How to Install a CAB File in Windows 11

To install a CAB file in Windows 11, right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\Packages\file.cab" with your own file path. That works for Windows update and servicing packages. If the CAB holds a driver instead, extract it first and install the driver through Device Manager or pnputil, because DISM’s package command isn’t meant for driver files.

Applies to: Windows 11 Home, Pro, Enterprise and Education, including version 26H2. The commands are documented in Microsoft’s DISM package servicing reference. Still on an older PC? Here’s how to install a CAB file in Windows 10.

First, find out what’s inside the CAB

A CAB (cabinet) file is a compressed archive, a bit like a ZIP file. Windows uses the format for very different things, and the contents decide how you install it.

What’s inside	Typical source	How to install it
A Windows update or servicing package (usually one large .cab, often with “KB” in the name)	Microsoft	DISM or Add-WindowsPackage
A driver (you’ll see .inf, .sys and .cat files)	Microsoft Update Catalog or the PC/device maker	Extract, then Device Manager or pnputil
A display language or optional feature	Windows Settings, or an IT department’s media	Settings is the normal route on a home PC (see the FAQ)
Program files bundled with a setup.exe or .msi	A software vendor	Run the vendor’s installer, not the CAB

To peek inside, double-click the CAB in File Explorer. It opens like a folder and installs nothing. If you’d rather list the contents from the command line, run expand -d "C:\Packages\file.cab".

Before you start

• Use an administrator account. Every install method here needs an elevated window. If you’re not sure how to open one, see running Command Prompt as administrator in Windows 11. Terminal (Admin) works the same way.
• Match the package to your PC. Open Settings > System > About. Under Device specifications, System type shows x64 or ARM64. Under Windows specifications, note the Version (for example 25H2 or 26H2). A package built for another version or processor type won’t apply. Windows 11 has no 32-bit edition, so x86 packages are out.
• Get the file from a trusted source. Use Microsoft, Windows Update, the Microsoft Update Catalog, or your PC or device manufacturer. A signed file shows a Digital Signatures tab when you right-click it and choose Properties.
• Make a safety net. Creating a restore point in Windows 11 takes a minute and gives you a way back if the package causes trouble.
• Restart first if Windows is waiting to. If Settings > Windows Update shows a pending restart, do that before servicing Windows by hand.

Install a CAB update package with DISM

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is built into every edition of Windows 11. It checks whether each package applies to your PC before installing it.

1. Put the CAB in a short folder path. Create C:\Packages and move the file there. Short paths without spaces are easier to type. If you’d rather leave the file where it is, right-click it in File Explorer and choose Copy as path, which copies the full path with quotes.
2. Open an elevated terminal. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), then choose Yes in the User Account Control prompt. The window title should include Administrator.

3. Optional: check the package first. Run DISM /Online /Get-PackageInfo /PackagePath:"C:\Packages\file.cab". DISM shows details about the package without installing it, which helps confirm you have the right file.
4. Run the install command. Type the following, replacing the file name with yours, and press Enter:

   DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\Packages\file.cab"

5. Wait for the progress bar. It can sit at one percentage for several minutes. Don’t close the window or shut down the PC.
6. Read the result. Success ends with The operation completed successfully. If DISM asks whether to restart now, type Y to restart, or N to finish your work and restart soon after. Some packages aren’t fully applied until you do.

Got several CABs? Put them in one folder and point /PackagePath at the folder. Microsoft documents that DISM then picks up every .cab and .msu file in it, including subfolders, so keep unrelated packages out of that folder.

Or use PowerShell’s Add-WindowsPackage

Terminal opens PowerShell by default, so you can also use the DISM PowerShell cmdlet. It installs the same kinds of packages; pick whichever command you find easier to read.

Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Packages\file.cab"

Add -NoRestart if you want to postpone the restart, and -PreventPending to skip the install when Windows already has pending servicing work. Both are listed on Microsoft’s Add-WindowsPackage reference.

Install a driver from a CAB file

Drivers downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog usually arrive as CAB files. Windows can’t install a driver straight from the CAB, so extract it first.

1. Create an empty folder, such as C:\Drivers\Wifi. The expand command won’t create it for you.
2. Extract the files. In Terminal (Admin), run:

   expand "C:\Packages\driver.cab" -F:* "C:\Drivers\Wifi"

   You can also double-click the CAB, press Ctrl + A, and drag the files into the folder.
3. Open Device Manager. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
4. Find the device. Expand its category, right-click the device (a yellow warning icon often marks one without a driver), and select Update driver.
5. Point Windows at the folder. Choose Browse my computer for drivers, select Browse, pick C:\Drivers\Wifi, select OK, then Next.

6. Check the message. Windows installs the driver if it’s a better match, or says The best drivers for your device are already installed. Select Close and restart if asked.

Prefer one command? pnputil /add-driver "C:\Drivers\Wifi\*.inf" /subdirs /install adds every driver in that folder to Windows and installs it on matching hardware. Microsoft’s PnPUtil syntax page notes that it won’t force a driver onto a device that already has a better-ranked one. For more ways to get drivers, including Windows Update, see updating drivers in Windows 11.

If you downloaded an MSU file instead

Most Windows 11 updates in the Microsoft Update Catalog now come as .msu files, not .cab. You don’t need to dig the CAB out of them. Double-click the MSU to run the Windows Update Standalone Installer, or use the same DISM command with the .msu path; DISM can add MSU packages to a running Windows 11 installation.

Starting with Windows 11 version 24H2, a monthly update may need earlier “checkpoint” cumulative updates first. Microsoft’s checkpoint cumulative update guide says to put the target update and the checkpoint .msu files listed for it in one folder, with no other .msu files, and DISM installs them in order.

If the install fails

“The package is not applicable to this image” or similar

The CAB doesn’t match your Windows version, processor type or edition, it’s already installed, or a prerequisite is missing. Recheck Settings > System > About and the package’s KB page. DISM has an /IgnoreCheck switch, but forcing a package that doesn’t fit can leave Windows unstable, so get the right file instead.

“Elevated permissions are required”

The window isn’t running as administrator. Close it and open Terminal (Admin).

“The system cannot find the file specified”

The path has a typo, a missing folder, or spaces without quotation marks. Use Copy as path and paste it into the command. For expand, create the destination folder first.

DISM fails with a pending operation, or after a long wait

Restart the PC, let Windows Update finish anything it has queued, and try again. If it still fails, the details are in the log at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log, with more in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. Search the error code shown at the end of the DISM output on Microsoft’s site.

The CAB won’t open, or Windows says it’s damaged

The download is probably incomplete. Delete it and download it again from the original source.

Confirm it worked, and how to undo it

• Updates and packages: run DISM /Online /Get-Packages /Format:Table and look for the package name with the state Installed. Updates also appear under Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
• Drivers: in Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties, and check the Driver tab for the new version and date.

To remove an update, go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, select it and choose Uninstall. For a package that isn’t listed there, copy its exact name from the Get-Packages output and run DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName: followed by that name. Not every update can be removed. To undo a driver, open the device’s Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver; the button is grayed out if no earlier driver was kept.

FAQ

Does this work on Windows 11 Home?

Yes. DISM, Add-WindowsPackage, expand and pnputil are part of every Windows 11 edition. What matters is whether the package was built for your edition and version.

I have a language pack CAB. Should I use DISM?

On your own PC, add languages from Settings > Time & language > Language & region instead. Microsoft’s DISM examples for language pack CABs target offline Windows images that IT staff prepare for deployment.

Can I just copy the extracted files into the Windows folder?

No. Copying files by hand doesn’t register an update with Windows, and the system won’t know it’s installed. Use DISM for updates and Device Manager or pnputil for drivers. If you only need a file or two from the archive, extracting works the same way as other archives; extracting files on Windows 11 walks through File Explorer.

Can I make my own CAB file?

Yes, with the built-in makecab tool. For example, makecab "C:\Notes\report.txt" "C:\Notes\report.cab" compresses one file and leaves the original in place. A CAB you make this way is just an archive, not something DISM can install.

Next step

Once the package is in and you’ve restarted, open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Windows will pick up anything newer that depends on what you just installed.