Luckyy
Administrator
Staff
LEVEL 4
90 XP
How to Use sfc /scannow
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
cmd
- Right-click Command Prompt
- Click Run as administrator
2. Run the SFC Scan
In the Command Prompt window, type:
Code:
sfc /scannow
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 | Meaning |
---|---|
Windows 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
sfc /scannow
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"
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