How to fix error 740 "Elevated permissions are required to run DISM" in Windows?

Error 740 means DISM was started in a window without administrator rights. Being signed in as an administrator is not enough: Windows runs every window with reduced rights until you approve it. Close the window, open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt with Run as administrator, select Yes, and type the DISM command again.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Error: 740 Elevated permissions are required to run DISM" means

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) repairs and changes Windows itself, so it refuses to run in a window that has only standard rights. When you type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in such a window, it stops at once and prints this:

What Command Prompt shows

Error: 740

Elevated permissions are required to run DISM.
Use an elevated command prompt to complete these tasks.

The number is not DISM's own. Microsoft's list of Windows system error codes defines 740 as ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED, hex 0x2E4. Its text is "The requested operation requires elevation." Any program can return it, which is why you also see error 740 when a printer driver, an installer or runas lacks rights. On this page it always means the same thing: the window was not elevated.

Why it happens even on an administrator account: Microsoft explains that when an administrator signs in, Windows creates two access tokens. The standard one, with the administrative rights removed, starts the desktop and every app. "As a result, all apps run as a standard user unless a user provides consent or credentials." The Yes in the User Account Control prompt is that consent.

Why DISM says elevated permissions are required, from most to least common

• Most often: the window was opened the normal way. Typing cmd and pressing Enter, clicking Command Prompt in Start, or opening Windows Terminal from the taskbar all start it without elevation. Fix 1.
• Often: you think the window is elevated, but it is not. A second tab or a new window in Terminal, or a window opened from File Explorer, inherits the normal rights. Fix 2 shows how to check in five seconds.
• Less often: the Run as administrator item is missing or does nothing. A damaged Start menu or search can hide it. Fix 3 uses Task Manager or a key combination instead.
• Less often: a script, shortcut or scheduled task starts DISM. A .bat file double-clicked or a task left on default settings runs without elevation. Fix 4.
• Sometimes: your account is a standard user. Then UAC asks for a password, not for Yes. Fix 5.
• Rarely: the PC is managed by work or school. IT may remove administrator rights or use privilege management software. Fix 6.

How to fix error 740 "Elevated permissions are required to run DISM"

Fix 1 solves this for nearly everyone who has an administrator account. Fix 2 checks the window when you are unsure. Fixes 3 and 4 cover a missing menu item and scripts. Fixes 5 and 6 are for standard accounts and managed PCs. Fix 7 runs the repair you came for.

Fix 1. Open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as administrator

1 minuteNo riskEveryone who signs in with an administrator account. This is the fix in almost every case.

DISM checks the rights of the window it runs in, not of your account. A window you approve in the User Account Control prompt gets the full administrator token, and DISM then runs.

1. Close the window that showed error 740. Elevation cannot be added to a window that is already open.
2. Windows 11: right-click Start (or press Win + X) and select Terminal (Admin). Windows 10: select Windows PowerShell (Admin) in the same menu.
3. Or type cmd in the Start search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
5. Check the title bar. It must start with Administrator:.
6. Type or paste the DISM command again and press Enter.

A volunteer on Microsoft Q&A gave exactly this answer to a Windows 10 user who saw the message, and the user reported that it got them past the error. Step by step with screenshots: How to run a program as administrator or in compatibility mode.

Fix 2. Check that the window really has administrator rights

2 minutesNo riskYou believe the window is elevated, or you use tabs in Windows Terminal and are not sure which one is.

Windows marks every process with an integrity level. An elevated window runs at High Mandatory Level, a normal one at Medium Mandatory Level. This one line answers whether DISM will run there.

1. In the window where DISM failed, run the command below.
2. Read the line that starts with Mandatory Label. High Mandatory Level means elevated. Medium Mandatory Level means not elevated.
3. In Windows Terminal, check each tab. A new tab opened from a normal Terminal window is not elevated, even if another window is.
4. If it says Medium, close the window and use Fix 1 or Fix 3.

Command Prompt or PowerShell: is this window elevated?

whoami /groups | findstr /i "Mandatory"

A second quick test is net session. In a normal window it ends with "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied." In an elevated one it prints a list or "There are no entries in the list."

Fix 3. Open an elevated window when Run as administrator is missing

2 minutesNo riskRight-clicking Start or Command Prompt shows no Run as administrator, the item is greyed out, or nothing happens when you select it.

Task Manager starts programs on its own, with a checkbox that requests the administrator token. It does not depend on the Start menu or search, which are often what is broken when the item is missing.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. If it opens small, select More details.
2. Windows 11: select Run new task at the top. Windows 10: select File > Run new task.
3. Type cmd (or powershell).
4. Select Create this task with administrative privileges.
5. Select OK, then check that the title bar starts with Administrator:.

If the checkbox is missing or the window still opens without Administrator:, your account cannot elevate at all. That points to a standard account or a managed PC: go to Fix 5 or Fix 6.

Fix 4. Elevate the script, shortcut or scheduled task that runs DISM

5 minutesLow riskDISM runs from a .bat or .cmd file, a desktop shortcut, a scheduled task or a maintenance script, and error 740 appears in its output or log.

A script inherits the rights of whatever starts it. Double-clicking it or a task on default settings gives it the standard token, so DISM refuses exactly as it does in a normal window.

1. Batch file: right-click the .bat or .cmd file and select Run as administrator, then Yes.
2. Shortcut: right-click it, select Properties, open the Shortcut tab, select Advanced and tick Run as administrator. Select OK twice.
3. Scheduled task: open Task Scheduler, right-click the task and select Properties.
4. On the General tab, tick Run with highest privileges and select OK. The task's account must be an administrator for this to work.
5. Run the task once with Run and read its output or log for error 740.

Fix 5. Make your account an administrator

10 minutesLow riskUAC asks for a user name and password instead of showing Yes, or Fix 2 never reaches High.

Microsoft: a standard user who tries an administrative task gets the credential prompt, which needs an administrator's password. Only an existing administrator can make your account one, so this needs that person or their password once.

1. Check your account type. In any window, run net user %username% and read Local Group Memberships. If you see only *Users, you are a standard user.
2. Sign in with an administrator account, or ask its owner to do so.
3. Windows 11: open Settings > Accounts > Other users. Windows 10: Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
4. Select your account, then Change account type.
5. Under Account type, select Administrator and select OK.
6. Sign out and sign in to your own account again. The new rights apply only from the next sign-in.
7. Run Fix 1 again. UAC now shows Yes.

Short of the password? When you do have it, you can also type the administrator's name and password straight into the UAC prompt in Fix 1. DISM then runs in that elevated window, and your own account stays standard.

If you own the PC and lost the administrator's password, reset it first. A Microsoft account password is reset online at account.live.com/password/reset. A local account offers Reset password on the sign-in screen after a wrong password, when security questions were set.

Fix 6. On a work or school PC, ask IT to run the repair

15 minutes to prepareNo riskThe PC is joined to a company or school, Settings > Accounts > Access work or school lists an organization, or a privilege tool asks for a reason before elevating.

Organizations often remove local administrator rights on purpose or route elevation through privilege management software. Error 740 is then the policy working, not a fault, and there is no safe way around it.

1. Send IT the exact message, the command you ran and the output of whoami /groups from Fix 2.
2. Say why you need DISM, for example that sfc /scannow found files it could not repair or Windows Update fails.
3. Ask whether they run the repair remotely or give you time-limited rights. Many tools offer an approved elevation for one program.
4. Do not try to enable hidden accounts or use exploit tools. That breaks company policy and can lock the device.

Fix 7. Run DISM and SFC in the elevated window

15 to 30 minutesLow riskThe title bar shows Administrator: and you are ready to repair Windows.

Once the rights are right, the error is gone and the repair you wanted can start. DISM first repairs the component store, then SFC replaces damaged system files from it.

Elevated Command Prompt or Terminal: repair the image, then the files

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

1. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

2. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

3. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Keep a space before every slash. DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth written together may give a different error once you are elevated. If DISM later holds at one percentage for a long time, see how to tell a working RestoreHealth from a stuck one.

If error 740 still appears: what to check and what to send

Error 740 is decided before DISM starts any work, so the DISM log rarely helps here. The proof is the state of the window and the account. Collect these four outputs from the window where DISM failed:

1. whoami /groups | findstr /i "Mandatory": High or Medium Mandatory Level.
2. net user %username%: whether Local Group Memberships includes *Administrators.
3. winver (a window opens): your Windows version and build.
4. Settings > Accounts > Access work or school: whether an organization manages the PC.

Once DISM runs, its own results are in C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log and C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. Error 740 is never a hardware problem: no drive, memory or driver fault causes it.

How to avoid error 740 next time

Frequently asked questions

What does error 740 mean in Command Prompt?

It means the command needs administrator rights and the window does not have them. Microsoft's list of Windows system error codes defines 740 as ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED, hex 0x2E4. Its text is "The requested operation requires elevation." DISM prints it as "Elevated permissions are required to run DISM. Use an elevated command prompt to complete these tasks." Close the window, open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt with Run as administrator, select Yes in the User Account Control prompt and run the command again.

Why do I get error 740 when my account is an administrator?

Because Windows does not give your windows full rights by default. Microsoft explains that an administrator gets two tokens at sign-in, and the standard one starts the desktop and every app. All apps run as a standard user until you approve elevation in the User Account Control prompt. A Command Prompt opened by clicking it or typing cmd uses that standard token. Opening it with Run as administrator and selecting Yes gives it the full token, and DISM then runs.

How do I get elevated permissions to run DISM?

Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or Windows PowerShell (Admin) on Windows 10. Select Yes when User Account Control asks. Another way is to type cmd in Start search and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. The title bar of the new window starts with Administrator:, and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth works there. If Windows asks for a user name and password instead of Yes, you need an administrator account's password, as Fix 5 explains.

Does DISM error 740 look different on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

No. The message and the fix are the same on Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2 and on Windows 10 22H2. Only the menu item differs. Windows 11 shows Terminal (Admin) when you right-click Start, while Windows 10 shows Windows PowerShell (Admin) in the same place. Command Prompt with Run as administrator works on both. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC no longer gets the security fixes that DISM would otherwise download.

Should I run SFC or DISM first?

Our step-by-step procedure runs DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth first, then sfc /scannow, because SFC repairs files from the component store that DISM fixes. Both need the same elevated window. SFC's refusal in a normal window reads "You must be an administrator running a console session in order to use the sfc utility." If you see that, the fix is the same as for error 740: open the window as administrator.

What does Error 87 "The cleanup-image option is unknown" mean after I fixed error 740?

It is a different error from 740. Once the window is elevated, DISM reads the command, and error 87 means it did not understand an option. The usual reason is a typing mistake: a missing space before a slash, a wrong option name, or a letter missing in Cleanup-Image. Type it exactly as DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, with a space before every slash. Copying the command from a web page can also bring in odd dashes that DISM rejects.

Is it safe to switch User Account Control off to stop error 740?

No, and it is not needed. Switching UAC off removes the protection for every program, not only for DISM, and Microsoft designs Windows to run with it on. Elevation for one window is enough: Terminal (Admin) or Run as administrator, then Yes. The prompt appears only when you start something that needs full rights, which is exactly the moment you should see it. Keep UAC at its default level.

Can I fix error 740 without an administrator password?

Not on a standard account. Windows asks for an administrator's credentials before any elevated task, and there is no supported way around that prompt. Ask the person who owns the administrator account to type the password into the prompt or to change your account type. On your own PC with a lost password, reset it: a Microsoft account online, a local account through the security questions on the sign-in screen. On a work PC, ask IT.

What does "Se requieren permisos elevados para ejecutar DISM" mean?

It is the same message in Spanish Windows: elevated permissions are required to run DISM, error 740. The fix is identical. Right-click Start, select Terminal (Administrador) or open Símbolo del sistema with Ejecutar como administrador, select Sí in the User Account Control prompt and run the command again. This page is written for English Windows, so menu names elsewhere here are in English.

I get error 740 when installing a printer or a program, not in DISM. Is it the same?

The code is the same, ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED, but the program is different. It means that installer or tool needs administrator rights and was started without them. Right-click its setup file and select Run as administrator, or run it from an elevated window. This page covers DISM. If a printer or a game installer keeps returning 740 when started as administrator, search for that program's own guide.