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To install an MSU update on the Windows PC you’re using, open Command Prompt as administrator and run DISM with /Online /Add-Package and the path to the file. You do not need to extract the MSU first. Before installing, check that the update is intended for your Windows release and system architecture, and review its KB article for prerequisites.
Install an MSU on the running Windows PC
- Check the update’s requirements. Find the associated Microsoft KB article and confirm the supported Windows product or release, architecture, prerequisites, and any special installation instructions. DISM’s
Add-Packageoption does not perform a full applicability and dependency check, so choosing a file with a matching name alone is not enough. See Microsoft’s DISM package servicing options. - Download the matching MSU. Search the Microsoft Update Catalog by KB number or update title, then select the entry for the correct product and architecture. Microsoft describes Catalog downloads as MSU files.
- Keep the file at a local path. For example, you might save it as
C:Updatesupdate.msu. Open Command Prompt as administrator; DISM is included with Windows 10 and Windows 11, and Microsoft notes that it must run from an elevated Command Prompt. See DISM overview. - Run DISM with the path to the MSU. Replace the example path with the actual location and filename:
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:Updatesupdate.msu"/Online targets the currently running Windows installation. The /PackagePath option accepts a single MSU file directly; extraction to a CAB is not required for this DISM workflow.
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- Wait for servicing to finish. Follow any prompt to restart Windows. A restart may be required for a particular update, but it is not guaranteed for every package.
- Verify the result. Check Windows Update history or the relevant installed update and Windows build information to confirm the package took effect.
Check for Windows 11 version 24H2 checkpoint updates
For some Windows 11 version 24H2 cumulative updates, Microsoft supplies earlier checkpoint cumulative updates that may be prerequisites. Windows Update and WSUS manage checkpoint installation automatically; when installing manually from the Catalog, you may need to download and install the required checkpoint MSUs as well. Check the target KB article and the Catalog entry’s details for the applicable checkpoints. Microsoft explains the process in its checkpoint cumulative updates guidance.
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Install an MSU into an offline Windows image
For deployment or image maintenance, mount the Windows image and use /Image: with its root path instead of /Online:
DISM /Image:C:mountwindows /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:packagesupdate.msuUse a DISM version that is at least as current as the Windows image being serviced. Microsoft says remote installation over a network is unsupported. If you are applying multiple packages, dependencies may require a specific order; Microsoft recommends an answer file for repeatable operations that need package dependencies handled correctly. See the DISM package servicing options.
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Troubleshoot a failed MSU installation
- Applicability or dependency error: Recheck the Windows release, product, architecture, and KB prerequisites. A package can be valid yet not apply to the particular installation, and
Add-Packagedoes not fully validate applicability or dependencies. - Pending servicing actions: If the package or image has pending online actions, DISM’s
/PreventPendingoption skips installation. Resolve outstanding servicing work or restart if Windows has requested it, then retry when appropriate. Consult the Add-WindowsPackage reference for the option and behavior. - DISM is older than the offline image: Use a DISM version at least as current as the target image.
- Need diagnostic details: DISM’s default log is
%WINDIR%LogsDismdism.logwhen no other log path is specified. Review it for servicing errors; this default path is documented in the Add-WindowsPackage reference. - Wondering whether to extract the MSU: Not for the standard DISM installation described here. DISM accepts the MSU file as the package path; another tool or workflow may have different requirements.
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