How To Restore Corrupted Files On Windows

Your Windows files are likely corrupted due to an interrupted update, a sudden power loss, or failing storage sectors on your drive. You can usually resolve this by repairing the core system images or reverting specific documents to an earlier state.

Why this happens

System file corruption occurs when critical OS components are improperly written or modified by software conflicts. Physical disk errors can also cause files to become unreadable by preventing the operating system from accessing data correctly.

What you will need

You will need administrative access to your terminal and an active internet connection to download replacement files during the repair process.

Steps

1. 01
   Right-click the Start menu and select Terminal (Admin), then type SFC /scannow and press Enter to verify and replace core system files.
2. 02
   Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in the same terminal to fix the Windows image, then run SFC /scannow one more time once it finishes.
3. 03
   Type CHKDSK C: /F /R in your terminal and press Y to schedule a disk check, then restart your computer to begin the scan.
4. 04
   If a specific document is broken, right-click the file or folder in File Explorer, select Show more options, and choose Restore previous versions to recover a saved copy.
5. 05
   Select Restore To instead of Restore if you want to keep your current corrupted file while saving the previous version as a separate backup.
6. 06
   If system errors persist, run the Windows Setup installer and select Keep personal files and apps to perform a repair installation of the OS.

Still not working?

If these commands fail to resolve your issues, your hard drive may have physical bad sectors that prevent stable repairs. Check your Event Viewer logs for disk-related errors, and if you see persistent drive warnings, back up your data immediately and prepare to replace your storage drive.

Frequently asked questions

Will using SFC or DISM delete my personal files?

No, these tools are designed to check and repair system files only and will not touch your personal documents or photos.

Why is Previous Versions not showing any files?

Previous Versions requires File History or system restore points to be enabled prior to the corruption; if it was never turned on, those backups will not exist.

How do I know if my drive is physically failing?

If you experience frequent file corruption even after running these repairs, or if your system hangs during the CHKDSK process, it is a strong sign of hardware failure.