Windows 10: Copy WinSXS file to usb drive

I have two desktops - exactly same specs - Windows 10 10240. One runs SFC Scannow showing no corruption and DISM with no errors. The other has corruption but SFC can't fix and Dism can't find source files. My thinking is if I can use the 1st pc's WinSXS files to run DISM, maybe I can get the 2nd one straightened out. Problem is, when I try to copy 1st pc's WinSXS to a usb drive, it won't complete. Is there a way to do this? Also, am I on the right track overall? Appreciate any insight and help. Thanks

:)

 

moving files to new computer

1- Borrow or purchase an empty USB flash drive with enough capacity to hold the files you wish to transfer.

2- Insert the USB drive to a USB port on the old computer.

3- Copy the files you wish to transfer to the USB drive.

4- Now move the USB drive to a USB port on the new computer.

5- Copy or move the files from the USB drive to the new computer.

 

How SFC Works

Where Windows update changes a system file, its backup copy in** C:\Windows\WinSxS is also changed.

Where SFC "repairs" a system file, it copies in the backup from** C:\Windows\WinSxS.

This process is only referred to obliquely in SFC documentation [perhaps the clearest reference is in

Using System File Checker (SFC) To Fix Issues - Ask the Core Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs].

You can see for yourself by looking in C:\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests where you will see that its
manifests are updated regularly.

[** Not all files are actually "in" C:\Windows\WinSxS. Many are just referenced there but are held elsewhere. C:\Windows\WinSxS contains a mixture of files, conventional shortcuts & an unusual type of shortcut that appears to be a file in its own right
but is actually a hard-wired shortcut to a file stored elsewhere. This strange mixture is also why C:\Windows\WinSxS appears to be huge but is not - any attempt to measure its size includes the file size of all the files referenced there.]

 

If you have the two computers on the same WLAN or wired network, try sharing the C:\Windows\WINSXS folder on the "good" PC with "READ" for "Everyone" with a Share name of "WINSXS-Good", then open an Administrative Command Prompt on the "bad" computer and map a drive, let's use the letter "R" for "Repair" to the "good" computer, e.g.:

net use R: L: \\<goodcomputername>\WINSXS-Good <-- Obviously you need to replace <goodcomputername> with the appropriate one for the "good" computer.

Then on the "bad" computer use:

DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth /source:R:

When that has finished, if all has gone though successfully, then run, (on the same computer):

SFC /SCANNOW

...and let that complete.

Hope that helps.

Don't forget to go back to the "Good" Computer and stop sharing the folder/remove "Everyone" READ at a minimum.

Cheers,

G.

 

Thanks - I really appreciate your reply. I finally got this sorted out in another forum. However if it ever happens again, I am putting this in a file, to refer to, in the future. Knowing me, I'm sure it will happen again sometime. Thanks.