How to Fix DISM Error 0x800f081f (Source Files Could Not Be Found)

By ErrorFix · Updated October 13, 2026 · 8 min read

What error 0x800f081f means

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM) repairs Windows by replacing corrupted system files with known-good copies. Those copies have to come from somewhere: either your local component store, Windows Update, or a source you specify. Error 0x800f081f — "The source files could not be found" — means DISM went looking for clean files and every source it was allowed to use came up empty.

You will usually hit this error in two situations: when running DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth with the /LimitAccess switch but no valid /Source, or when the local component store is badly damaged and a group policy is silently blocking Windows Update as a repair source. It also appears when enabling .NET Framework 3.5 through "Turn Windows features on or off." The fix is always the same idea: give DISM a valid source of clean files, and the repair completes normally.

Common causes

• Corrupted local component store: the WinSxS repair cache is too damaged to supply clean files itself.
• Group policy blocking Windows Update as a repair source: enterprise-style policies can forbid DISM from downloading files online.
• Using /LimitAccess without a valid /Source: the switch tells DISM not to use Windows Update, so a wrong or missing source path guarantees this error.
• Mismatched ISO: a source image from a different Windows edition, build, or architecture cannot supply compatible files.
• Corrupted reference image: a damaged install.wim or install.esd inside your ISO fails the same way.

How to fix error 0x800f081f — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Step 4 is the core fix most people need.

1. Download a Windows ISO matching your installed version. Run Microsoft's Media Creation Tool on the same PC and download the ISO — it automatically matches your edition (Home or Pro) and architecture. To double-check, open Settings, go to System, then About, and compare the edition and build shown there with what you download.
2. Mount the ISO and note the drive letter. Double-click the downloaded ISO file. Windows mounts it as a virtual DVD drive in File Explorer — note the drive letter it gets, for example E: or F:. You will use this letter in the commands below.
3. Check the image index inside install.wim. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\sources\install.wim, replacing X with your mounted drive letter. The output lists each Windows edition with an index number — note the index that matches your installed edition (often 1 for Home or 6 for Pro).
4. Run DISM with the /Source switch pointing at the ISO. In the same admin terminal, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:X:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess, replacing X with your drive letter and 1 with the index number from step 3. This tells DISM to pull clean files straight from the mounted ISO instead of the broken local store.
5. Try Windows Update as the repair source instead. If you would rather not use an ISO, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth with no /LimitAccess switch so DISM downloads repair files from Windows Update. If this still fails, press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and go to Computer Configuration, then Administrative Templates, then System, and open "Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair" — make sure it isn't blocking online repair sources.
6. Verify the repair with SFC. Once DISM reports "The restore operation completed successfully," run sfc /scannow in the admin terminal to confirm every protected system file is intact. Restart your PC when it finishes.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• DISM finishes with "The restore operation completed successfully"
• sfc /scannow reports no integrity violations
• Optional features like .NET Framework 3.5 install without the error
• No 0x800f081f message reappears when you retry

If DISM complains that the source files still can't be found, double-check the drive letter, the index number, and whether your ISO contains install.esd instead of install.wim — in that case use /Source:ESD:X:\Sources\Install.esd:1. A re-downloaded ISO fixes the rare case of a corrupted image file.