How to Run SFC Scan?

It often happens that some of the Windows system files become corrupted, creating a gap within the operating system and ultimately leading to a mess. Windows 10 has a unique tool that allows users to check for corrupted or missing system files and restores them to their previous states.

How to Run a System File Checker (SFC) Scan Using the SFC Tool

To run the System File Checker (SFC) scan, follow these instructions:

1. Open the elevated Command Prompt by right-clicking on the start menu icon. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. Alternatively, you can navigate to the Command Prompt by using the shortcut keys Win + X and selecting it.
   
2. Once the Command Prompt is open, type the following command to run an SFC scan. Do not interrupt this process and wait for it to complete. The results will be displayed after the scan finishes.

   sfc /scannow

3. Press Enter on the keyboard to initiate the scan for corrupted or missing files.
   

How Does this Command Scan your PC?

This command is beneficial for those experiencing file corruption issues on their PCs. It scans all protected system files and replaces corrupted files with a cached copy located in a compressed folder. You can navigate to this folder using the given hierarchy.

C:\Windows\System32\dllcache

Results of the SFC Scan:

Once the process reaches 100%, if everything went well, you will receive the message: ‘Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations. ‘ as shown in the picture below.

If the SFC Scan shows the message: ‘Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log,’ then follow the method below to view the details.

1. Navigate to the Command Prompt and enter the following line of code, followed by pressing the Enter key.

   findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >"%userprofile%\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt

2. If you wish to proceed with repairing the corrupt system components, type the following command and press ‘Enter’ in the command prompt:

   Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. The text file at the end of the above command, i.e., txt, contains details of the complete schedule of the SFC scan performed on the PC, including the date and time. Open the sfcdetails.txt file from the desktop to view the scan details.

If the SFC Scan does not resolve the issue, consider trying SFCFix, a third-party tool that reads from the CBS.LOG file to repair corruptions.