Fix Corrupted Windows System Files with SFC and DISM

Your Windows installation is likely throwing errors or crashing apps because of damaged core system files. These repairs use built-in tools to verify your system integrity and replace the broken bits with healthy versions directly from Microsoft.

Why this happens

System files often become corrupted during interrupted updates, unexpected shutdowns, or due to failing storage drives. These commands force Windows to check its internal component store against a known good version.

What you will need

You need administrative access to your computer to run these commands in the Command Prompt.

Steps

1. 01
   Press the Windows key, type CMD, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator to open the terminal with full permissions.
2. 02
   Type sfc /scannow and press Enter to start the system file checker. Keep the window open while the percentage climbs to 100 percent.
3. 03
   If the scan reports that it found and fixed integrity violations, restart your computer and check if your issues are resolved.
4. 04
   If the scan found issues it could not fix, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter to pull fresh, healthy files from Windows Update.
5. 05
   Once the DISM process finishes, run sfc /scannow one final time to allow Windows to apply the repairs it could not complete during the first scan.

Still not working?

If these scans report errors they cannot repair even after running DISM, your hard drive may have physical bad sectors or deep file system corruption. Check your drive health using the CHKDSK command or consider a Windows Refresh if the operating system remains unstable.

Frequently asked questions

Will running these commands delete my personal files?

No, these commands only verify and repair Windows system files. Your documents, photos, and installed programs will remain untouched.

Why does my scan say it found errors but cannot fix them?

This usually means the component store is also damaged, which is why running the DISM command is necessary to repair the source files before running SFC again.