🧱 Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) • Complete Guide for Windows 11 25H2

Category: Deployment & Imaging

Author: jmarket (PCHF Founder)

Verified by: PCHF Staff • October 2025

Overview

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a built-in Windows command-line utility used to create, modify, and repair Windows images (.wim, .vhd, or .esd).
System administrators, engineers, and advanced users rely on DISM to maintain stable, deployable environments and resolve deep-level system corruption.
Common use cases include:

• Repairing damaged or corrupted system files


• Integrating updates, drivers, or features into offline images


• Mounting and servicing Windows installation media


• Managing provisioning packages, editions, and languages

Checking DISM Version

dism /online /get-intl

Displays the current DISM build and locale settings.

Common DISM Scenarios

1. Repair the Online Windows Installation

Use these commands when Windows is running but corruption is suspected:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

• [CODE]/checkhealth{/CODE] – Quickly checks for known corruption.


• Code:

  /scanhealth

  – Performs a comprehensive scan.


• Code:

  /restorehealth

  – Repairs the image using Windows Update or a specified source.

Optional: Specify a repair source if Windows Update is unavailable:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth /source:C:\sources\install.wim /limitaccess

2. Clean Up Component Store (WinSxS)

Removes superseded updates and reduces the size of the component store:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

To remove older versions permanently:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup /resetbase

3. Mount and Modify Offline Images

	
Code:
	
dism /mount-image /imagefile:D:\install.wim /index:1 /mountdir:C:\Mount
dism /image:C:\Mount /add-package /packagepath:C:\Updates\kb5003791.cab
dism /image:C:\Mount /add-driver /driver:C:\Drivers /recurse
dism /unmount-image /mountdir:C:\Mount /commit

Tip: Always commit before unmounting to save your changes.

4. Add or Remove Windows Features

Enable .NET Framework 3.5 online:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /all

Or enable offline:

	
Code:
	
dism /image:C:\Mount /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /all

5. Capture and Apply Images

Capture a Windows partition into a .wim image:

	
Code:
	
dism /capture-image /imagefile:D:\install.wim /capturedir:C:\ /name:"Windows 11 Pro 25H2"

Apply that image to a blank partition:

	
Code:
	
dism /apply-image /imagefile:D:\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:C:\

6. Convert Between ESD and WIM

Convert an install.esd into an editable install.wim:

	
Code:
	
dism /export-image /sourceimagefile:install.esd /destinationimagefile:install.wim /compress:max /checkintegrity

7. Manage Editions and Licensing

View available editions:

	
Code:
	
dism /online /get-targeteditions

Change edition (requires a valid product key):

	
Code:
	
dism /online /set-edition:Professional /productkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /accepteula

Useful Switches

• Code:

  /online

  – Target the running operating system.


• Code:

  /image:<path>

  – Target an offline image directory.


• Code:

  /cleanup-image

  – Perform maintenance operations on the component store.


• Code:

  /add-package

  Code:

  /add-driver

  – Integrate updates or drivers.


• Code:

  /mount-image

  ,
  Code:

  /unmount-image

  – Attach or detach Windows image files.


• Code:

  /checkhealth

  ,
  Code:

  /scanhealth

  ,
  Code:

  /restorehealth

  – Check and repair image integrity.

Log Locations

DISM logs all operations to:

C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

These logs can help diagnose errors or be uploaded in your PCHF support thread for expert review.

Advanced Deployment Workflows

• Integrate cumulative updates, .NET Frameworks, and language packs before imaging.


• Combine DISM with Windows ADK and WinPE for automated deployment pipelines.


• Automate image maintenance tasks via PowerShell and Task Scheduler.

Best Practices

• Always back up images before servicing.


• Avoid /resetbase unless absolutely necessary — removed updates cannot be uninstalled afterward.


• Verify mount points using dism /get-mountedwiminfo before unmounting.


• Use only stable Windows builds for servicing production environments.

Troubleshooting Common DISM Errors

Policy

This guide covers only official Microsoft tools and workflows.
All commands are provided as-is and should be executed with administrator privileges.
Always verify paths and sources before servicing production systems.

All content © 2025 PC Help Forum. DISM is a Microsoft tool distributed with Windows operating systems.
This guide references official Microsoft documentation and should be used for legitimate repair or deployment purposes only.