How to Fix “DISM source files could not be found” on Windows 10, 8, or 7

Trying to figure out how to fix ‘DISM source files could not be found’ error on Windows 10, 8, or 7?

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a command-line tool that helps prepare Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE),  services Window images, and can also be utilized to repair Windows. It is often used in situations where the System File Checker tool fails to replace corrupted system files. 

 

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

It is common for the DISM command to fail, and the error is caused by the following reasons:

  • DISM tool is unable to find the files (Windows Update/WSUS) that are needed to perform the repair. 
  • The repair source ( install.wim or install.esd) contains multiple install.wim files. 
  • The repair source (Windows.ISO file) is wrong or corrupted. 

Listed below are the common error codes:

  • 0x800f081f
  • 0x800f0906
  • 0x800f0907

If you have been facing this issue on Windows 10, 8, or 7, we got you covered. This guide will walk you through the process of fixing the ‘DISM source files could not be found’ in detail. 

Let’s get straight into it.

 

1. Run DISM Cleanup Command 

Running DISM cleaning command will scan for corrupt files and fix them, if found. To solve the error using DISM Cleanup Command in Window 10, 8, or 7, follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Type Command Prompt in the search bar. 
  2. Click on Run as Administrator. This will open a dialogue box. 
  3. Select Yes on the dialogue box to open Command Prompt in elevated mode. 
  4. Now, type the command mentioned below and hit enter
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
sfc /scannow

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

  1. Next, add the following command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
sfc /scannow

 

  1. After the commands mentioned above have finished processing, add the DISM command mentioned below and press the Enter key.
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM restore health command

     

This should solve the DISM source files could not be found error on Windows 10, 8, or 7. If the issue hasn’t been resolved, try the method mentioned below. 

 

 

2. Specify Alternative Repair Source by Using Registry 

If your PC is showing DISM error when you are trying to repair it, you can specify an alternative repair source to solve the issue. 

If you are using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise Edition, follow the next method. This method is only suitable for Windows 10, 8, or 7. 

  1. Press Windows key and R key simultaneously to open a Run dialogue box. 
  2. Type regedit in the dialogue box and click on OK
  3. Doing so will open a dialogue box stating “Do You Want to Allow This App to Make Changes to Your Device”. Click on Yes to proceed. 
  4. This will open the Registry Editor. Now navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and right-click on Policies
  5. Now select New > Key and name this key as Servicing and hit enter. 

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

  1. Next, right-click the Servicing key and select New > Expandable String Value
  2. Name this new string as LocalSourcePath
  3. Double-click on LocalSourcePath, and change the value data to “wim:C:\install.wim:1” and click OK

Edit string in windows

 

  1. Now right-click on the Servicing Key and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  2. Name this new key as UseWindowsUpdate. 
  3. Change the value data of UseWindowsUpdate to 2 and click OK. 
  4. Lastly, restart the system and check if following this method solved the problem. If it did, undo the changes in the registry. 

This should be able to solve your problem. If the problem remains, follow the other methods mentioned in the guide. 

 


 

Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise Edition 

If you are using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise Edition, follow the method mentioned below. 

  1. Press Windows key and R key simultaneously to open the Run dialogue box. 
  2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK  to open Group Policy Editor. 

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

  1. Now, click on Computer Configuration and select Administrative Templates
  2. Click System in the right-window pane and double click on “Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair“.

Windows Repair

 

  1. Select Enabled and type wim:C:\install.wim:1 under the “Alternate source file path”.
  2. Now Checkmark the “Never attempt to download payload from Windows Update“ box and click on Apply.
  3. Next, select OK and restart your PC. 
  4. After the PC restarts, type the command DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”.

This should be able to solve your issue in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise Edition. 

 

 

3. Specify Correct DISM Source

Sometimes the DISM command fails because the tool searches for the repairing files online instead of performing local search. This method is only for Windows 10 users. To specify the correct DISM source, follow the steps mentioned below. 

Download Windows 10 ISO

The first step is to download Windows 10 ISO. Follow the steps mentioned below to successfully download the file. 

  1. Download Windows 10 ISO by visiting the official Microsoft Windows 10 download page.
  2. Run the tool and click on Accept the Agreement. 
  3. Now, select the Create installation media option to open a new window. 
  4. Select the ISO file on the new window and click on Next to start downloading. 

 


 

Run DISM Restore health

After downloading the Windows 10 ISO image, you can run a restore health command. 

  1. Open File Explorer and open the downloaded ISO file. 
  2. Right-click the ISO file and select Mount from the menu. 
  3. Now go to This PC in the file explorer and open the DVD Drive that has been mounted. 
  4. In the drive, go to the Source Folder and copy the path to either install.esd file, or the install.wim file.
  5. Now, open Command Prompt and run the command listed below:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:"path to install.esd/install.wim' file"

Once, the process is complete, try opening the DISM source files again. This should be able to solve your issue.

 

 

4. Clean and Analyze WinSXS Folder

WinSXS folder is a system folder containing different versions of files. This folder is used for updating as well as installing Windows on your PC. Cleaning this folder by removing unnecessary files will help solve the DISM error. 

To clean and analyze the WinSXS folder, follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Press Windows key and X key simultaneously and select Command Prompt or Windows Powershell (Admin).
  2. Now run the following commands in the same order as mentioned below. 
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online  /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
sfc /scannow

Clean and Analyze WinSXS folder

 

  1. After the completion of the process mentioned above, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command. 

Doing so will solve your problem and the DISM source file should open. If you are unable to open the file, try the next method. 

 

 

5. Fix the Underlying Cause of DISM Error

There can be an underlying cause of the DISM error and solving the cause can help get rid of the error permanently. 

To use this method for fixing the DISM error, it is essential to back up your Registry. After performing a backup, follow the steps mentioned below. 

  1. Navigate to the folder mentioned below
C:\Windows\Log\CBS

 

  1. Click on CBS.log file to open it. 

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

  1. On the Notepad, select Edit and click on Find to open a dialogue box. 
  2. Type “Checking System Update Readiness in the dialogue box and click on Find Next.

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

  1. Now find and copy the corrupt package under the Checking System Update Readiness Line. The corrupt package is the reason behind faulty DISM. 
  2. Next, open the Run dialogue box by pressing Windows key and R key and type regedit in the box. 
  3. In the Registry Editor, go to the key mentioned below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing

 

  1. Now select Component Based Servicing and press Ctrl+F to open a dialogue box. 
  2. Paste the corrupt package you copied in the 5th step in the dialogue box and click on Find Next. 
  3. Right-click on all registry keys and select Export for back up. 
  4. After exporting all the keys, right-click on the registry keys again and select Permission
  5. Click on Administrators under the “Group or user names” and checkmark Full Control. 

Fix: DISM source files could not be found’ on Windows 10, 8, or 7

 

  1. Now select Apply and click on OK. 
  2. You can now delete all the registry keys at various locations and if you find any test root files in the C:Drive, move them to another location. 
  3. Lastly, reboot your PC and run the command mentioned below again.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Now run the source file again and hopefully, there would be no issues. 

 

Conclusion

This brings us to the end of our article on how to fix “DISM source files could not be found” on Windows 10, 8, or 7. We hope that the methods mentioned above were able to solve your problem. If you are still facing issues, please contact Microsoft Support for further assistance. Moreover, make sure to check our guide if you have been facing “The Requested Resource is in Use” error on Windows 10 or 7,  You can also drop your queries in the comment section down below. We will try our best to help you out.

 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

 

Author

  • Zainab Falak

    Zainab Falak is a staff writer for Saint and an expert in Microsoft Windows, having authored more than 200 posts. She has a Bachelors in Actuarial Sciences and her passion for computers extends to exploring various aspects, from UI customization to the Windows registry and exploring error codes. Twitter LinkedIn

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