How to install CAB file for updates and drivers on Windows 10

• To install the CAB file on Windows 10, open “Command Prompt” (admin) and run the DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"PATH\TO\CAB" command.
• Alternatively, open “PowerShell” (admin) and run the Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "PATH\TO\CAB" command.

UPDATED 7/23/2025: On Windows 10, you can install “.cab” files using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command-line tool available with Command Prompt, and in this guide, I will explain how to complete this process. A “.cab” extension file refers to the cabinet archiving file format that efficiently packages and compresses multiple files in a file library.

Developers often use cabinet files to build their app installers. For example, Microsoft sometimes uses this format to distribute standalone updates for Windows 10, drivers, and other packages.

If you have a Windows 10 update in CAB format, you can use the DISM command-line tool or PowerShell to quickly install packages on your device.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to install a cabinet file on Windows 10.

• Install CAB file using DISM command
• Install CAB file using PowerShell
• Extract CAB file on Windows 10
• Install CAB file for driver update

Install CAB file using DISM command 

To install a “.cab” file with Command Prompt on Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 10.

2. Search for Command Prompt (or Terminal), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to install the CAB file and press Enter:

   dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"PATH\TO\CAB"

   For example, this command installs the update on Windows 10:

   dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\Users\username\Downloads\update.cab"

   

Once you complete the steps, the package will be installed on the system. You might need to restart your device to complete the installation if this is an update.

Install CAB file using PowerShell

To install a “.cab” file with PowerShell, follow these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for PowerShell (or Terminal), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to install the CAB file and press Enter:

   Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "PATH\TO\CAB"

   For example, this command installs the update on Windows 10:

   Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Users\m__la\Downloads\files\update.cab"

   

After you complete the steps, the CAB package will be installed on Windows 10.

Extract CAB file on Windows 10

Although you may have received a “.cab” file, it doesn’t mean you have to install it. Some developers may use the cabinet container as a compressed folder to distribute specific content.

To extract a “.cab” file on Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Browse to the folder with the cabinet file.

3. Double-click the “.cab” file.

4. Select all the contents (“Ctrl + A” keyboard shortcut).

5. Right-click the selection and select the Extract option.

   

6. Select the folder destination to extract the files.

7. Click the Extract button.

After you complete the steps, you can use the files to install the app, set up a new driver, or apply a system update.

Additionally, you may sometimes encounter issues when trying to install a package using commands. For example, when I was updating these instructions, I noticed the “An error occurred trying to open” (…) “Error: 0x80070002” “Error: 2” (…) “The system cannot find the file specified” message using the different “.cab” files. If this happens to you, then extracting the package may be the better option.

Install CAB file for driver update

If the package fails to install using the DISM tool during driver installation, you may be able to extract the contents of the CAB file to install the driver manually.

To update a driver using a CAB file on Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Open the folder with the archive file.

3. Double-click the CAB file to open it.

4. Select all the contents (“Ctrl + A” keyboard shortcut).

5. Right-click the selection and select the Extract option.

   

6. Select the folder destination to extract the files.

7. Click the Extract button.

8. Open Start.

9. Search for Device Manager and select the top result.

10. Right-click the device and select the Update driver option.

    

11. Click the “Browse my computer for drivers” option.

    

12. Click the Browse button.

    

13. Select the folder with extracted files from the CAB file.

14. Click the OK button.

15. Click the Next button.

16. Click the Close button.

After completing the steps, Device Manager will detect and install the necessary driver components to set up the device.

Update July 23, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes.