DISM An error occurred while attempting to start the servicing process for the image.

This is an issue I've had a few times and when you look around on the forums you see multiple answers. I found the right one on an obscure forum that I can't think of right now. The quick answer is this:

Use the correct version of DISM to service the image. They must be in the same "generation".

For Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 this version is : 6.3.9600.16384

For Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 and below this version is : 6.2.9200.16384

Background and Setup:

I have a Windows Server 2012 box running System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2. We are in the process of switching our primary OS for new systems to Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64. As I build my images the old fashioned I tend to forget a few things from time to time. In this case I built the image without installing the .NET feature. The instructions to do that are here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn482069.aspx

So I'm following the instructions to get a refresher on the procedure and I hit this error.


 
 
and the corresponding log file:
 

After googling a bit I find little to nothing about what this error even means. I get the idea of the error. DISM cannot service the image, but why?

Solution:

I had a moment of clarity and realized that my host OS is a version lower than the version of image I'm servicing. Even though the newest version of ADK (8.1) is installed on the host machine it's not using the newer version of DISM. My PATH variable is set to run DISM from:

C:\Windows\System32\dism.exe (version  6.2.9200.16384)

instead of

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Deployment Tools\amd64\DISM (version 6.3.9600.16384)

When I put the full path of the newer version in the command the image installed the features requested. Below is a screenshot of the correct path and command.





Comments

  1. Many thanks. This solved a similar issue for me using the Windows 10 ADK. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're welcome guys. Glad I could help.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, this solved an issue with my Server 2012 installation as well .

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm having this error as well. I have a driver I can't inject into a windows 10 boot image. I'm using WDS for server 2008 and other drivers have been fine for my boot.wim. I am at my wit's end. Google isn't helping. How is it that other network card drivers inject into my boot images fine and this one won't? Everything I am seeing online suggests I am running the wrong version of dism. How can I check? Please help...

    ReplyDelete
  5. This error will occur if the following rule is created in local security policies => %temp%\*\*.exe (disallowed) as it will block the execution of any exe file in the %temp% folder and its subfolders as well. And since DismHost.exe will be dropped in the %temp% folder when running the dism command and since the %temp% folder is locked for any exe file then this will lead to the error described in the blog.
    If you created the rule to protect the system from malware then you will need to temporarily disable it by changing it to unrestricted. Then run the command again and it should proceed as it should.

    ReplyDelete
  6. what did type in to get the newer version?

    ReplyDelete

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