How do I troubleshoot "Failed to get staged packages for package" error when attempting to remove a provisioned app from an offline Windows 8.1 image?

When I attempt to remove provisioned apps from an offline Windows 8.1 image, most of the apps I want to remove cause no problem, but attempting to remove Microsoft.Office.OneNote causes an error.

The following PowerShell code demonstrates the problem. The operating system is Windows PE 5.0. (Why WinPE? My goal is to remove some provisioned apps during a System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 task sequence before the new installation boots for the first time.) The offline image is Windows 8.1 with updates through 30-Apr-2015 installed, and it is located at the root of drive G:.

PS > Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Path G:\
...
[lines omitted]
...
DisplayName  : Microsoft.Office.OneNote
Version      : 2014.215.704.4136
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId   : ~
PackageName  : Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
...
[lines omitted]
...
DisplayName  : Microsoft.ZuneMusic
Version      : 2014.228.1317.652
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId   : ~
PackageName  : Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2014.228.1317.652_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
...

PS > Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Path G:\ -PackageName Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2014.228.1317.652_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
Path           : G:\
Online         : False
Restart Needed : False

PS > Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Path G:\ -PackageName Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage : The system cannot find the file specified.
At line:1 char:1
+ Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Path G:\ -PackageName Microsoft.Office.OneNote_20 ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage], COMException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Dism.Commands.RemoveAppxProvisionedPackageCommand

Here are excerpts from the %SystemRoot%\Logs\DISM\dism.log file.
Removal of Microsoft.ZuneMusic:

2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Input parameters: Session: 2, PackageName: Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2014.228.1317.652_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Input parameters: Session: 2, PackageName: Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2014.228.1317.652_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Initialized default cancel event - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Successfully enqueued command object - CCommandThread::EnqueueCommandObject
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1068 ExecuteLoop: CommandQueue signaled - CCommandThread::ExecuteLoop
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1068 Successfully dequeued command object - CCommandThread::DequeueCommandObject
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=1848 TID=1440 Getting Provider AppxManager - CDISMProviderStore::GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=1848 TID=1440 Provider has not previously been encountered.  Attempting to initialize the provider. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=1848 TID=1440 Loading Provider from location X:\windows\TEMP\D173D978-C7E2-4153-88D4-A35376D8C923\AppxProvider.dll - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=1848 TID=1440 Connecting to the provider located at X:\windows\TEMP\D173D978-C7E2-4153-88D4-A35376D8C923\AppxProvider.dll. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_LoadProvider
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=1848 TID=1440 Encountered a servicing provider, performing additional servicing initializations. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_LoadProvider
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1068 Calling RemoveAllUserAppx with package full name = Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2014.228.1317.652_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - CRemoveAppxCommandObject::InternalExecute
2015-06-08 14:43:29, Info    DISM   DISM Appx Provider: PID=1848 TID=1440 Writing temporary provision file: X:\windows\TEMP\appxStage-{77DB0339-427B-481D-BC0D-88B930DBA99A}\AppxProvisioning.xml. - CDismContext::FinalizeChanges
2015-06-08 14:43:30, Info    DISM   DISM Appx Provider: PID=1848 TID=1440 Taking ownership of G:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows. - CDismContext::FinalizeChanges
2015-06-08 14:43:30, Info    DISM   DISM Appx Provider: PID=1848 TID=1440 Copying from X:\windows\TEMP\appxStage-{77DB0339-427B-481D-BC0D-88B930DBA99A}\AppxProvisioning.xml to G:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppxProvisioning.xml. - CDismContext::FinalizeChanges
2015-06-08 14:43:30, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1068 Successfully removed package - CRemoveAppxCommandObject::InternalExecute
2015-06-08 14:43:30, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Leave DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:43:30, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismCloseSessionInternal - DismCloseSessionInternal

Removal of Microsoft.Office.OneNote (with error lines in bold type):

2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Input parameters: Session: 2, PackageName: Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Input parameters: Session: 2, PackageName: Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Initialized default cancel event - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Successfully enqueued command object - CCommandThread::EnqueueCommandObject
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=876 ExecuteLoop: CommandQueue signaled - CCommandThread::ExecuteLoop
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=876 Successfully dequeued command object - CCommandThread::DequeueCommandObject
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=2020 TID=848 Getting Provider AppxManager - CDISMProviderStore::GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=2020 TID=848 Provider has not previously been encountered.  Attempting to initialize the provider. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=2020 TID=848 Loading Provider from location X:\windows\TEMP\D613CBD7-929A-4C48-92DE-589E048B20EC\AppxProvider.dll - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_GetProvider
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=2020 TID=848 Connecting to the provider located at X:\windows\TEMP\D613CBD7-929A-4C48-92DE-589E048B20EC\AppxProvider.dll. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_LoadProvider
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=2020 TID=848 Encountered a servicing provider, performing additional servicing initializations. - CDISMProviderStore::Internal_LoadProvider
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=876 Calling RemoveAllUserAppx with package full name = Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe - CRemoveAppxCommandObject::InternalExecute
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Error   DISM   DISM Appx Provider: PID=2020 TID=848 Failed to get staged packages for package 'Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe'. - CPackageAdapter::CreateForRemove(hr:0x80070002)
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Error   DISM   DISM Appx Provider: PID=2020 TID=848 Failed while initializing package adapter for package 'Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe' - CAppxManager::RemoveAllUserAppx(hr:0x80070002)
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Error   DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=876 Failed to remove package - CRemoveAppxCommandObject::InternalExecute(hr:0x80070002)
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Error   DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=876 InternalExecute failed - CBaseCommandObject::Execute(hr:0x80070002)
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Leave DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal - DismRemoveProvisionedAppxPackageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismGetLastErrorMessageInternal - DismGetLastErrorMessageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Exit DismGetLastErrorMessageInternal - DismGetLastErrorMessageInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismDeleteInternal - DismDeleteInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Leave DismDeleteInternal - DismDeleteInternal
2015-06-08 14:57:06, Info    DISM   API: PID=1444 TID=1636 Enter DismCloseSessionInternal - DismCloseSessionInternal

The error returned from Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage is "The system cannot find the file specified." Which file?

The more detailed error message from the DISM log is "Failed to get staged packages for package 'Microsoft.Office.OneNote_2014.215.704.4136_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe'." What does this mean?

Although I found a blog article describing the Windows 8/8.1 app terminology that may hint at the problem—something about a staged version of the app—my searches for help on these specific errors have been fruitless. How can I find the causes of these errors?.

I ran into the exact same problem. Running the native dism version of the command got me error messages in the dism log about "failed to get staged packages for package". And googling that led me to this page on edugeek.

So the user there noticed that if he went back to the original 1607 ISO, the commands worked fine. Likewise, I tried the same commands with the 1703 ISO I had, and everything works. So it appears something is up with some of the WIM files Microsoft is distributing. (The one that was problematic for me was 1607 updated Jan 2017, straight from my MSDN subscription.)

I noticed you mentioned you were using an OS image with updates through a certain date installed. I wonder if this is at the root of what causes the problem since you and I were dealing with different OS'es but in both cases the media had updates installed into it to make it more up to date.