Fix: eight fixes to ERROR_IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_PRESENT

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Key notes

  • Regardless of whether your are running the regular Windows OS or Windows Server, not being able to install new applications can severely hinder your workflow
  • We will be covering 8 different solutions for you to try when you encounter the ERROR_IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_PRESENT error message.
  • This article is part of our dedicated hub for troubleshooting System Errors, so make sure you keep it close, since these are pretty common.
  • Have a look at our specialized Fix page for more great troubleshooting guides.
subsystem the image type is not present

System errors can occur on almost any PC, and some users reported ERROR_IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_PRESENT error on their PC. This error usually comes with The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present message, and today we’re going to show you how to fix it.


How do I fix the ERROR_IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_PRESENT error?

How to fix ERROR_IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_PRESENT

1. Copy 32-bit version of Imagex

According to users, this error occurs when using Imagex. To fix the problem, you need to copy 32-bit version of Imagex from Windows AIK to the ISO folder instead of AMD64 version. After doing that, the problem should be completely resolved.


2. Install the latest updates

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to the Update & security section.
  3. Click on Check for updates button.
    • If any updates are available, Widows will download them automatically in the background.

Windows 10 is a solid operating system, but it has few bugs and glitches. To ensure your PC is bug-free and up to date, it’s recommended to install the latest Windows updates.

By default, Windows 10 downloads these updates automatically, but sometimes you can skip an important update due to certain errors. After installing the updates, check if the problem still persists.


3. Check your antivirus

Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender that works as a default antivirus, but most users tend to install third-party tools because they offer more features.

Even though these tools offer more features, sometimes they can interfere with your system and cause this and other errors to occur. To fix this problem, it’s advised that you check your antivirus configuration and disable the problematic features.

If you can’t find the problematic feature, you might want to try disabling your antivirus tool completely. As previously mentioned, Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender so your PC will remain safe even after you disable your antivirus.

If disabling the antivirus solves the issue, you might want to try finding the problematic feature and disabling it. In addition, you can also try switching to a different antivirus software.

Lastly, you can also try to remove your antivirus software and check if that fixes the problem. Keep in mind that many antivirus tools tend to leave certain files and registry entries behind even after you remove them.

To make sure that all related files are removed, we recommend to use a dedicated removal tool. Most antivirus companies offer these tools for their software, so be sure to download one for your antivirus.

After you remove your antivirus software, check if the issue still persists. If not, you might want to consider switching to a different antivirus software or updating your antivirus to the latest version.


4. Check your PC for malware

Several users reported that this error was caused by malware infection. Malware infections can be sometimes hard to deal with so you might want to try using several different tools to remove the malware. Alternatively, you can also fix the problem by using a special antivirus software such as Bitdefender.

5. Perform an SFC scan

  1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu.
  2. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
    • If Command Prompt isn’t available, you can also use PowerShell.
  3. Once Command Prompt opens, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.
  4. Wait for the scan to complete.

Sometimes these types of errors can occur due to corrupted Windows files. However, you might be able to fix this problem by running an SFC scan.

This scan can take a while, so try not to interrupt it. After the scan is finished, check if the problem still appears.


6. Run DISM scan

If you can’t run SFC scan or if the SFC scan can’t fix the problem, you might want to try using DISM scan instead. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Start Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. When Command Prompt opens, enter the following commands:
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  3. If any of these two commands report any corruption, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command to repair your system.
    • Keep in mind that this process can take more than 20 minutes, so be sure not to interrupt it.

If you’re using Server Core and you’re getting this error, you might be able to fix it by running DISM.EXE /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-WOW64 command in Command Prompt.


7. Use System Restore

  1. Press Windows Key + S and enter system restore.
  2. Choose Create a restore point from the menu.
  3. System Properties window will now appear.
  4. Click on System Restore button.
  5. When System Restore window opens, select Choose a different restore point and click on Next.
  6. Check Show more restore points option and select the desired restore point.
  7. Click the Next button to proceed.
  8. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the restoration process.

If this error message started appearing recently, you might be able to fix it by restoring your system. This is rather simple and you can do it by using System Restore.

Thanks to this feature, you can easily restore Windows to the previous state and fix any recent problems. Keep in mind that this feature can cause you to lose recently saved files, so be sure to back up your important data.

After restoring your PC, check if the error message still appears.


8. Reset Windows 10

  1. Open the Start Menu and click the Power button.
  2. Press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart from the menu.
  3. Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything.
    • You might be asked to insert Windows 10 installation media, so be sure to have it ready.
  4. Select your version of Windows and choose Only the drive where Windows is installed > Just remove my files.
  5. You’ll see a list of changes that reset will perform.
  6. Click Reset button to start.
  7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the reset process.

Several users reported that they managed to fix this error by resetting Windows 10. We have to warn you that this solution will remove all files and apps from your system drive, so use it only if other solutions can’t fix the problem.

Before you start the reset process it’s highly recommended to back up your important files. In addition, you might need a Windows 10 installation media, so be sure to create it.

After resetting your PC the problem won’t appear anymore. Once again, this solution will remove all your files and apps, so use it as a last resort.


How to fix The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present BIOS update

  1. Change your BIOS settings
  2. Enter BIOS. If you don’t know how to do that, check your motherboard manual for detailed instructions.
  3. Now look for SATA OPERATIONS setting and set its value to ATA.
  4. Save changes and exit BIOS.

According to users, this error message can start appearing after updating BIOS. It seems that the cause of this problem was a certain setting in BIOS, and in order to fix it you need to make few changes.

Users reported that setting SATA OPERATIONS to AHCI can cause this problem, but after changing the value to ATA the error message should be resolved.


2. Enable / disable SecureBoot

SecureBoot is a useful feature that will prevent malware from infecting your PC. However, this feature can also cause certain problems when trying to run 32-bit program in 64-bit WinPE environment.

If you’re getting this error while trying to run a 32-bit application, be sure to turn off SecureBoot in BIOS. Alternatively, you can choose to use Legacy Boot instead. To see how to do that, be sure to check your motherboard manual.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to run 64-bit app, be sure to turn on SecureBoot option. Alternatively, you can also rename 32-bit boot.wim file and copy Boot_x64.wim to its directory. To complete the process, rename the Boot_x64.wim to Boot.wim.

Keep in mind that this is an advanced solution, so be extra cautious while performing it. If you’re not familiar with WinPE and .wim files, you might want to skip this solution.



The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present message can cause certain problems on your PC, but we hope you managed to solve it by using one of our solutions.

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