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

JSntgRvr · Oct 4, 2021

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 · Nov 22, 2021

Informative information JSntgRvr, Thank you.

Duker44 · Oct 20, 2022

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 · Jan 10, 2023

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

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

JSntgRvr

Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst

Jamepaul

Member

Duker44

New member

Maxstar

Windows Update Moderator, Security Analyst