How to resolve “The component store has been corrupted” error?

On rare occasions, you can run into the ‘The component store has been corrupted’ error when trying to execute a command using the DISM utility. DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a Windows built-in command-line tool that can be used to mount the Windows image file install.wim.

DISM also performs image servicing, including installing, uninstalling, configuring, and updating Windows.

If you get the error 14098 ‘The component store has been corrupted’, it means that something has interfered with Windows Update and some of its packages.

Luckily, the problem can easily be resolved and this post outlines a variety of fixes that helped other users.

How to Fix DISM Error 14098 ‘The component store has been corrupted’

Run the Restore Health Command

The RestoreHealth command checks for corruption in the component store, records the information to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log, and then fixes the corruption using an external bootable installation source or Windows Update.

This operation takes more than 10 minutes depending on your PC’s speed and the level of corruption in the Windows component store.

To execute this command:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. Simply press the Windows Key and type command prompt. Right-click “Command Prompt” from the results and select “Run as administrator”.
2. Input the following command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, and hit “Enter”. Take note of the spacing, otherwise, the command won’t work.

After the DISM command successfully fixes the corruption, restart your machine and try to execute a command using the DISM tool. If it fails, try the next fix.

Run StartComponentCleanup Task

The StartComponentCleanup task helps to automatically clean up components when your system is offline or not in use. If the above command line doesn’t work, you can trigger this task via Task Scheduler.

This operation can take more than 30 minutes and should be allowed to complete without interruptions. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Click “Start” and type Task Scheduler.
2. Right-click on the top result, which should be “Task Scheduler”, and select “Run as administrator”.
3. When Task Scheduler opens, follow this path: Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing.
4. Click the “Servicing” folder, and right-click StartComponentCleanup on the left pane.
5. Select “Run”.

You can also start the StartComponentCleanup task from the command line. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Right-click “Start” and click on “Command Prompt (Admin)”.
2. Input the following command into the “Command Prompt” window: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup, and press “Enter” on your keyboard.
3. Wait until the command completes the process, and then restart your computer.

If you still encounter the ‘The component store has been corrupted’ error after executing the command above, move on to the next fix.

Reset Windows Update Components

1. Open “Start” by pressing the Windows Key.
2. Start typing command prompt, and right-click the top result, which should be Command Prompt. Choose “Run as administrator”.
3. Next, you need to stop three services, namely Background Intelligent Service (BITS), Windows Update service, and Cryptographic service. To do so, type in the following commands, and press “Enter” after each command line:
   • net stop bits
   • net stop wuauserv
   • net stop appidsvc
   • net stop cryptsvc

Useful tip: You may have to run a command more than once until you see the message ‘…the service was stopped successfully’.

4. Next, you need to delete all the qmgr*.dat files created and used by BITS from your computer. To achieve this, execute the following command: Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat”
5. Restart your computer and try to do image servicing using DISM. If it fails, you need to try the “Aggressive” mode of the fix explained above. To proceed, repeat Step 1, 2, and 3 above.
6. Next, after you’ve stopped the three services, you’ll be required to rename the following folders:
   • %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
   • %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download
   • %systemroot%\system32\catroot2
7. To do so, type the following commands in the “Command Prompt” window, followed by “Enter” after each command line:
   • Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore *.bak
   • Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download *.bak
   • Ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 *.bak
8. Reset the BITS service and the Windows Update service to their default security descriptor by executing the following commands. Be sure to type “Enter” after each command line:
   • exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)
   • exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)
9. Type this command followed by “Enter”: cd /d %windir%\system32
10. Next, you need to reregister the BITS files and Windows Update files. To achieve this, type the following commands one by one, and press “Enter” after each command line.
    • exe atl.dll
    • exe urlmon.dll
    • exe mshtml.dll
    • exe shdocvw.dll
    • exe browseui.dll
    • exe jscript.dll
    • exe vbscript.dll
    • exe scrrun.dll
    • exe msxml.dll
    • exe msxml3.dll
    • exe msxml6.dll
    • exe actxprxy.dll
    • exe softpub.dll
    • exe wintrust.dll
    • exe dssenh.dll
    • exe rsaenh.dll
    • exe gpkcsp.dll
    • exe sccbase.dll
    • exe slbcsp.dll
    • exe cryptdlg.dll
    • exe oleaut32.dll
    • exe ole32.dll
    • exe shell32.dll
    • exe initpki.dll
    • exe wuapi.dll
    • exe wuaueng.dll
    • exe wuaueng1.dll
    • exe wucltui.dll
    • exe wups.dll
    • exe wups2.dll
    • exe wuweb.dll
    • exe qmgr.dll
    • exe qmgrprxy.dll
    • exe wucltux.dll
    • exe muweb.dll
    • exe wuwebv.dll
11. Reset the network configuration, which might also be responsible for the error. Type the following command, followed by “Enter”:
    • netsh winsock reset
12. Now restart the three services you stopped when you started this process. Still, at the command prompt, type the following commands and hit “Enter” after each one of them:
    • net start bits
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start appidsvc
    • net start cryptsvc
13. Restart your PC.

DISM should now function without any hitches.

Run Malware Removal Tool

One of the most common causes of file corruption is malware attacks. When malware is injected into your system, it may delete or corrupt system files and as a result, some external programs and Windows built-in apps may fail to function normally.

You may also notice slow performance and lags when opening apps and programs or during Windows startup. If left unchecked, a malware attack can make your PC unusable, not to mention the risk of losing important data and information.

For this reason, you need a powerful tool like Auslogics Anti-Malware that’s created specifically to fight malware intrusion. This software is easy to use and forms a strong shield that protects your system against the different kinds of malware items. The tool scans your entire system and then shows you the threat level of your PC.

All the suspicious files and programs are quarantined so that you can restore them if you trust their sources. Auslogics Anti-Malware offers real-time protection to keep your system and files safe even when you’re not using your PC.

To use this tool, simply install and run it. Select the type of scan you want to carry out and then click “Start Scan”. The application even allows you to schedule automatic scans and add files and folders that you need to be excluded from future scans to the Ignore List.

After scanning your computer and removing suspicious files and folders from your system, restart your device and check if it has fixed the ‘The component store has been corrupted’ error.

Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

If the error appeared after a recent Windows update, then uninstalling it can fix this. To uninstall Windows updates:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history.
2. Click the link that says “Uninstall updates”.
3. Select the updates that you want to uninstall, and then click “Uninstall”.

We hope this helps. Give us your feedback or ask our experts for assistance by commenting below.