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Most DISM repairs come down to one pattern: choose the target, choose the servicing option, then add a repair source only when you need one. For the running Windows installation, the everyday repair is DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. For an offline Windows image, replace /Online with /Image:<path_to_image_directory>. The rest of this page explains the pattern, the health-check commands, the repair-source options, and the commands that need a warning before you run them.
Start with the target: online or offline
DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a Windows command-line tool for servicing Windows images. Microsoft describes it as handling tasks such as installing, uninstalling, configuring, and updating Windows features, packages, drivers, and international settings. It ships with Windows and is also distributed in the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). Every DISM command starts by naming the image it works on:
DISM.exe {/Image:<path_to_image_directory> | /Online} [dism_global_options] {servicing_option} [<servicing_argument>]The target selector comes first, and the operation and its arguments follow it. Most readers only ever need two targets:
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| Target | What it points at | Typical example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
/Online |
The Windows installation you are currently running | DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth |
Repairing the PC you are sitting at |
/Image:<path> |
An offline Windows image stored in a directory, such as a mounted image or a folder you have prepared | DISM /Image:C:offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth |
Servicing a Windows image that is not booted, or one you are building for deployment |
Not every servicing option works against both targets. Option availability varies by command and Windows version, so check Microsoft’s option reference for the exact command before you rely on it in deployment work.
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Image health commands: check, scan, restore
The /Cleanup-Image option handles component-store health. Its three health switches are easy to confuse because they sound similar, but each does a different job:
| Switch | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
/CheckHealth |
Checks whether the image has been flagged as corrupted, and whether that corruption can be repaired | It does not perform a full scan of the component store |
/ScanHealth |
Scans the component store for corruption | It does not repair anything |
/RestoreHealth |
Scans, then performs repair operations automatically | It is not a quick flag check; it can take several minutes |
A typical escalation for an online installation runs the three in order, from fastest to most thorough:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthFor an offline image, substitute the offline directory in each line, for example DISM /Image:C:offline /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth. Expect the scan and restore steps to run for several minutes, and do not interrupt them.
Repairing with a known-good source
By default, /RestoreHealth can draw replacement files from Windows Update. Two switches change that behaviour:
/Source:<filepath>tells DISM to use known-good repair files from a location you specify./LimitAccessstops DISM from contacting Windows Update for repair of an online image.
Microsoft’s example uses the Windows directory of a mounted image as the source:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:testmountwindows /LimitAccessThe source must correspond to the image you are repairing. An arbitrary Windows folder or installation medium will not work just because it contains Windows files. If you add /LimitAccess without a valid /Source, the repair has no alternative location to draw from, so confirm the source path before running it.
| Repair path | Repair source | Is /LimitAccess needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Default online repair | Windows Update | No |
| Online repair from a known-good copy | The location given by /Source |
Yes, if you want to keep Windows Update out of the repair |
| Offline repair | Set by /Source for the offline image |
Not applicable to offline images in the example above |
For a quick check of an online installation, Microsoft’s repair guidance also mentions sfc /scannow. Treat it as a separate system-file check rather than a substitute for DISM’s component-store repair. If SFC reports problems it cannot fix, the DISM repair path above is the next step.
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DISM has more than repair. Each family below uses the same target selector, but the arguments and version support differ.
Packages and features
DISM can list and service packages and Windows features. Microsoft’s package reference covers /Get-Packages, /Get-PackageInfo, /Add-Package, and feature operations. Package applicability can depend on the Windows version and the package type, so read the reference for your release before applying a package to an image.
Drivers
Driver servicing works with INF-style driver packages. /Get-Drivers lists the driver packages in an image, and /Add-Driver adds third-party driver packages to an offline image. Windows Installer packages and other driver package types such as .exe installers are not supported by these commands, so do not point /Add-Driver at a vendor setup program. Extract or obtain the INF-based driver package first.
Image management
DISM also mounts, applies, captures, and manages Windows images. Capturing can produce a WIM file or a split SWM set. The documented capture option does not capture a VHD or VHDX file. Image management is a deployment topic with its own workflow, so use Microsoft’s image-management reference for the full sequence.
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The same servicing functions are available in PowerShell. Microsoft maps /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to the Repair-WindowsImage cmdlet with the -ScanHealth and -RestoreHealth parameters. If you already work in PowerShell, this is the easier path to remember.
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Commands that remove recovery options
/StartComponentCleanup shrinks the component store, and adding /ResetBase makes the cleanup more aggressive. Microsoft’s package servicing documentation states that once you run /StartComponentCleanup with /ResetBase, installed Windows updates can no longer be uninstalled. That is a permanent change to your rollback options, so treat it as a deliberate decision rather than a routine way to free disk space.
Syntax and supported options for cleanup commands also vary by Windows version. Current Windows 11 users should start with the Windows 11 view of the command reference, not an older article.
Quick Recap
Pick the command by task
- Verify that the running Windows image is healthy:
/Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth, then/ScanHealthif needed. - Repair the running image with Windows Update:
/Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. - Repair the running image from a known-good copy only:
/Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:<path> /LimitAccess. - Repair an offline image:
/Image:<path> /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, with a valid source where required. - Add a driver to an offline image:
/Image:<path> /Add-Driverwith an INF-based package. - Use PowerShell:
Repair-WindowsImagewith-ScanHealthor-RestoreHealth.
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