Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where your Windows system is  severely corrupted and you are not sure whether to run dism/online/cleanup-image/restorehealth  or Reset This PC. Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks.

Understanding the Difference

dism.exe  /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth is a system repair command that will attempt to fix the system  without losing any of the installed programs or settings.

The Reset This PC function installs Windows and allows the  user to choose between keeping or deleting personal files.

Use DISM in case you suspect that there is  corruption but you do not want to reinstall the programs and reconfigure the settings.

When Reset This PC  should be used: Use Reset This PC when DISM and SFC fail to fix persistent issues.  It’s a more drastic but sometimes necessary measure.

Conclusion The choice of using either dism.exe or  Resetting the PC depends on the level of corruption on the system. It is always best to start  with dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth to prevent having to reinstall apps and settings which  can be time-consuming. Article 5: How to Use DISM in Offline Mode

This guide will explain how to use dism.exe and dism.exe /online /cleanup-image  /restorehealth offline mode to fix non-booting Windows systems.

Offline DISM When to Use Offline  DISM Offline mode is the best choice when a system fails to start up or when network connectivity is  not possible. A bootable Windows installation media or recovery drive will be required.

Offline  DISM Syntax Use the following format for offline repairs:

dism  /image:D:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth /source:D:\sources\install.wim

D: should  be replaced by the correct drive letters for your offline Windows installation and ISO files.

Best Practices

● Always  check the drive letters from the recovery environment.

● Use install.wim, not install.esd, when  possible.

Conclusion Offline repair using dism.exe is a lifesaver when standard boot or internet-based recovery  fails. Mastering this command ensures you’re ready for any emergency repair.