How to Fix The DISM Restore Health Incorrect Function Error?

The DISM Restore Health Incorrect Function error usually appears when there are issues with the Windows system or image files. It could be because the tool cannot access & repair the files essential for restoring the system image’s health, mainly due to permission or corruption.

The first thing to do is launch Command Prompt with administrator rights and check the syntax of the command you want to execute, making sure there are no typos. Also, run a malware scan using the

How can I fix the DISM Restore Health Incorrect Function error?

1. Check the Windows Update service

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.
2. Type services.msc and click OK to open the Services window.
3. Locate the Windows Update service, right-click it, and ensure the Start option is greyed out, indicating that the service is running. If it is not, click Start to initiate it.
4. Now look for Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Cryptographic Services, and do the same for these two.

2. Update Windows

1. Press Windows + I to open the Windows Settings app.
2. Go to Windows Update, and click the Check for updates button.
3. If updates are available, click Download and install to get the latest Windows version.

3. Run DISM in the Windows Recovery Environment

1. Press the Power button on your computer to start it.
2. When you see the Windows logo at the boot time, press the Power button again to shut down your PC. Repeat the power-on and power-off process three times.
3. In the third restart, you will see a blue screen, which means you have accessed the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
4. Click Troubleshoot on the Choose an option screen. 
5. Click Advanced options.
6. On the Advanced Options screen, select Command Prompt.
7. In the command prompt window, type the following command to run the DISM scan and hit Enter: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
8. Wait for the process to finish, then reboot your computer to let the changes take effect.

4. Run DISM scan with the Source option

4.1 Create an installation media

NOTE

Before proceeding with these steps, you should create a backup of important files and ensure you have an 8 GB USB drive to create a bootable installation media.

1. Visit the Microsoft Windows 11 download webpage.
2. Click Download Now to get the Media Creation tool executable file on your computer.
3. Once the download is complete, plug in the USB drive, double-click the Media Creation tool to run it, and click Yes on the UAC prompt to proceed.
4. Click Accept to agree to the license terms and agreement.
5. Select a language, edition, and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) for Windows 11, then click Next.
6. Choose USB flash drive and click Next.
7. On the following page, you will see the drive letter of the USB device you connected; cross-check it and click Next.
8. Follow the on-screen steps to create a USB bootable media. Once you see the Your USB flash drive is ready message, click Finish.

4.2 Run the DISM scan

1. Plug the USB drive into your computer, then press Windows + E to open Windows File Explorer.
2. In the left sidebar, look for This PC, click it to expand, locate the flash drive, and note down the drive letter.
3. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search box, and click Run as administrator.
4. Type the following command after replacing the drive letter E with the flash drive letter and press Enter. Using the source means you specify an alternative source of the files needed to repair the Windows image.: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:\sources\install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
5. Wait for the command to execute and see if the error appears again.

Running the DISM scan with an alternative source is one of the best ways to use DISM commands to repair Windows 10 PC.

5. Clean up system image components

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator to launch Command Prompt with admin rights.
2. Type the command below and press Enter: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
3. Wait for the process to finish.
4. Try to perform the DISM scan again after running these commands.
5. In addition, if DISM still isn’t working, you can also run the following commands:
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

Cleaning up the system image components can also help fix the DISM failure on a Windows PC, possibly due to interference from your antivirus software.

6. Run the CHKDSK scan

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator to launch Command Prompt with elevated rights. 
2. Type the following command and hit Enter: chkdsk /f
3. Click Y if prompted to schedule the scan when your system restarts.
4. Restart your computer to initiate the scan.

7. Run an SFC scan

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator.
2. Copy & paste the following command to repair the Windows system files and press Enter: sfc /scannow
3. Wait for the process to finish, then reboot your computer to let the changes take effect.

8. Perform a clean installation

NOTE

Prepare the installation media using Method 3 of this guide’s steps and ensure you have the product key or access to the Microsoft account to activate Windows.

8.1 Install Windows 11

1. Plug the USB drive into the targeted computer, and press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System, then click Recovery. 
3. Locate Advanced startup, and click the Restart now button.
4. Your computer will reboot and get to a blue screen. Select Use a device. If you don’t find it, you need to boot your computer in BIOS mode and select a USB device to boot.
5. Choose language and other suitable options on the first screen, and click Next.
6. Select Install now, and place a checkmark next to the I accept box, then click Next.
7. Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
8. On the following screen, you will see a list of drives and partitions. Select the ones you want to remove and click Delete. Once you are through, click OK if you see a Windows Setup notification.
9. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Your computer will restart multiple times, and once you’re done, you will be taken to your device’s lock screen. Make sure you do not turn off your computer during the installation process.

8.2 Configure Windows settings

1. Once the installation is done, select your region and keyboard layout from the setup screen.
2. Connect to the Wi-Fi network when prompted.
3. Next, sign in to your Microsoft account or create if needed.
4. Choose the privacy settings of your choice, then follow other prompts to set up other features.
5. Once the setup is complete, go to Windows + I to open Settings and go to Windows Update.
6. Click Check for updates, then Download and install to get the latest updates.

In case Dism /online /cleanup-image /restore health is stuck, first, ensure you have administrative permissions, restart your computer, and try again.

If you have any questions or suggestions for fixing the DISM Restore Health Incorrect Function error, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.