How to Reinstall Optional Features Using Settings System Optional Features in Windows 11

How to Access Optional Features in Settings

The Optional features page is where you view, add and remove extra Windows components. It sits inside the System section of Settings, so it takes only a few clicks to reach.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings⚙️. The Settings window appears with a navigation pane on the left.
2. Click System in the left-hand navigation pane. The System page opens on the right with a list of settings groups.

   

3. Scroll down the right side of the window and click Optional features. The page that opens is the management dashboard. It shows an Add an optional feature section at the top and your installed features below it.

That’s it. You should now see the Optional features page, which is the starting point for every method below.

If the page opens but stays empty or keeps loading, close Settings and open it again. A stalled list usually clears after a fresh launch.

Checking Your Current Installed Features

Before you reinstall anything, confirm that the component is on the system and see what state it is in. The Installed features section on the Optional features page shows this.

1. Scan the list of installed packages. Or type the name of the feature into the Search installed features box to filter the results as you type.

   

2. Read the status text under each feature name. Look for error flags or pending actions.

That’s it. You should now know whether the feature is installed and whether anything is waiting on it.

A feature with a pending action often needs a restart before it finishes installing or removing. Restart first and check again before you move on. If the feature is missing from the list, skip ahead to the reinstall steps, because there is nothing to uninstall.

Uninstalling a Broken Optional Feature

1. On the Optional features page, find the broken feature in your installed list and click its entry to expand the options.
2. Click the Uninstall button. Windows removes the package and its associated files.
3. Wait for the status indicator to change. If Windows prompts you to restart, do it. The restart releases system files that were locked while the feature was in use.

That’s it. The broken copy is gone, and the feature no longer appears in your installed list. Nothing is lost for good, because you can add it back in the next section.

If the Uninstall button is greyed out or missing, the feature is probably required by Windows or by another component. Another cause is that you are not signed in as an administrator. Sign in with an admin account and try again.

Reinstalling an Optional Feature via Settings

1. Scroll to the top of the Optional features page and click View features next to Add an optional feature. A window opens with a list of available features.
2. Type the name of the feature into the search🔍 box, or scroll through the alphabetical list.

   

3. Select the check box next to the feature you want to reinstall, then click Next.
4. Review your selection and click Install. Windows starts downloading⬇️ and applying the package files.
5. Watch the progress bar under Recent actions until the status changes to Installed.

That’s it. You should now have a fresh copy of the feature, listed again under your installed features. If Windows asks for a restart, do it before you test the feature.

If the feature does not appear in the list, it may already be installed, so check the installed list again. Some features also appear only on certain Windows editions. If you are on a metered connection, the download may pause until you allow it.

Alternative Method: Using DISM via Terminal

When the Settings app fails or hangs, you can use DISM instead. DISM is a command-line tool for servicing Windows system images. It skips the Settings interface, so it works even when the graphical page does not.

Know two limits before you start. The DISM method works only for capabilities, which Microsoft calls Features on Demand. Items such as Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox do not appear in the DISM capabilities list, so this method cannot reinstall them.

The full capability name ends with a version suffix after the tildes (~). That suffix is not the same for every capability. Use the exact name from your own list instead of a fixed suffix you copied from an example. Also, some capabilities installed through DISM need a restart before they work properly.

1. Open the Start menu⊞, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt if one appears. You can run the same DISM commands from Windows Terminal, as long as you open it as administrator.
2. Type DISM /Online /Get-Capabilities and press Enter. This lists the available capabilities with their exact names and whether each is installed. It can take a moment to finish.
3. Find the exact name of the broken feature in the command output.
4. Type DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:FeatureName~0~0.0.1.0, replacing the example name with the full name from your list, including its suffix, and press Enter to install it💿. DISM reports when the operation completes.
5. Restart your🔄 computer if DISM asks for it, or if the feature does not work right after the install.

That’s it. You should now have the capability reinstalled from the command line, without using the Settings page.

Copy the name exactly as it appears in the list, because DISM will not accept a name that is close but not identical. Like the Settings method, this command needs internet access to fetch the files.

PowerShell offers the current alternative. In an administrator Terminal window, run Get-WindowsCapability -Online to list capabilities. Then run Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name followed by the full capability name to install one. The same limit applies: these cover Features on Demand only.

Troubleshooting Optional Feature Installation Errors

If an installation gets stuck or shows an error code, the cause is usually damaged Windows Update components or missing system files. Two repair scans from an elevated Command Prompt fix the underlying health of the system. After that, you can try the install again.

1. Open the Start menu⊞, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. This step requires administrator privileges.
2. Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter. This repairs the local component store using Windows Update files, so you need to be online. Let it run to the end, even if the progress seems to pause for a while.
3. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This is System File Checker, a utility that scans and repairs damaged system files. It replaces any missing or corrupted system files it finds.
4. Restart your🔄 computer once both scans finish. Then go back to the Settings⚙️ app and try the optional feature installation again.

That’s it. You should now have a repaired component store and healthy system files, which gives the install a much better chance of finishing.

If the same error comes back after both scans, note the error code. Searching for that exact code will point you toward the specific fix.