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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →You can install a Windows update package directly from its .cab or .msu file with DISM; you do not need to extract an MSU first. For a supported running Windows 11 installation, open Command Prompt as an administrator and use DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:Updatesupdate.msu". Replace the example path with the location and name of your downloaded update.
Before you install: confirm the package matches Windows
Download the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog by searching for its KB number. Check the result’s product, Windows version, processor architecture, and “Applies To” details before downloading. A Windows Server package, for example, is not interchangeable with a client Windows package or a different Server release. Microsoft lists supersedence, an update already being installed, a mismatched Windows version or architecture, and missing prerequisites among the reasons an update may be reported as not applicable. See Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooting guidance.
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Read the update’s associated KB article for prerequisites and package-specific directions. DISM checks applicability, but Microsoft cautions that /Add-Package “doesn’t run a full check for a package’s applicability and dependencies”. Do not use an applicability bypass as a substitute for choosing the right package and satisfying its prerequisites.
Install a CAB or MSU on the running Windows system
Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator). Substitute the actual package path in the command. Keep quotation marks around a path that contains spaces.
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Install an MSU with DISM
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:Updatesupdate.msu"For the documented online MSU path, Microsoft specifies Windows 11 version 21H2 or later. For Windows images earlier than Windows 11 21H2, the documentation limits MSU addition to offline target images. Check the target’s version before using an MSU with /Online.
Install a CAB with DISM
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:Updatesupdate.cab"The same /Online and /Add-Package approach installs a CAB into the running operating system.
Use PowerShell instead
Microsoft’s DISM PowerShell module provides Add-WindowsPackage. Run PowerShell as an administrator and specify the package path:
Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:Updatesupdate.cab"Replace update.cab with the actual CAB or MSU file. The cmdlet also supports -LogPath to select a log location if you need a record for troubleshooting. See Microsoft’s Add-WindowsPackage documentation.
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Install an update into a mounted offline image
When servicing a mounted Windows image rather than the currently running OS, use /Image: instead of /Online. Confirm that the mount path points to the intended image before running DISM.
DISM command-line method
DISM /Image:C:Mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:Updatesupdate.msu"Change the package extension and path as needed for a CAB or MSU. Microsoft also documents adding updates to Windows RE images; consult its Windows RE update instructions for that specific target.
PowerShell method
Add-WindowsPackage -Path "C:Mount" -PackagePath "C:Updatesupdate.msu"After servicing, use DISM’s /Get-Packages option to inspect the image’s package state, then commit the changes when unmounting it. Follow the applicable image-servicing procedure for the image you mounted.
When to use a package file or a folder
/PackagePath can point to one CAB or MSU file, or to a folder containing multiple CAB/MSU files. For a folder, DISM recursively checks subfolders; it evaluates package applicability. Use a folder only when you intend to service the image with the packages it contains, and avoid mixing unrelated updates into it.
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For Windows 11 version 24H2 cumulative updates, a target cumulative update may require one or more earlier checkpoint cumulative updates. Place the target update and only its required checkpoint packages in the folder, then point /PackagePath to that folder so DISM can discover and process them. Microsoft’s servicing documentation says packages with a revision less than or equal to the target are processed.
Check package state and diagnose failures
“The update is not applicable to your computer”
- Check for supersedence: a newer update may already provide the selected update’s payload.
- Check whether it is installed: inspect the target system or image before retrying.
- Verify the target: confirm Windows product, version, edition where relevant, and processor architecture against the package details.
- Review prerequisites: consult the update’s KB article for required servicing or other updates.
Microsoft does document /IgnoreCheck, which skips the applicability check, but it is not the normal remedy for a package that does not match the target. Establish that the package is correct before considering any option that bypasses a check.
Inspect installed packages
Use DISM’s /Get-Packages to list packages for an image. /Get-PackageInfo provides details for CAB files, but Microsoft says it cannot retrieve package information for MSU files. A successful command alone is not a substitute for checking the target’s resulting package state when you are diagnosing an installation.
Pending actions and logs
DISM’s /PreventPending option skips package installation when the package or image has pending online actions. The PowerShell cmdlet documents the equivalent -PreventPending option. If servicing does not proceed as expected, use logging—such as the cmdlet’s -LogPath parameter—to help diagnose the operation rather than assuming the update was applied.
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