SFC - DISM Error: 0x800f081f (The source files could not be found.)

Question

Hi,

I ran these commands in sequential order as showed below. I am using LENOVO IDEAPAD S145 laptop with windows 11.

Sfc /scannow
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Everything was good but at the end of the RESTOREHEALTH command got this Error: 0x800f081f.
Error pasted below and also attached a photo of the same.

**C:\WINDOWS\system32>Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth  
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool  
Version: 10.0.22000.653  
Image Version: 10.0.22000.675  
[==========================100.0%==========================]  
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 https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077.  
The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log**  

Kindly anyone please help with the error to resolve it.

Regards

Answer 1

Hello,

See if this fix helps you (works with Windows 11 as well):

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

Let us know if this helps!

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP.

Answer 2

1) Please uninstall any of these non-Microsoft software using the applicable uninstall tool:
a) antivirus
b) firewall
c) drive encryption

2) Perform an in place upgrade repair:
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/repair-install-windows-11-with-an-in-place-upgrade.418/

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Answer 3

Hello

This means that for some reason the Local repair didn't work because some base file is missing.

• Run an image repair (recommended to run using a downloaded image, mounted) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/repair-a-windows-image?view=windows-11

You can download fresh images from Microsoft here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11/

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Answer 4

I had a similar issue on a server 2022 install where the updates would fail at 5% and found that it did not matter what I used to as the source for the dism command, it always came back as source not found

There are many threads on this topic and they often include a recommendation for an in-place upgrade as a fix, as I was dealing with a production server hosting 100 VMs, this was not a preferred option

Initial windows update error:

Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x8007000d)

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth

Result:

C:\Windows\system32>DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool

Version: 10.0.20348.681

Image Version: 10.0.20348.2762

[==========================100.0%==========================] The component store is repairable.

The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth defaults to using windows updates as the source,

Result:

C:\Windows\system32>DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool

Version: 10.0.20348.681

Image Version: 10.0.20348.2762

[==========================100.0%==========================]

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 https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077.

The DISM log file can be found at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

Mounting the source ISO also did not solve the issue

Mapping in the install ISO to the d Drive:

Find the correct index in install.wim dism

in PowerShell:

/Get-WimInfo /WimFile:D:\sources\install.wim

(Standard/Datacenter, GUI/Core, etc.)

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:D:\Sources\Install.wim:4 /LimitAccess

Result:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 10.0.20348.681

 Image Version: 10.0.20348.2762

 [==========================100.0%==========================] 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 https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077.

This is where diving in to the DISM & CBS logs can provide insight into what the actual corrupt/mising file is

c:\windows\logs\dism

c:\windows\logs\cbs

In my instance, reading the DISM & CBS log files showed that the corrupt/missing file was: InkObj.dll

Hunting through the DISM and CBS log files showed it was looking for:

Info CBS (p) CSI Payload Corrupt (n) amd64_microsoft-windows-t..platform-comruntime_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.20348.1850_none_72d42ded696bf4dd\InkObj.dll

After searching a working server I found the file located in : 

wow64_microsoft-windows-t..platform-comruntime_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.20348.2849_none_7d270cd39dce815 under the WinSxS folder

However trying to use that version of the file for the repair did not work - it gave an error of an invalid hash, meaning it was not the version of the file that was required to fix the error

The clue to which version is in the folder name: 10.0.20348.1850 is the specific version of the operating system that is required

a google search gave this as the July 2023 version

If you can locate the correct version ISO you should be able to create a VM with the correct version of files

In my case I happen to maintain a set of VM templates for different months of windows updates,

• this is not a common practice

I deployed the template, copied the WinSxS folder from the good source VM to the faulty server under C:\Repair_source\WinSxS

Carried out dism commands again:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth /source:C:\Repair_source\WinSxS /LimitAccess

Result:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool

Version: 10.0.20348.681

 Image Version: 10.0.20348.2655

 [==========================100.0%==========================] The restore operation completed successfully.

I then ran:

sfc /scannow

Result:

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

 Beginning system scan.  This process will take some time.

 Beginning verification phase of system scan.

Verification 100% complete.

 Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.

For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at

windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline

repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag.

After this I was able to run windows updates again and successfully install the updates