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DISM: Error: 0x800f081f The source files could not be found.

Question

Saturday, July 2, 2016 1:01 PM | 1 vote

I am an utter NOOB in these matters, so please be gentle... ;)

I try to use "Dism - restore health" by opening a command prompt as an Administrator and running: "Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:D:\sources\install.wim:1", where "D:\sources\install.wim" is a file on the original Windows 10 Professional  DVD I got when I purchased my new computer, but it returns the following:
"Error: 0x800f081f
The source files could not be found.
Use the "Source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more information on specifying a source location, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077.
The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log"
although I have explicitly pointed it to the Source using "/Source:wim:"

All replies (16)

Monday, July 4, 2016 7:31 AM âś…Answered | 3 votes

Hi Leendert A. Hartog,

Use this Tech Bench ink and download the iso file again.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

Once the iso is downloaded, mount it. ( Right click at the iso file > click Mount ).
Then open the elevated command prompt ( command prompt (admin) ) > copy & paste this...........
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:H:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
> press Enter.
NOTE : H is the drive letter where the iso is mounted. If your drive letter is not H, replace H with your drive letter.

Best regards

Please mark the reply as an answer if you find it is helpful.

If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected]

Saturday, July 2, 2016 1:40 PM

Hello,

Please follow the fix:

http://www.kapilarya.com/dism-error-0x800f081f-the-source-files-could-not-be-found-windows-10

Hope this helps, Good luck :)

Windows Troubleshooting & How to guides - http://www.kapilarya.com

Saturday, July 2, 2016 2:02 PM

I have tried that ("Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup"), but running "Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:D:\sources\install.wim:1" still returns the same error...

Saturday, July 2, 2016 4:23 PM | 1 vote

You have to mount an image of the exact same build that you have running on your computer.  For example if your image is 10586.0 and your computer is 10586.314 you will still get the sources error message because there are files in 314 that are missing in "0"

What build are you running (type winver in run) and what built is the ISO?

Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)

Saturday, July 2, 2016 4:28 PM

I agree with ZigZag3143x, you should use the matching ISO file here with your installed build.

Windows Troubleshooting & How to guides - http://www.kapilarya.com

Saturday, July 2, 2016 4:31 PM

The version installed is: Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.420)

I assumed the installation disc included with my PC would be the same build. How do I check this and where can I download a corresponding iso for my Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.420)?

Saturday, July 2, 2016 4:55 PM

There is no ISO for .420 as it includes the monthly cumulative updates.

Care to tell us what the underlying issue is that prompted you to run SFC/DISM?

Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)

Saturday, July 2, 2016 5:02 PM

So there is no way for me to repair this?

I ran SFC /scannow and found there were errors that could not be automatically repaired, so I googled on the subject and was pointed towards DISM...

Saturday, July 2, 2016 5:36 PM

I asked what "this" is?

Why did you run SFC/DISM?  What were the underlying issues?

Running SFC for no reason is a waste of time as there are both false positives, and false negatives.

Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)

Saturday, July 2, 2016 5:43 PM

I was having some weird problems with a plugin for software I had installed and was thinking maybe there was something wrong with my system. But you're probably right, I somehow overreacted, which is easy to do, when you're basically clueless...

Monday, July 4, 2016 10:05 AM

SFC will not fix "plugin" problems.  It is designed to fix problems with the OS not really for 3rd party issues.  Happy to help if you want to pursue this

Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)

Thursday, March 23, 2017 10:56 AM

You can find instructions to fix this problem at the following links :

http://www.wintips.org/fix-dism-0x800f081f-error-in-windows-10-8/

http://www.wintips.org/fix-dism-source-files-could-not-be-found-windows-10-8/

Saturday, April 29, 2017 9:41 PM

Hi Leendert A. Hartog,

Use this Tech Bench ink and download the iso file again.

Once the iso is downloaded, mount it. ( Right click at the iso file > click Mount ).
Then open the elevated command prompt ( command prompt (admin) ) > copy & paste this...........
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:H:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
> press Enter.
NOTE : H is the drive letter where the iso is mounted. If your drive letter is not H, replace H with your drive letter.

Best regards

Please mark the reply as an answer if you find it is helpful.

If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact 

what does the :1 do at the end of the source path?

Friday, June 9, 2017 2:02 PM

what does the :1 do at the end of the source path?

@JPeck

It's the index number of the Windows version in the install.wim file. Some ISO's could contain multiple images for various editions of Windows (Professional, Home, etc.). The index number can be identified by running this command from PowerShell to see all editions of Windows included in the install.wim file:

dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:H:\sources\install.wim

Again, change H to whatever drive you've mounted the ISO file to.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 1:07 PM

what does the :1 do at the end of the source path?

@JPeck

It's the index number of the Windows version in the install.wim file. Some ISO's could contain multiple images for various editions of Windows (Professional, Home, etc.). The index number can be identified by running this command from PowerShell to see all editions of Windows included in the install.wim file:

dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:H:\sources\install.wim

Again, change H to whatever drive you've mounted the ISO file to.

Hi,i have same problem,it started with blue screens after Windows updates(Windows 8.1) so i wanted to do in cmd sfc /scannow because i read that this could be solution,but doing scan i had error,so i read i need to do Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth but i also have error 0x800f081f so i read that i need to do this from Windows iso.Now i did it like you said here and still i have another error still  0x800f081f but its says also "The source files could not be found.Use the "Source"  option to specify the location of the files that are required  to restore the feature.For more information on specifying  a source locaton see <link here>.

So yeah at this point i dont know what i should do.

Thursday, September 5, 2019 5:28 PM

This worked for me. without the :/1 limitaccesss I received an Error:87