Windows 10 users may encounter “Error 50: DISM does not support servicing Windows PE using the / Online switch.” In today’s article, we will take a closer look at this error and tell you how to get rid of it.
Why does “Error 50: DISM Tool …” appear?
Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) enables Windows 10 users to mount a Windows PE (Windows Preinstallation Environment) image to add packages, drivers, and language sets to the system.
Typically, Windows PE is designed to prepare a system image and deploy it to multiple computers on the same network. This approach is often used in a work setting. This image cannot be used as a full-fledged OS.
The reason for “Error 50: DISM Tool …” is the unavailability of the functionality of the preinstallation environment on Windows 10 of the latest builds. In simple terms, the DISM utility tries to use Windows PE, but it is not available, and as a result, an error occurs.
There are two ways to fix this:
- deleting a key related to Windows PE in the system registry;
- enabling “revertpendingactions” in DISM.
However, be aware that they will only work if you actually have full Windows 10 installed, which is mistakenly perceived by DISM as Windows PE.
How do I fix “Error 50: DISM Tool …”?
Below you can find a couple of proven methods for solving this error. Let’s start with something easier …
Method # 1 Deleting a key related to Windows PE in the system registry
The system registry contains a special key that is directly related to Windows PE. When DISM starts up, it checks the given key. This key is located in the following registry key:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Control MiniNT
To fix the error, you simply need to get rid of this key. To do this, do the following:
- press the combination Windows + R;
- write in the blank line the value “regedit” and press Enter;
- go to the branch mentioned above;
- right-click on MiniNT (or WinPE) and select “Uninstall”;
- now try using DISM with the / Online option and see if the error goes away.
Everything should work now, but only if your system is not Windows PE. “Error 50: DISM Tool …” occurs only in full-fledged operating systems due to the presence of the above key in the registry.
Method # 2 Involving “revertpendingactions” in DISM
- create a local Administrator account on your computer;
- enter the Windows 10 recovery environment and run the Command Prompt through it;
- write the following command in it:
- dism.exe / image: C: / cleanup-image / revertpendingactions
- then restart your computer and enter Safe Mode;
- open Command Prompt as Administrator and run the following command in it:
- restart your computer and log in normally;
- run DISM with the / online option.
The revertpendingactions team must revert the changes in the system that may have been made by this or that update. When you apply this command and restart your computer, you should see a blue screen indicating that the updates are rolling back.
We hope this article helped resolve the issue with Windows PE and “Error 50: DISM Tool …” doesn’t bother you anymore.