Use PowerShell’s DISM cmdlets to discover the feature name on the Windows installation you are actually servicing, enable it with Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature, and then check the resulting state and restart indication. Use -Online for the running Windows installation, -Path for a mounted image, and -All when parent features or default dependencies are required.
The same workflow also explains what to do when Windows cannot find the feature payload, when the item is a capability package rather than an optional feature, and when you need to undo the change.
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What PowerShell changes
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature is the DISM PowerShell cmdlet that “enables or restores an optional feature in a Windows image,” according to Microsoft’s documentation. An image can be the Windows installation currently running on the computer or a separate installation mounted at a folder.
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PowerShell does not enable an arbitrary display name. It needs the exact feature identifier exposed by the target image. The safest sequence is therefore:
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- Open an elevated PowerShell session.
- Inventory the target image and copy its exact
FeatureName. - Enable that name with the correct target parameter.
- Query the feature again and act on the returned state and restart indication.
Feature availability depends on Windows edition, build, image contents, and servicing policy. A name found on one computer is not guaranteed to exist in another image.
Before you begin
Use an administrator session
Servicing Windows features changes protected operating-system components. Start PowerShell with administrative rights: open Start, type PowerShell, right-click the result, choose Run as administrator, and approve the User Account Control prompt. In Windows Terminal, open an administrator PowerShell profile instead.
Know which image you are targeting
For the live installation, use -Online. “Online” means the operating system currently running, not an internet-only mode. For an offline installation, first mount the image and use -Path with the folder containing its Windows directory. In the examples below, C:offline is the mounted image path.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsExpect edition and policy differences
Windows client editions do not expose exactly the same features. Enterprise deployment policies, Windows Update configuration, WSUS, language packs, and removed component payloads can also change what is available or where files are obtained. Always inventory the exact target before enabling anything.
Find the exact optional feature name
List optional features in the running installation with:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -OnlineThe output identifies each feature and reports its current state. Depending on the Windows build and cmdlet output, states can include enabled, disabled, or a state indicating that the payload is present or removed. The query also reports whether a restart may be needed after a state change.
Filter a large inventory
Use the -FeatureName parameter with a wildcard to narrow the list. For example:
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Inspect one known feature
Once you have the identifier, query it directly:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName"Replace FeatureName with the value returned by your inventory. This confirms that the feature exists in the current image and shows its current state before you make a change.
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Enable a feature in the running Windows installation
With the exact identifier confirmed, run:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName" -All-All tells DISM to enable required parent features and their default dependencies when the selected feature needs them. It is useful when the feature is part of a hierarchy and avoids a separate failure caused by a disabled parent.
What to expect from the command
DISM evaluates the image, applies the feature state, and may obtain missing files from the configured servicing source. The command can finish without a restart, or it can report that a restart is required or may be required. Do not assume every feature change needs a reboot.
After the command completes, query the same identifier again:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName"Confirm that the state reflects the requested change and read the restart indication returned for that operation. If Windows says a restart is required, restart before testing software that depends on the feature. If no restart is indicated, you can normally continue without one, although a particular application may still have its own restart requirement.
Make the operation repeatable in a script
For deployment scripts, keep the discovery and change steps explicit. A minimal pattern is:
$feature = "FeatureName"
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $feature
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $feature -All
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $featureDo not substitute a guessed name in an unattended script. If the script will run on multiple editions or builds, add a discovery or validation step and handle a missing feature as a controlled condition rather than assuming every machine has the same catalog.
Enable a feature in a mounted offline image
Offline servicing changes an image that is not currently running. The image must already be mounted, and the path must point to its mounted root. First list the image’s features:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path "C:offline"Then enable the feature using the offline parameter set:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path "C:offline" -FeatureName "FeatureName" -AllUse the feature name returned from that offline image, not necessarily the name returned by the host computer. The image may be a different Windows release, edition, language configuration, or servicing level.
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When an additional package path is needed
Some features outside the Windows Foundation package need the relevant package name or package path in addition to the mounted-image path. The exact requirement depends on the feature package and image. Do not copy a package path from an unrelated build; identify a source that matches the image you are servicing and your organization’s servicing policy.
Verify the offline change
Query the mounted image again:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path "C:offline" -FeatureName "FeatureName"Check the resulting state and any restart indication reported for the image. A restart applies when that image is later booted; servicing an offline image does not reboot the currently running host.
Handle missing feature files and servicing sources
A feature can be known to the image but still lack the files needed to enable it. This happens when component payloads have been removed or when the configured servicing source is unavailable. Supply a suitable local or network source with -Source:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName" -All -Source "D:matching-source"The source must contain files appropriate to the feature, Windows build, and image being serviced. There is no universal source folder that works for every optional feature, so do not guess a path. Use media, a network share, or another approved source that matches your deployment environment.
Prevent a Windows Update lookup
Add -LimitAccess when Windows Update must not be contacted:
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Why a source can still fail
- The source belongs to a different Windows build or edition.
- The source contains a different language or component revision.
- The feature’s payload was removed and the source does not include the required files.
- Network permissions or servicing policy block access to the source.
-LimitAccesswas used even though the local source was incomplete.
When a source error occurs, identify the target image and feature first, then choose a matching source. Repeating the same command with a guessed path rarely fixes a component mismatch.
Optional features versus capability packages
Not every optional Windows component is catalogued as a Windows optional feature. Some are Windows capability packages and use a different cmdlet family. Inventory capabilities in the running installation with:
Get-WindowsCapability -OnlineCapabilities have their own package identity syntax. Copy the exact Name returned by the inventory rather than trying to convert a friendly label into a package name.
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Install a capability online
Use Add-WindowsCapability for a capability:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "CapabilityName"With no explicit source, the documented online pattern relies on the configured Windows Update or WSUS connectivity. If the payload is available from local files or a network location, specify that source:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "CapabilityName" -Source "D:matching-source"As with optional features, -LimitAccess can stop Windows Update lookup when a suitable source is supplied:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "CapabilityName" -Source "D:matching-source" -LimitAccessDo not use Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature for a capability name, and do not use Add-WindowsCapability for a feature identifier. The inventory command tells you which package type you have.
Capability inventory for a remote source
Get-WindowsCapability can report capabilities installed in the running operating system or available from a remote source, depending on the parameter set and source you use. For offline capability servicing, follow the parameter set supported by the mounted image and provide a source that matches it; do not assume the live system’s capability list applies unchanged to a separate image.
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Optional features in Settings: when the GUI is simpler
Windows 10 and Windows 11 clients also provide an Optional features page in Settings. The labels and exact location vary with the Windows release and cumulative-update level, but the flow is generally to open Settings, search for Optional features, choose Add a feature or View features, select the item, and install it.
Microsoft’s client guidance describes this Settings flow as using Windows Update to download required content. That makes it convenient for a single managed PC, but it is less repeatable than a documented PowerShell command and may be blocked by update policy. Use PowerShell when you need an exact feature identifier, offline-image servicing, source control, or repeatable deployment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Windows client features are not Windows Server roles
The commands in this guide target Windows client optional features and DISM-style image servicing. Microsoft’s Desired State Configuration guidance distinguishes Windows Server roles and features and directs administrators to use the WindowsFeature resource for those server workloads. Do not apply client optional-feature instructions as a substitute for the server role-and-feature tooling required by your server deployment.
Troubleshooting by symptom
“Feature name not found”
Run Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online on the live system or use -Path against the mounted image. Filter with a wildcard, inspect the exact FeatureName, and copy it exactly. If no match exists, the feature may not be included in that edition, image, or Windows version.
A parent or dependency is disabled
Re-run the enable operation with -All. This enables required parent features and their default dependencies. If the operation still fails, inspect the returned error and verify that the image contains the needed package payload.
DISM cannot find source files
Provide an appropriate -Source and verify that it matches the target image’s build, edition, language, and component revision. Use -LimitAccess only when you deliberately want to prevent Windows Update lookup and the supplied source is complete.
The command says a restart may be required
Query the feature again after the operation and follow the restart indication in the result. Restart only when the servicing result calls for it; a reboot is not universal for every feature change.
The item is really a capability
Check Get-WindowsCapability -Online. If the desired package appears there, install it with Add-WindowsCapability and copy its exact capability name.
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Confirm the post-change state with the appropriate Get-WindowsOptionalFeature or capability query. If a restart is indicated, perform it. Then check that the application supports the Windows edition and feature version you enabled; enabling a component does not override an application’s own compatibility requirements.
How to disable or remove a feature
To turn off an optional feature while retaining its component files, run:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName"For an offline image, replace -Online with -Path "C:offline". Query the feature afterward to verify the new state and restart indication.
The -Remove option goes further: it removes the feature’s files while retaining its manifest. Future restoration may then require a source such as Windows Update or a network share:
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Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName" -RemoveUse removal deliberately. Disabling is easier to reverse when the payload remains in the image; removing the payload saves image space but creates a source dependency for restoration.
Choosing the right command
| Need | Inventory command | Change command | Target or source control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enable an optional feature in the running client OS | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online |
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName" -All |
Windows Update or configured servicing source; add -Source when needed |
| Enable an optional feature in a mounted image | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path "C:offline" |
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path "C:offline" -FeatureName "FeatureName" -All |
Source and package must match the offline image |
| Install a capability package | Get-WindowsCapability -Online |
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "CapabilityName" |
Use -Source for local or network files; -LimitAccess blocks Windows Update lookup |
| Disable an optional feature | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature for the relevant target |
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature |
Add -Remove only when you intend to delete payload files |
A safe operational checklist
- Confirm you are in an elevated PowerShell session.
- Identify whether the target is the live OS or a mounted image.
- Inventory the target with the matching
Get-WindowsOptionalFeaturecommand. - Copy the exact feature name; do not infer it from a friendly label.
- Use
-Allwhen parent features and default dependencies are required. - Choose a matching source if payload files are missing.
- Use
-LimitAccessonly when Windows Update must be blocked and your source is ready. - Use capability cmdlets when the item is listed as a capability.
- Query the result again and follow the returned restart indication.
- Record the Windows edition, build, feature name, source, and outcome for repeatable deployment.
Bottom line
For a running Windows client installation, the dependable pattern is Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online, copy the exact feature name, run Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "FeatureName" -All, and query the feature again. Switch to -Path for a mounted image, add a matching -Source when payload files are unavailable, and use Get-WindowsCapability with Add-WindowsCapability when the item is a capability rather than an optional feature.
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