Run DISM on External Windows 8 Drive

Hey guys, I'm trying to Run DISM on External Windows 8 Drive from my Windows 10 machine. It seems to have frozen up as I expected. Now that I've read a little more on the subject, is seems that it could take more than the time I expected. I'm used to it only taking 20-30min. I don't really understand how it all works though I've used it many times in what I think you call "Online Image", run directly from the OS in question.

This is what I used to try to accomplish this"

Code:

dism /Image:K:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth

K: Being the External Drive that I wanted to try and repair.
Was this an incorrect assumption on my part that I could do this from within a Windows 10 machine?

I think I will need some kind of local source to repair the Windows 8.1 Image. I'm looking at the Tutorial here as they are always good. I'm keen to using the instructions below but not sure I can pull it off on my own:
"You would use /Source with /RestoreHealth to specify the location of an install.wim file as the source of known good versions of files that can be used for the repair. "
Use DISM to Repair Windows 10 Image Windows 10 Tutorials

I have a Retail Image of Windows 8.1 that is the same as what is installed on this External Drive, but don't quite understand how to use it. Do I need to Copy that install.wim file to a folder somewhere or something?

I may even have the Retail ISO Image laying around, though the Install DVD would be easier because the machine I'm on does not have it in storage.

Hope that is clear, thanks FunkMaster

This is what I've worked up to run DISM to Drive K: in my BlacX Box from Windows 10 to fix a Windows 8.1 Image, with a Windows 8.1-64bit RetaiI Install DVD that is known to be good and have used many times.

I still don't know if I can just run this from the DVD or not. Do I need to copy it to a Folder somewhere to use it better?

Don't have the install.wim file so using the install.esd instead.

I've been looking at the Windows 10 Tutorial and some of the Windows 8 Tutorial.
DISM - Fixing Component Store Corruption in Windows 8 Tutorial | Windows 8 Help Forums

I don't quite understand yet how to get the value for "1" in the below command.

Code:

:ar: Dism /Image:K:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:I:\sources\install.esd:1 /limitaccess

I see the "See Full Details about the Windows iso file" here, but don't understand it yet.
See Full Details about a Windows 10 ISO file Windows 10 Tutorials

Thanks, FunkMaster

Windows 8 is not working at all, well, it boots but is all frozen up. Trying to help someone out on the cheap, but it's not looking good. The drive is failing and I ran chkdsk to repair some stuff, but it is still all frozen up. Either way would be good to know how to do this but getting tired.

I see it now Brink, thanks again for all your good help. I will attempt a repair tomorrow, fingers crossed.

As it happens I have a Windows 8.1 iso (as far as I can remember, I used the Windows 8 MCT to make it). Dism reports that it only contains one version: 'Windows 8.1' with an index of 1, unlike the latest W10 install.esd that contains nine. Check yours.

Very interesting and good to know Bree!

Oh, and I think that for an install.esd you should be using /Source:esd:I:\sources\install.esd

Good catch Bree, I will try that.

You were correct Bree, thanks again! I was so tired last night I couldn't think anymore lol.

Code:

C:\Windows\system32>dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:I:\sources\install.esd

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.16299.15


Details for image : I:\sources\install.esd


Index : 1
Name : Windows 8.1
Description : Windows 8.1
Size : 13,116,079,066 bytes


The operation completed successfully.

Here is my last attempt.

C:\Windows\system32>Dism /Image:\offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:I:\sources\install.esd

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.16299.15


Error: 2

Unable to access the image.
Make sure that the image path and the Windows directory for the image exist and you have Read permissions on the folder.

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