FIX: DISM Error 50, DISM does not support servicing Windows PE with the /Online option (Solved)
This tutorial contains instructions to resolve the following error when running the DISM command "Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth" from the Windows Recovery Environment: "Error 50, DISM does not support servicing Windows PE with the /Online option".
The above error is occurred, because in WinRE the operating system is not running, so the /Online switch is useless at this case. In fact the /Online switch in DISM tool, specifies that the action is to be taken on the operating system that is currently running.
How to fix: Error 50 DISM does not support servicing Windows PE with the /Online option.
1. Inside the WinRE command prompt window, get a list of all available drives, by giving this command:
- wmic logicaldisk get name
2. Then find out which drive contains the "Windows" folder, by typing this command: *
- dir drive-letter:
* e.g. To see the contents of the C: drive, type: "dir C:" (without quotes). If you cannot see the "Windows" folder on the C: drive, then continue to the next drive (e.g. "dir D:", "dir E:", etc.), until see the "Windows" folder.
[As you can see at the screenshot below, the Windows folder (at this case) is located at the D: drive.]
3. Once you find the "Windows" drive (e.g. the "D" in this example), give this command to repair the offline Windows image:
- dism.exe /Image:D:\ /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
* Note: Where D = the Windows drive. (Change it according your situation)
4. When the DISM operation is completed, give the following SFC command to complete the repairs. *
- SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=D:\ /OFFWINDIR=D:\Windows
* Note: Where D = the Windows drive. (Change it according your situation)
5. When the operation is completed, reboot your computer.
Did it work for you?
Please leave a comment in the comment section below or even better: like and share this blog post in the social networks to help spread the word about this solution.
Pete
Oct 05, 2018 @ 15:16:30
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So many DISM instructions assume you are using it from within windows, this was the first tutorial I found telling me what to do from the repair environment. After following the instructions, I rebooted but still got the RE, so thought it hadn't worked (even though it told me it had repaired files) so I tried a system restore which also failed. Rebooted after that and all came up good. Not sure quite what was going on, but certain it was thanks to you.
Ryan Bartlett
Feb 10, 2019 @ 03:40:00
Typed in
Dism.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Got
Error: 2
Unable to access image. Make sure that the image path and the Windows directory for the image exist and you have the Read permissions in the folder.
The DISM log file can be found at X:\windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log
How do i fix this?
Lakonst2013
Feb 11, 2019 @ 12:16:51
Ryan Bartlett: I suppose that the Windows Drive letter is not the C: but another letter..
real tech
Feb 12, 2019 @ 11:54:26
Read point 2 again
Randy
Feb 15, 2019 @ 10:10:57
I have run this command twice so far and both times I have received the following:
"Error: 1016
An error occurred whle attempting to access the image.
For more information, review the log file.
The DISM log file can be found a X:\windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log"
From this error message I am presuming that the repair did not work. I would review the DISM log file, but I am sure that I would not know what to do with the information I saw there.
Even so, I am grateful for the attempt. I feel like your instructions got me closer to saving the information on my hard drive than any others out there so far. Thanks for your straightforward and clear instructions.
Lakonst2013
Feb 15, 2019 @ 12:05:36
Randy: I think you enter a wrong drive letter in the SFC command. Please try the following and tell me the resultts:
1. In (WinRE) Command prompt type bcdedit and press enter.
2. Look in which partition you see "systemroot ——>\WINDOWS".
3. Then look above that line to find out the drive letter (e.g. "osdevice —-> partition=D:").
4. Finally give the "SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=X:\ /OFFWINDIR=X:\Windows" command but replace the "X" letter with the letter at 'osdevice' line (e.g. "D").
Randy
Feb 15, 2019 @ 20:11:35
Lakonst, I hope I'm not reposting. I responded but it looks like my last comment got lost.
I followed the original instructions and discovered that the "Windows" folder is on drive "C" in my laptop. I ran "bcdedit" and confirmed that information.
I wish it was something as simple as the Windows folder just being on a different drive, but, sadly, that's not the case. Any other ideas? Thanks.
Lakonst2013
Feb 16, 2019 @ 09:02:02
Randy,
1. Give the following command in WinRE command prompt:
DISM /Image:C:\ /Get-Packages
2. If you receive the same error ("An error occurred while attempting to access the image"), then try to restore the registry with this command:
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\*.* C:\Windows\System32\config
3. Then again give: DISM /Image:C:\ /Get-Packages
4. If the output is a list of the installed packages, restart and try to boot the PC normally and if you cannot boot give the below command to fix the image:
dism.exe /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
Randy
Feb 15, 2019 @ 18:31:04
Lakonst, I did follow the earlier instructions that told how to find which drive to address. Those instructions told me that the "Windows" folder was on drive C.
When I run "bcdedit" it says, in the line above systemroot: "partition=C," so I'm pretty sure I'm typing the correct drive letter.
Any other ideas?
Thanks!
Venky
Apr 10, 2019 @ 09:41:27
The same error I received.. Then what I did is I put a space between Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image….. "C: \ /cleanup-image"
That sloved my problem
Randy
Feb 15, 2019 @ 19:47:24
Lakonst, I hope I'm not reposting. I responded but it looks like my comment got lost.
I followed the original instructions and discovered that the "Windows" folder is on drive "C" in my laptop. I ran "bcdedit" and confirmed that information.
I wish it was something as simple as the Windows folder just being on a different drive, but, sadly, that's not the case. Any other ideas? Thanks.
rcb
Mar 21, 2019 @ 16:47:13
dism.exe /Image:D:\ /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
usually windows is in drive C:
dism.exe /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
dont forget the space between \ & /
a message appeared that the scratch directory size might be insufficient, but the process went on
still waiting for results while typing this message
Lakonst2013
Mar 21, 2019 @ 17:42:42
rcb: Assuming that the Windows drive is the drive "D:":
1. Give the following command to create a scratch directory: mkdir D:\Scratch
2. Then type the DISM command as follows: dism.exe /Image:D:\ /ScratchDir:D:\Scratch /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
arbenek
Apr 18, 2019 @ 09:43:21
What a wonderful solution! Thank you so much…
Marcos Silva
Apr 28, 2019 @ 20:54:42
After 2 days trying other alternatives, this solution worked fine for me. Thanks a lot!