Scan and repair corrupted or missing system files | Steps to Use System File Checker in Windows

How To Use System File Checker in Windows

SFC stands for System File Checker, which is a utility program in Windows that is designed to scan and repair corrupted or missing system files. The System File Checker tool is available in all versions of Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

The System File Checker works by scanning the Windows operating system for corrupt or missing system files, and then replaces them with cached copies that are stored in a compressed folder called "dllcache". If the cached copy of the system file is not available or is also corrupted, SFC will prompt you to insert the original Windows installation media (such as a CD or USB drive) so that it can restore the missing or corrupted file.

To run the System File Checker tool in Windows, you can follow these steps:

1.Open the Command Prompt as an administrator (right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select "Run as administrator").

 

2.Type "sfc /scannow" without quotes and press Enter.

 

3.The SFC utility will scan your system for missing or corrupted system files and attempt to repair them.

 

4.Once the scan is complete, SFC will display a message indicating whether any problems were found and fixed.

List of SFC commands and their descriptions:

1. sfc /scannow - This command scans all protected system files and replaces any incorrect versions with the correct Microsoft versions.

 

2. sfc /verifyonly - This command only scans for corrupt files but does not repair them.

 

3. sfc /verifyfile=file_name - This command checks the integrity of a specific file and verifies its version.

 

4. sfc /verifydir=directory_name - This command checks the integrity of all files in a specific directory.

 

5. sfc /offbootdir=drive_letter:\ /offwindir=drive_letter:\windows - This command allows you to specify an offline Windows installation to scan and repair.

 

6. sfc /scanfile=file_name - This command scans a specific file and repairs it if necessary.

 

7. sfc /cachesize=x - This command allows you to change the size of the Windows File Protection cache. The default value is 50 MB.

 

8. sfc /purgecache - This command purges the Windows File Protection cache and forces the system to retrieve new versions of protected system files.

 

9. sfc /revert - This command allows you to undo the last system file checker scan and restore any replaced files.

 

10. sfc /scanonce - This command schedules a system file checker scan to run one time the next time the system starts up.

 

11. sfc /scanboot - This command schedules a system file checker scan to run every time the system starts up.

 

12. sfc /cancel - This command cancels a scheduled system file checker scan.

It's important to note that some of these commands require administrative privileges to run. Additionally, It's important to note that running the System File Checker may take some time, especially if you have a large number of files on your system. Also, if the SFC tool is unable to repair a corrupted file, you may need to perform a repair installation or use other troubleshooting methods to resolve the issue.