Often, a computer user is faced with the fact that his PC begins to work slowly. It begins to “slow down” the launch and operation of some programs, although the window with a message and error code did not pop up on the monitor. This requires checking Windows 10 for errors. You should not immediately “tear down” and reinstall the operating system. After all, the reason may lie in changes or damage to system files.
This can often happen due to the influence of viruses and other malware, incorrect shutdown of the computer after work, and other problems. It is worth considering that not all errors may be displayed on the screen; they accumulate imperceptibly, interfering with the operation of the PC. In order to identify and eliminate them, it is necessary to periodically conduct a full check of Windows 10 for errors. You also need to analyze the integrity of the system, registry, video card, hard drive and other vital elements of the computer.
Checking your hard drive for Windows 10 errors
The hard drive and its bad sectors in Windows 10 can mainly be checked in the Explorer interface and through the command line. Moreover, installation of any programs is not required during this process.
- Through "Conductor". This check is the main one and is performed automatically by Windows 10. Since it takes about 60 minutes, it is better to run disk defragmentation at night, since it checks all disks. IN "Explorer"(right mouse button) open it on one of the disks "Properties", then – transition to "Service" with pressing "Optimize".
- Using the command line. Using this method, you cannot restore order on your hard drive, as with defragmentation, but you can quickly recover data from damaged sectors. To do this, open the Command Prompt (Administrator) and enter the command chkdsk C: /F /R (F – automatic correction of problems found, R – attempt to restore data).
After checking drive C, you need to check all other drives for errors, replacing only the letter designation.
Checking RAM for Windows 10 errors
You can diagnose memory errors using the built-in Windows utility. To launch it you need to take the following steps:
After the check is completed, the PC will restart and information on checking memory for Windows 10 errors will be displayed on the monitor after logging in. To view the results (MemoryDiagnostics-Results) need to log in "Windows Logs" - "System".
Checking the Windows 10 registry for errors
If the error in the registry is not corrected in time, then the consequences of its “life” in it may result in a blue screen of death for the computer, or even a complete failure of the system to start. You can check the Windows 10 registry for errors via:
- Through the built-in utility in Windows 10, but it is more suitable for identifying critical errors in the registry. Let's launch Command Line (Administrator)– enter the command scanreg /fix – Enter.
- Through the computer cleaning program CCleaner. After launching the utility, you need to go to the “Registry” section, then “Search for problems” and after checking, click on “Fix selected...”. To fix problems with the registry, use "Fix flagged".
Checking ssd disk for Windows 10 errors
An SSD disk can be checked for errors using the functionality of some appropriate programs that will conduct a full test. Among them it is worth paying attention to:
- It needs to be downloaded, installed and launched. It will scan your hard drive and display the test result. In the main menu you need to use the tab "Service".
- This free utility will identify all problems, because it is specially created to analyze the performance of an SSD drive.
In addition to these programs, you can also use SSD Life, DiskCheckup and HDDScan.
Checking the Windows 10 system and system files for errors
Windows 10 system files are checked for errors using SFC.exe and DISM.exe. Let's consider both options.
- SFC.exe. To run the command, you need to log in Command line on behalf of Administrator and enter sfc /scannow – Enter. Next, a corresponding check will occur, during which errors in system files will be automatically corrected. If you want to analyze a specific system file, use the command sfc /scanfile=”path to file.
- DISM.exe. Through Command line (Administrator) you need to run the following commands in turn: dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth, dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, each of which takes a certain period of time when checking and troubleshooting system problems files.
Checking your video card for Windows 10 errors
To check your video card for Windows 10 errors, it is recommended to carry out the following steps.
- Press Win+R – enter command dxdiag– Enter.
- will appear on the monitor “DirectX Diagnostic Tool”(you will be prompted to check the drivers), click on "Yes" and then click on "Screen".
- If you see in the window "Note" list of identified errors, then they need to be eliminated and then the video card will have high performance. It is worth considering that the list of errors should not be present in this field, because otherwise these problems will “slow down” the functionality of the video card.
You also need to know that this testing of the video card was carried out without load. Therefore, you need to do an additional check of the computer element, but with a load.
To do this, you can use a benchmark for the graphics card FurMark. It is completely free and very easy to download from the official website of the developer. All procedures for checking a video card are carried out after visually inspecting it for external damage.
The performance of the Windows 10 operating system depends on many factors and reasons. To avoid many problems in it that lead to disastrous results, you always need to carry out a full diagnosis in a timely manner.
With the help of many built-in and downloaded utilities (which are also completely free), you can identify and eliminate serious errors in systems at an early stage. This can be done independently, without resorting to the services of an expensive specialist from a computer service center.
If you are tired of constant crashes from the system, errors and other “troubles” with your computer during operation, then you need to diagnose its elements more often to identify very serious problems.
After all, some of them may be completely unnoticeable in operation, but when layered on top of one another, these errors can cause great harm to your computer or laptop.
This article shows the steps by which you can recover damaged Windows system files using the SFC utility
If the operating system is unstable and various errors are noticed in its operation, then to troubleshoot problems you can use the SFC command line utility to restore the integrity of damaged system files.
SFC (System File Checker) is a Windows system tool for checking and restoring system integrity, which scans and checks all protected Windows system files for errors and replaces damaged or missing files with a copy of Windows files located in the WinSxS directory.
How to check and repair damaged system files using the SFC utility
To scan and repair damaged system files, run the following command as an administrator:
Depending on the scan results, you will see one of the following messages:
Windows Resource Protection did not detect any integrity violations. This means that no damaged or missing files were found on the system.
Windows Resource Protection cannot perform the requested operation. This message means that an error occurred during scanning. If you encounter this issue, try running the command sfc /scannow
Windows Resource Protection detected corrupted files and successfully repaired them. See CBS.Log WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log for information. This message appears when the SFC utility was able to correct the problem. You can view detailed information about the files that were recovered in the log file stored in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log
Windows Resource Protection has detected corrupted files, but is unable to repair some of them. See CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log for information. In this case, Windows was unable to fix some files. Again, you can see the list of files in the log file stored in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. In this case, the user will have to manually replace the missing or corrupted files.
You can also check and restore damaged system files using open as administrator.
How to check and repair damaged system files if the system does not boot
If the operating system does not boot, then you can also use the tool to restore the integrity of damaged system files, since the SFC utility supports offline scanning and recovery of damaged system files.
To do this you will need a (disk) with . Boot from the installation media and on the regional settings selection screen, launch the command line by pressing the key combination Shift + F10
Now you need to find out the letter of the partition on which the Windows operating system that needs to be checked is installed. This must be done because the drive partition letters in the boot environment are often different from those used in the running system.
There are several ways to do this, such as diskpart, wmic or the dir command, but we will use another method.
At the command prompt, run the following command:
In the Notepad window that opens, select from its main menu File - Open...
In the Explorer window, you will see the available sections and the letters assigned to them. In this example, the partition on which the operating system is installed has the letter C. The Explorer and Notepad windows can now be closed.
Knowing the letter of the partition on which the operating system is installed, run the following command at the command line:
sfc /scannow /OFFBOOTDIR=C :\ /OFFWINDIR=C :\Windows
Often, users are forced to believe that the operating system (OS) system files are damaged, the reason being typical failures when performing basic operations and slow computer operation. It happens that loading an external IT product leads to a destructive change in the OS configuration. In these cases, checking the integrity of system files in Windows 10 helps.
Typically, the OS provides two software products SFC.exe and DISM.exe, and, in addition, the Repair-WindowsImage command for Windows PowerShell. The first ones check the integrity of the system components and automatically restore their identified defects. The second does this by using DISM.
Experts are confident that it is more advisable to use them one by one, since the lists of scanned files for these software tools differ from each other.
In continuation, we will consider several instructions for using the presented software. The described actions are safe, but you must remember that restoring system files is complex in nature and affects even those changes made by the user himself. In particular, installation of external resources and other OS conversions will be canceled.
Examine the integrity of the system and correct its elements using SFC
The sfc /scannow OS integrity scanning command is popular among experienced users. It automatically examines and eliminates defects in OS components.
SFC operates as an administrator, through the command line, which is opened by right-clicking on the Start menu. Next, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.
These actions begin a scan of the OS, as a result of which the detected damage is corrected. If there are no errors, the user sees the message “Windows Resource Protection detected no integrity violations.” Another aspect of this study is irreparable damage. Part of the continuation of this article will be devoted to them.
The sfc /scanfile=”path_to_file” command allows you to check for errors in a specific system component.
The disadvantage of the software is that it does not eliminate defects in OS elements used during scanning. The problem is solved by running SFC via the command line in the OS recovery environment. This method is quite effective and involves performing several simple operations.
Integrity testing using SFC in an OS recovery environment
It does not take much time and does not require special skills. Launching in the OS recovery environment is performed in several ways:
- You need to go to “Settings” and select “Update and security”, “Recovery”, “Custom boot options” and “Restart now” one by one. A simpler method: in the lower right part of the OS login interface, click the “on” tab, after which, while holding “Shift”, you need to click “Reboot”.
- Another option is to boot from a pre-prepared OS recovery disk.
- Another alternative is an electronic medium with an OS distribution. In the installation program, after selecting the language, select “System Restore” in the lower left part.
When finished, you need to enter “Troubleshooting”, select “Advanced options” and click “Command Prompt” (using the first of the previously presented methods requires entering the system administrator password). The following is applied sequentially:
- diskpart
- list volume
Based on the results of running the specified commands, the user sees a list of volumes. It is recommended to remember their designations corresponding to the “System Reserved” drive and the OS partition, since sometimes they differ from those in Explorer.
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=F:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows (where F is the previously specified “System Reserved” drive, and C:\Windows is the path to the OS folder).
The described actions initiate an in-depth investigation of the system's integrity, during which the SFC command fixes all damaged components, without exception. Studying can take a long time. The underscore indicator blinks to indicate that the system is continuing to operate. When finished, the command line closes and the OS reboots in standard mode.
Scan and restore your system using DISM.exe
It happens that the SFC team cannot cope with some defects in system components. The IT product DISM.exe allows you to complete the restoration you have started. It scans and maintains the system, fixing even the most problematic components.
DISM.exe is used even when SFC does not detect OS integrity defects, but there is still reason to suspect that they exist.
First of all, right-click on the Start menu as an administrator to launch the Command Prompt. Then other commands are launched:
- dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth. It is used to generate information about the state of the OS and the presence of damage to its components. Does not initiate the study, scans earlier values of recorded parameters.
- dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth. Explores and verifies the integrity of the system components repository. Takes a long time, barely breaking the 20% mark.
- dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Examines and automatically repairs the OS. It works slowly, interrupting at times.
In circumstances where system element store recovery is not performed, install.wim (esd) with Windows 10 ISO is used as the source of the patchable components. Another option is used for this:
dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:path_to_wim_file:1 /limitaccess
In some cases, “.wim is replaced by .esd.”
While using these commands, all operations performed are saved in a log, which is contained in Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log and Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log. The DISM tool runs in the OS recovery environment in the same way as it does when running SFC.
This software tool is also implemented in Windows PowerShell as an administrator, using a set of Repair-WindowsImage commands. For example:
- Repair-WindowsImage -Online -ScanHealth. Looks for defects in system elements,
- Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth. Investigates and troubleshoots problems.
Apparently, restoring the integrity of the OS is a completely feasible task, the solution of which allows you to get rid of various problems with the system. In rare cases when the described tools do not help, you should use other publicly available algorithms. In particular, you should try to roll back the system to the previous Windows 10 restore point.
Some users are faced with the fact that SFC detects defects in system elements immediately after updating with a new OS build. Under these conditions, error correction is possible only with a new “clean” installation of the system image. Sometimes damage is detected in certain versions of video card software. In this case, the file opencl.dll is erroneous. It may not be worth taking any action at all in these circumstances.
Conclusion
The described methods for studying the integrity of the OS are simple and effective. The stages of their implementation are understandable to most of the user audience, including those who do not have special programming skills. However, to reinforce the material, videos that are publicly available on the Internet will be useful.
Having problems with Windows 10 and can't fix them? Are your system files damaged and the traditional sfc /scannow command is not working? See how to use the DISM feature to fix corrupted system files or restore them from the original system image without reinstalling Windows 10.
As a rule, in case of problems with system files, use the SFC utility, which scans the hard drive for errors and fixes them. But still, this first aid remedy does not always bring the desired results. Another DISM utility is available in the system, which we briefly mentioned in previous articles, which can fix problems with damaged files in Windows 10. This time we will look at the full range of DISM functions, describe various use cases and show how to use it to restore damaged system files from the original system image (component storage).
This feature is designed to patch and prepare WIndows images such as OS boot disk, system recovery tools, etc. These images can be used to reinstall or restore the system in case of problems. When using the SFC utility to scan and repair a disk, problems with damaged files can only be resolved using the appropriate image from the component store on the hard drive. When this image is damaged, the system cannot retrieve system files from the component store and therefore cannot restore them using the SFC function. It is in this case that the DISM utility will help us, which will solve the problem with recovery images and allow the SFC function to complete its work correctly.
How to use DISM utility?
Restoring system files using the utility is not difficult. With this application you can restore components using the same principle as using SFC via the command line. To open the command line, press the Windows + X key combination and select “command prompt (administrator)” from the menu that appears. Then in the console you need to enter the DISM command with the appropriate parameters.
We can add additional parameters to the DISM command, with which you can check, scan and restore images in various ways. Let's look at the most important combinations.
DISM with CheckHealth parameter
In the command line console, enter the following command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Using this option, you can quickly check the image and individual components of the system installation that are stored on the disk for damage. This command does not make any changes - it is completely safe. CheckHealth provides information about the status of the operating system package. This is a very useful option when we want to check in a safe way whether any system file corruption has occurred in the component store.
DISM with ScanHealth option
This option works similar to CheckHealth, but takes a little longer due to a more thorough scan, but also does not fix anything. It is worth using when the previous /CheckHealth option indicated that everything is fine, but we want to make sure that this is definitely the case. Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
The scan may take much longer than with the previous option (approximately 10 minutes). If the scan stops at 20% or 40%, you will need to wait - it may seem like your computer is frozen - but it is actually scanning.
DISM with RestoreHealth option
If the first and second commands unloaded a message that the images were damaged, it is time to restore them. For this purpose, we use the /RestoreHealth parameter. Enter the following command in the command prompt console:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The option uses Windows Update to repair damaged files in the Component Store. The scanning and automatic recovery procedure may take approximately 20 minutes (sometimes more). DISM detects a failure, creates a list of damaged files, and then downloads them from Microsoft servers using Windows Update.
How to restore files from a specified source using the RestoreHealth option
Sometimes it happens that damage to the operating system is much wider and affects the Windows Update service. In this case, the RestoreHealth parameter will not be able to repair damage to the image because the system cannot connect to Microsoft servers. In this situation, you should perform another operation - specify the path to the Windows installer, from which “working” files will be downloaded without using the Internet and the update center.
To do this, you need the Windows 10 installer on a DVD, flash drive, or ISO image format. The latter can be downloaded via the Media Creation Tool app for Windows 10.
Download the version for Windows 10 (32 or 64 bit), run the application and follow the wizard to download the ISO to your computer. After the image is downloaded and saved, go to the Explorer window and double-click on the ISO file with the installer to mount it. In the This PC window, check which letter was assigned to the mounted image (for example, the letter "E").
If you have a bootable DVD or USB drive with Windows 10 installed, then you don’t need to download anything - just insert the disk or connect an external drive, and see what letter was assigned to this drive in the “This PC” section.
After the drive with the Windows installation is detected by the system and we know the letter, it is time to use the appropriate DISM parameter, which will indicate the path to this media. To do this, enter the following command:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:\Sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
Please note again that if in our case, the DVD, flash drive or ISO image is assigned a letter other than “E”, then change it in the above command. After pressing Enter, the damaged component store files will be restored from the original Windows Installer to the specified path.
Fixing errors in Windows
Once you have completed all the above steps, you now need to use the SFC utility again to fix errors in the system from the restored Windows images. Type in the command prompt window:
sfc /scannow
Sometimes it may be necessary to scan the system three times to completely eliminate all errors. SFC now has access to restored images in the component store and can completely restore damaged system files.
Have you started receiving system error messages while using Windows 10? Windows 10 is running too slow? Are you receiving a files are corrupted or a file is missing error message after booting Windows 10? In this short guide, you will see how you can restore Windows 10 system files. Files can become damaged due to many reasons. Viruses and malicious third-party software often cause damage to operating system files. The files will also be corrupted if you try to change them. So the best way to fix such files is to repair them.
Windows 10 has such a tool so that you can check and, if necessary, repair damaged system files. The best part of this tool is that you don't have to install any third-party software and you don't have to download any ISO file from Windows 10. For this, you can simply use the command line to run this tool which will automatically repair the damaged files.
Running these commands does not make any changes to your personal files, such as documents or photos, that you previously saved on your computer. Additionally, these commands will not make changes to Windows 10 settings.
A file repair tool is not only useful when you receive a file corruption or missing file error, it can also help you resolve the most common Windows 10 issues and errors.
Follow the instructions below to restore Windows 10 system files.
Repairing system files in Windows 10
Important: It is important to follow the commands below. But, don't stop at step 2.
Step 1: To start repairing files, you need to open Command Prompt. To do this, enter the cmd command in the Start/taskbar in the search box, then in the search results you need to right-click on the Command Prompt entry and then click on the Run as administrator button for the option to open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Click Yes when the Conversational Control User account appears.
Step 2: in the command prompt that opens with elevated privileges, you need to enter the following command and press the Enter key.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Windows 10 may take a few minutes to complete the operation. When the system finishes, you will receive a message “Restore operation completed successfully.”
Again, this command may also take a few minutes to complete the operation. If damaged files are found, the command will automatically restore them.
