Fix ‘DISM The source files could not be found’ Windows 10

[JSntgRvr]

Fix ‘DISM The source files could not be found’

To fix the ‘DISM The source files could not be found’ error, and use a local disc image of Windows 10, you need to first download the Windows 10 image. You can get it from Microsoft.

Download Windows 10 ISO

• Visit the official Microsoft Windows 10 download page.

• Click the ‘Download tool now’ button under the ‘Create installation media’ section.

• Run the tool. Accept the agreement, and select the ‘Create installation media’ option.

• On the ‘Choose which media to use’ screen, select ISO file.

• Allow the file to download.

Run DISM Restore health

• Now that you’ve got the Windows 10 ISO image, you can run a restore health command.

• Open File Explorer and navigate to where the ISO file has been downloaded.

• Right-click the file, and select ‘Mount’ from the context menu.

• Navigate to This PC in File Explorer.

• You will see a new virtual DVD drive has been mounted.

• Open the drive.

• Go to the Sources folder.

• Look for either the install.esd file, or the install.wim file. Only one of these files will be present and they will determine the command that is going to run.

• Copy the path to the install.esd or the install.wim file.

• Open Command Prompt with admin rights and run the following command. Update the path to the install.esd/install.wim file before you run it.

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:"path to install.esd/install.wim' file"

Note: In my case the iso file was saved in My Documents. I Mounted the ISO and a new virtual drive was created as F:\ESD-ISO. The file with an extension .esd, was found on F:\Sources\Install.esd.

Example to run DISM on my case was:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:F:\Sources\install.esd

Allow the command to finish, and problems with your Windows 10 installation should be resolved.

After running this command then try the System File Checker:

SFC /ScanNow

 

[Jamepaul]

Informative information JSntgRvr, Thank you.

 

[Duker44]

Just a note, the sources can also be a network path to another Server or workstation
it would look like "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:\\Sourcemachinename\C$\Windows\WINSXS\ /LimitAccess"
Handy if you have other systems that are working fine. sorta like DISM jumpercables :)

 

[Maxstar]

Just to note: I've editted your post and changed the parameter /LimitedAccess to /LimitAccess