use PowerShell’s Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature cmdlet to turn on an optional feature in the running Windows installation, or to service a mounted Windows image. First inventory the target with Get-WindowsOptionalFeature, copy the exact feature name it returns, enable it with -All when parent features are required, and then query the feature again to confirm its state and any restart indication.
Choose the correct Windows servicing command
Windows has two related package types that are easy to confuse. An optional feature is managed with Get-WindowsOptionalFeature, Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature, and Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature. A capability is managed with Get-WindowsCapability and Add-WindowsCapability. Both command families are part of Windows servicing, but their names, package identities, and installation commands are not interchangeable.
| What you are changing | Inventory command | Install or enable command | Target selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional feature in the live operating system | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online |
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -All |
-Online |
| Optional feature in a mounted image | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline' |
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline' -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -All |
-Path |
| Capability package in the live operating system | Get-WindowsCapability -Online |
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name 'CapabilityName' |
-Online |
Microsoft describes Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature as enabling or restoring an optional feature in a Windows image. The same cmdlet is used for a running installation and for an offline image; only the target parameter changes.
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Before you start
- Open Windows PowerShell or PowerShell with administrative rights. Enabling a feature changes the operating-system image and normally requires elevation.
- Identify whether you are servicing the computer that is currently running Windows or a mounted image. Use
-Onlinefor the former and-Pathfor the latter, never both in one command. - Know the Windows edition and build of the target. The feature list and available payload can differ between editions, releases, mounted images, and servicing policies.
- If the feature payload may have been removed, have an approved local or network source that matches the target image and feature package. Do not assume that a source from another build is compatible.
- Plan for a restart only if the servicing result indicates one is needed. A feature change does not make a restart inevitable in every case.
For a production or deployment workflow, record the target path, exact package identity, source location, and final state. That small amount of information makes a later failure easier to distinguish from a wrong image, a missing payload, or a policy restriction.
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Find the exact optional-feature name
Do not guess a feature name from its display wording. The value accepted by -FeatureName is the exact FeatureName returned for that Windows installation or image.
List features on the running system
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -OnlineThe output includes each feature’s name and current state. It also supplies servicing information, including whether a state change may require a restart. Review this inventory before changing anything so you can distinguish an already enabled feature from one that is disabled, pending, or unavailable.
Inventory is target-specific. Running the command on your workstation and then reusing the name on a different edition, release, or mounted image can fail even when the feature has a similar user-facing label. Always perform discovery against the same target that will receive the change.
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Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName '*Hyper-V*'The -FeatureName parameter accepts wildcards for discovery. Filtering is useful when the full list is long, but treat a wildcard match as a search result, not as permission to enable every returned item. Copy the exact feature name from the matching entry, then use that value in the enable command. If several entries match, select the one that corresponds to the component you actually need instead of passing an imprecise wildcard to the enable operation.
Inventory an offline image
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline'Here, C:offline is the root of an image that has already been mounted for servicing. The inventory belongs to that image, not to the host computer. A feature exposed by the host may have a different name, state, or availability in the mounted installation.
Enable a feature on the live Windows installation
- Start an elevated PowerShell session.
- Run
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online, or a filtered form, and locate the feature you need. - Copy the exact
FeatureNamevalue and check its current state. - Run the enable command, adding
-Allwhen the feature can require parent features or default dependencies. - Query the feature again and act on the state and restart indication returned by Windows.
Enable the selected feature
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -AllReplace FeatureName with the name returned by the inventory command. The -All switch tells servicing to enable required parent features and their default dependencies. It is useful for a feature whose hierarchy is not obvious from its display name and avoids a separate manual enable operation for each required parent.
-All does not mean “enable every optional feature.” It applies to the selected feature’s hierarchy. The command still acts on the specific identity you supplied, while Windows determines which required parents and default dependencies belong to it.
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Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName'Read the returned state for the named feature instead of assuming that a command that completed has produced the final state. The query also reports whether a restart might be required after the change. If Windows indicates that a restart is needed, save work and restart the computer before testing software that depends on the feature. If no restart is indicated, you can continue testing, but still use the returned state as the authority.
Enable a feature in a mounted Windows image
Offline servicing is useful for deployment media, reference images, and installations that are not currently booted. The image must be mounted at a folder such as C:offline before you run the cmdlets.
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Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline'
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline' -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -AllUse the same inventory-first process as for an online system, but obtain the feature name from the mounted image itself. Enabling an item on the host does not enable it in the mounted image. For a feature outside the Windows Foundation package, servicing may also require the relevant package name or package path; the requirement depends on the image and feature.
Do not assume that the live computer’s Windows Update configuration, feature list, or payload source automatically applies to an offline image. The mounted image has its own edition, build, package state, and deployment constraints. If the image is intended for multiple computers, verify the change against the image rather than against the machine used to service it.
Verify and finish offline servicing
Run Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path 'C:offline' -FeatureName 'FeatureName' to confirm the offline state. Restart behavior applies to the installation when it boots; servicing a mounted image does not reboot the host. After all changes are complete, follow the image-management process you use to commit and unmount the image so the change is preserved. A successful cmdlet invocation is not a substitute for completing that commit and unmount sequence.
Supply missing feature files safely
Windows can report that source files are missing when the payload for a feature has been removed from the image. In that situation, provide -Source with a local or network location that contains files appropriate for the target image and feature package.
Use an approved source
The exact source path is not universal. It depends on the Windows build, edition, feature package, and organizational servicing policy. Obtain the path from the administrator or deployment process responsible for that image rather than copying a path from an unrelated installation.
$source = Read-Host 'Enter the approved feature source path'
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -All -Source $sourceThe same pattern works with an offline image by replacing -Online with -Path 'C:offline'. If a source contains multiple package trees, the location still has to match what the target feature expects; merely pointing to an arbitrary Windows folder will not make incompatible payload files valid.
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Control Windows Update access
For an online image, adding -LimitAccess prevents DISM from contacting Windows Update as a source. Use it only when the specified local or network source is available and policy requires Windows Update to be excluded.
$source = Read-Host 'Enter the approved feature source path'
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -All -Source $source -LimitAccessLeave -LimitAccess off when the configured servicing policy is allowed to obtain the required files through Windows Update or another default source. Blocking that fallback without a usable source generally leaves the operation unable to restore the feature payload. The switch controls source lookup; it does not repair an incorrect or incomplete source tree.
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When the item is a Windows capability
Some optional content is catalogued as a capability package rather than an optional feature. A capability has its own package identity syntax, so do not convert a capability name into a feature name or pass it to Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature.
Find capabilities
Get-WindowsCapability -OnlineThis command reports capabilities installed in the running operating system and capabilities available from a remote source. Filter the output if necessary, then copy the complete capability name exactly as displayed. Capability inventory is separate from optional-feature inventory, so finding no match in one list does not prove that the content is unavailable.
Install a capability
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name 'CapabilityName'With no explicit source, the documented online use relies on Windows Update or WSUS connectivity according to the computer’s servicing configuration. For an environment that stores payloads locally, add -Source with an approved matching source. Add -LimitAccess when that source must be used without a Windows Update lookup.
$source = Read-Host 'Enter the approved capability source path'
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name 'CapabilityName' -Source $source -LimitAccessCapability inventory and installation are shown here for the running system. Offline capability servicing has different parameter requirements and should be performed against documentation and package rules for the exact deployment workflow. Do not reuse an optional-feature command simply because the display description looks similar.
PowerShell versus Settings
Windows 10 and Windows 11 also expose optional features through Settings. The labels and location can move with a release or cumulative update, but the route is generally the Optional features page, followed by an Add or View features action and an installation confirmation.
The Settings flow is interactive and uses Windows Update to download required content, so the computer needs an online connection unless the organization has configured an equivalent servicing source. PowerShell is preferable when you need an exact feature name, repeatable deployment, scripting, logging, or offline-image servicing. Settings is convenient for a one-time change when the feature is easy to identify and policy permits the graphical workflow.
These are different interfaces to Windows servicing, not different package types. If Settings cannot locate an item, first determine whether it is actually a capability, whether the edition exposes it, and whether the required payload is available through the configured source.
Windows client features are not Windows Server roles
The commands in this guide target Windows client optional features and capability packages. Windows Server roles and features use the Server Manager and PowerShell tooling intended for server administration. Microsoft’s DSC guidance specifically directs server administrators to the WindowsFeature resource for Windows Server roles and features rather than applying the client WindowsOptionalFeature resource indiscriminately.
If the target is a server, first identify whether you are managing a server role, a server feature, a client optional feature, or a capability. Choosing the wrong command family can produce a missing-name error even though a similarly worded role exists on that edition.
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Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | What it usually means | Corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| Feature name not found | The name was guessed, copied from another build, or queried on the wrong target. | Run Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online on the live system or use -Path for the mounted image. Copy the exact returned FeatureName and confirm that the edition exposes it. |
| The feature needs a parent or dependency | The selected item is part of a feature hierarchy. | Re-run the enable command with -All. This enables required parent features and their default dependencies. |
| Source files could not be found | The payload is absent, or the supplied source does not match the image and package. | Use an approved source appropriate to the exact build and feature. Add -Source; use -LimitAccess only when that source is ready and Windows Update must be excluded. |
| A capability was treated as an optional feature | The item belongs to the capability catalog. | Run Get-WindowsCapability -Online, copy the complete capability name, and install it with Add-WindowsCapability. |
| The command requests elevation | The PowerShell session is not running with administrative rights. | Close the current window, launch PowerShell with Run as administrator, and repeat the inventory and enable operation. |
| The feature appears enabled but dependent software does not work | The image state may be pending a restart, or the wrong target was serviced. | Query the feature on the target again, follow its restart indication, and verify that you enabled the live OS rather than a mounted image (or vice versa). |
| Offline servicing changes are not present later | The mounted image was not committed correctly after servicing. | Complete the deployment tool’s commit and unmount sequence after verification. Do not assume that changing files in the mount directory alone updates the image. |
| Windows Update is contacted unexpectedly | -LimitAccess was omitted, or the configured servicing policy permits an online source. |
Supply a matching -Source and add -LimitAccess when policy requires a source-only operation. If no matching source exists, do not block the fallback until one is available. |
Disable or remove an optional feature
To turn off a feature in the running installation, use the corresponding disable cmdlet with the exact name:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName'Disabling normally leaves the feature’s files available for a later enable operation. The -Remove option additionally removes those files while retaining the feature manifest:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'FeatureName' -RemoveRemoving the payload saves image space but makes a future restore dependent on a suitable source, such as Windows Update or an approved network share. Use the same target distinction for an offline image by replacing -Online with -Path 'C:offline', and verify the resulting state afterward. Treat removal as a servicing decision, not merely a temporary disable, because a later enable may need files that are no longer present locally.
A repeatable decision process
- Identify the target. Choose
-Onlinefor the running installation or-Pathfor a mounted image. - Identify the package type. Query optional features with
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature; query capabilities withGet-WindowsCapability. - Copy the exact identity. Use the returned feature name or capability name instead of a display label or a name from another computer.
- Check the payload path. If files may have been removed, arrange a matching source before enabling. Decide whether Windows Update is allowed to provide missing content.
- Apply the change. Use
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeaturewith-Allfor an optional feature, orAdd-WindowsCapabilityfor a capability. - Verify. Query the same target again, inspect the final state and restart indication, then restart or complete image deployment when Windows says it is necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need to restart after enabling a feature?
No. Query the feature after the operation and follow the restart indication returned by Windows. Some state changes can be used immediately, while others are marked as requiring a restart.
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Can I use -Online and -Path together?
No. They identify different targets. Use -Online for the currently running Windows installation and -Path for a mounted image. Mixing the target selectors makes the command ambiguous and defeats inventory against the intended image.
Why does a name copied from another computer fail?
Feature availability and naming can vary by Windows edition, release, image state, and servicing policy. Run inventory on the exact target and copy its returned FeatureName rather than relying on a remembered display label.
What does -All enable?
It enables the selected feature’s required parent features and their default dependencies. It does not turn on every optional feature in Windows.
Should I always add -LimitAccess?
No. Add it when an approved local or network source is ready and Windows Update must not be consulted. Leave it off when the configured servicing policy is allowed to obtain missing files through Windows Update or another default source.
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Where do I get a universal feature source path?
There is no universal path. The correct source depends on the target build, edition, feature package, and organizational servicing policy. Use the source supplied by the deployment or servicing process and ensure it matches the image.
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How do I know whether to use a capability command?
Query Get-WindowsCapability -Online. If the intended item appears in the capability catalog, copy its complete capability name and use Add-WindowsCapability rather than an optional-feature cmdlet.
Does servicing a mounted image restart my computer?
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What should I do after disabling with -Remove?
Keep a compatible source available. Removing the payload leaves the manifest but means a later restore may need Windows Update or an approved network share to obtain the feature files.
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Do I always need to restart after enabling a feature?
No. Query the feature after the operation and follow the restart indication returned by Windows. Some state changes can be used immediately, while others are marked as requiring a restart.
Can I use -Online and -Path together?
No. Use -Online for the currently running Windows installation and -Path for a mounted image.
Why does a name copied from another computer fail?
Feature availability and naming can vary by Windows edition, release, image state, and servicing policy. Inventory the exact target and copy its returned FeatureName.
What does -All enable?
It enables the selected feature’s required parent features and their default dependencies; it does not enable every optional feature.
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Should I always add -LimitAccess?
No. Use it only when a matching local or network source is ready and Windows Update must be excluded.
How do I know whether to use a capability command?
Run Get-WindowsCapability -Online. If the item appears there, install its exact capability name with Add-WindowsCapability.
The Bottom Line
Inventory the exact target first, then use Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online for the live OS or -Path for a mounted image. Add -All for required parents, provide a matching -Source when payload files are missing, and use Add-WindowsCapability for capability packages. Query the target again, follow its restart indication, and commit offline-image changes before deployment.
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