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Command reference

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Use DISM RestoreHealth to scan and repair the Windows component store, understand CheckHealth and ScanHealth, and respond safely to source errors or slow progress.

Syntax
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Purpose
Scans the running Windows image for component-store corruption and performs repair operations automatically. A healthy component store can provide the files that System File Checker needs to repair protected Windows files.
Administrator
Yes — open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
Risk
Moderate; RestoreHealth changes the Windows component store and can use Windows Update or another configured repair source. Keep reliable power and do not deliberately interrupt an active repair.
Windows support
Windows 11 and Windows 10

When to use it

  • SFC reports files it cannot repair or Microsoft guidance calls for DISM before another SFC scan
  • Windows Update, servicing, or several built-in Windows components show symptoms consistent with system-file or component-store corruption

When not to use it

  • Power is unreliable or a restart is imminent
  • Storage diagnostics indicate a failing or unstable drive
  • A single third-party application is the only fault and Windows components otherwise work normally

Steps

  1. Save work, connect AC power on a laptop, and open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Allow it to complete; Microsoft notes that the operation can take several minutes, and visible progress may not move continuously.
  3. If DISM completes successfully, run sfc /scannow. When SFC finishes, restart if appropriate and retest the original Windows symptom.

Expected result

A successful run reports that the restore operation or operation completed successfully. If DISM instead returns a source or servicing error, preserve the exact error and diagnose that result rather than repeatedly rerunning the same command.

What DISM RestoreHealth does

DISM services the Windows image. With /Online, the target is the Windows installation that is currently running. With /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, DISM scans the component store for corruption and performs repair operations automatically.

This is different from SFC. DISM repairs the Windows image and component store; SFC checks protected Windows system files. Microsoft recommends running DISM before SFC when corrupted system files are being repaired.

CheckHealth vs ScanHealth vs RestoreHealth

Use the three health options for different levels of checking. CheckHealth checks whether the image has already been flagged as corrupted and whether that corruption is repairable. ScanHealth performs a component-store scan. RestoreHealth performs a scan and then repairs corruption automatically.

  1. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  2. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  3. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Note: You do not have to run all three commands every time. RestoreHealth already performs a scan before its repair operation.

If DISM appears stuck or progress pauses

Do not judge the repair only by a percentage that has stopped changing. Microsoft describes ScanHealth and RestoreHealth as operations that can take several minutes, and the time varies with the system and repair source.

Keep the computer powered, leave the elevated terminal open, and look for a final DISM result. Avoid repeatedly closing and restarting an active servicing operation simply because the displayed percentage pauses.

Warning: If the storage device is showing signs of physical failure, protect important data before continuing repair operations.

If RestoreHealth cannot find source files

RestoreHealth normally can use Windows Update as a repair source. If that source is unavailable or unsuitable, DISM supports /Source to specify known-good repair files. /LimitAccess tells DISM not to contact Windows Update for the repair.

A repair source must be appropriate for the Windows installation being repaired. Preserve the exact DISM error before changing the source so that a source problem is not confused with a different servicing failure.

Command
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess

Note: C:\RepairSource\Windows is only an example of an absolute path, not a directory Windows creates for you. Use an actual known-good repair source appropriate for the installed Windows version and servicing level; do not point DISM at an arbitrary folder.

What to do after DISM completes successfully

Run System File Checker after a successful RestoreHealth operation so protected Windows files can be checked against the repaired component store.

Command
sfc /scannow
  1. Allow SFC verification to reach 100%.
  2. Read and preserve its final status.
  3. Restart if repairs or the original troubleshooting procedure call for it.
  4. Retest the exact symptom that led you to DISM. A successful command is evidence that the servicing operation completed; the original problem still needs verification.

DISM RestoreHealth FAQ

Does DISM RestoreHealth delete personal files?

RestoreHealth is a Windows image servicing and repair operation; it is not a personal-file cleanup command. It does not replace a backup, and important data should still be protected before system repair work.

Should I run DISM or SFC first?

For corrupted Windows system files, current Microsoft support guidance says to run DISM first and then run sfc /scannow after DISM completes successfully.

Does RestoreHealth need internet access?

Not in every configuration. DISM can use Windows Update as a repair source, but it also supports a specified repair source with /Source. /LimitAccess prevents Windows Update from being used as the repair source.

What does a successful DISM result mean?

It means the DISM restore operation completed successfully. It does not by itself prove that the original Windows Update, startup, application, or device symptom has been fixed; retest that symptom afterward.

Limitations

  • RestoreHealth may rely on Windows Update for repair files unless another repair source is configured. A suitable local or network source can be supplied with /Source, and /LimitAccess prevents Windows Update from being used as the repair source.
  • DISM does not repair third-party applications, personal files, device firmware, or failing hardware, and a successful DISM result does not prove that the original symptom is fixed.

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