Fix Corrupted System Files Using SFC /scannow

Yesterday, 12:17 PM |

How to Use [ICODE]sfc /scannow[/ICODE] to Repair Windows

The System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in Windows tool that scans for and restores corrupted system files.

When to Use It

Random crashes or freezes
System file corruption
Missing Windows features
Programs not launching correctly

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Click Start and type [ICODE]cmd[/ICODE]
Right-click Command Prompt
Click Run as administrator

2. Run the SFC Scan
In the Command Prompt window, type:

Code:
sfc /scannow

Then press Enter.

3. Wait for the Scan to Complete
This may take 10–20 minutes. You'll see a progress message.

4. Check the Result
You may see one of the following results:

Message
MeaningWindows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
No issues detected.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Some issues were fixed.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Some files could not be fixed automatically.

If SFC Can't Fix Everything
You can run the DISM tool to fix deeper issues:

Code:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then reboot and run [ICODE]sfc /scannow[/ICODE] again.

Optional: View Detailed Log
To create a summary log file on your desktop:

Code:
findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log > "%userprofile%\Desktop\sfc_log.txt"

Then open the sfc_log.txt file from your desktop.

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