How to Run System File Checker (SFC) in Windows 11/10

Familiarize yourself with the System File Checker, what it is for, how to use it, and how to interpret its results.

Intentionally or not, there are many ways in which the user interferes with the files needed for your computer. Even a power outage during an ongoing Windows update can cause unwanted issues with your machine.

In addition, a forced shutdown can also change system files that prevent the system from working properly. And let's not start with what malware can do to your PC.

While there are many third-party tools out there offering to fix every problem you might have on your Windows PC, it's best to use the built-in troubleshooters first.

System File Checker (SFC)

The System File Checker is one of the built-in tools in Windows that helps in case of accidental crashes or damage to system files.

At best, this can be done in a few minutes. For others, you may need to manually help correct anomalies.

We recommend that you run Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) before using the System File Checker. You can check out this one-step process in our guide to repairing Windows with DISM.

Notably, you can run the System File Checker from your native system or use recovery media if the system does not boot.

SFC from the same system

First, open an administrator command prompt (aka elevated command prompt).

Then type sfc /scannow and press Enter to start the process:

The scan will take several minutes and may result in one of the following results:

• Windows Resource Protection found no integrity violations.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files and successfully repaired them.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files but was unable to fix some of them.
• Windows Resource Protection was unable to perform the requested operation.

Please check the following sections based on the end results listed above.

1. Windows Resource Protection found no integrity violations.

This suggests that the system files are intact and nothing else needs to be done.

However, you still ended up on this article, which means that something is wrong with your system.

So, reboot your system and make sure your computer is free of malware including spyware or viruses, perform a full system scan with these premium antivirus solutions.

Alternatively, you can run a free malware scan with Malwarebytes or opt for a premium Bitdefender antivirus trial.

2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files and repaired them successfully.

This is another result when you don't have to do anything.

However, you can check the log file in %WinDir%LogsCBSCBS.log for the details of the fix.

You can then reboot and check if the issue is still there. Finally, follow the malware scanning steps in the previous section.

3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files but was unable to fix some of them.

Some problems require manual intervention and this is one such problem.

Simply put, you find the corrupted file and replace it with a healthy one on a computer with the same version of Windows as you.

First, open the log file by navigating to %WinDir%LogsCBSCBS.log. This will open a log file in Notepad, which you can save to your desktop for convenience.

Notably, this will show the results of recent scans performed on the computer in question. Hence, scroll down to the latest scan and try to find something like "Unable to recover member file" or "Corrupted file with no recovery information".

They will give the full path to the file to be replaced with the working copy. Your best bet is to run sfc /scannow on the source to make sure the import is correct.

Then use the following commands sequentially through an elevated command prompt to enable copy and paste permissions for the corrupted file.

takeown /f filepathfilenameicacls filepathfilename /grant administrators:f

It will look like this for the AcGenral.dll file on the System32>Windows> system drive.

takeown /f C:WindowsSystem32acgenral.dll  icacls C:WindowsSystem32AcGenral.dll /grant administrators:f

Finally, replace the faulty file with a working one.

Restart your computer to see if the issue is resolved. As an additional step, run a full malware scan with the tools mentioned in the first section if you don't have an antivirus installed on your system.

4. Windows Resource Protection was unable to perform the requested operation.

This requires a little more work on your part.

First, boot your Windows computer in safe mode. Safe Mode starts your computer with the necessary drivers and basic utilities.

Once there, open a command prompt and run the System File Checker. After that, proceed according to the previous sections based on the results of the scan.

SFC from recovery media

Before proceeding, you will need to create a Windows recovery disc. Then boot the failed system from the recovery disk.

This can be done by pressing certain keys to enter the BIOS or set up the system to boot from recovery media. These keys depend on your system manufacturer or motherboard brand if you have a custom PC.

Then turn on the device and keep pressing that particular key during the logo screen.

After that, find the boot order and select the recovery drive to boot from.

You will be taken to the Windows Setup Wizard. Go through the initial setup asking for language, keyboard, etc. On the second screen, click Repair Your Computer.

Then enter the Troubleshooting section and then click Command Prompt on the next screen.

A standard command prompt will open where you can type sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c: /offwindir=c:windows to start recovery.

Here, offbootdir and offwindir refer to the system drive and Windows installation directory. You must replace c: with the appropriate letter according to the subject of the computer.

Let the scan complete and exit System Setup to boot normally.

Finally, I recommend a malware scan to resolve any remaining issues.

Summary

System File Checker (SFC) repairs the system drive for misconfigurations. This usually takes a few minutes, but may require some work depending on the problem. Also, it is best to use this after running the DISM tool to further improve system stability.

This command can be used internally from the same computer or externally if the system does not boot.

However, sometimes you may need some automation in the repair department, so here are a few Windows troubleshooting tools worth looking into.