SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker

How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker​

   Information

The sfc /scannow command (System File Checker) scans the integrity of all protected Windows 7 system files and replaces incorrect corrupted, changed/modified, or damaged versions with the correct versions if possible.

   Tip

If you get the Windows Resource Protection Could Not Start the Repair Service error when trying to run SFC, then make sure that the Windows Modules Installer service is enabled, click on Start, and set to Manual.

Services - Start or Disable

OR

Copy and paste the command below in the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. After the Windows Modules Installer service has started, try running the SFC command again

net start trustedinstaller

   Note

The KB3022345, KB3035583, and KB3068708 updates will cause SFC to give you a false mismatch message in SFC for files related to these updates.

You can safely ignore these results in your SFC details since it will not affect SFC from being able to repair other system files.

   Warning

Be aware that if you have modified your system files as in theming explorer/system files, running sfc /scannow will revert the system files such as explorer.exe back to it's default state. Make the appropriate backups of your system files that you have modified for theming if you wish to save them before running sfc /scannow.

:note: For the updated Windows 10 tutorial, please see - SFC Command - Run in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Tutorials

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Run the SFC /SCANNOW Command at Boot
• Option Two: To Run the SFC /SCANNOW Command in Windows 7
• Option Three: How to See and Read Only the "SFC" Scan Results from the CBS.LOG

OPTION ONE

To Run the SFC /SCANNOW Command at Boot

1. For how, see METHOD TWO at this link: SFC /SCANNOW : Run in Command Prompt at Boot

   Note

Using OPTION TWO below is recommended if able.

If you would like to get help with your SFC issue, then be sure to upload and attach your sfcdetails.txt file from OPTION THREE below in your post.

OPTION TWO

To Run the SFC /SCANNOW Command in Windows 7

1. Open an elevated command prompt or an elevated PowerShell, and do step 2 or 3 below for what type of scan you would like to run.


2. To Scan and Repair System Files
NOTE: Scans the integrity of all protected system files and repairs the system files if needed. Please see red WARNING box at the top of this tutorial.
A) In the elevated command prompt, type sfc /scannow, press Enter, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This may take a little bit to finish.


3. To Only Verify if the System Files are Corrupted
NOTE: Scans and only verifies the integrity of all proteced system files only. This command will not change your system files as in the red WARNING box at the top of this tutorial.
A) In the elevated command prompt, type sfc /verifyonly, press Enter, and go to step 4 below.
4. When the scan is complete, hopefully you will see all is ok like the screenshot below.

   Note

• If SFC could not fix something, then run the command again to see if it may be able to the next time. Sometimes it may take running the sfc /scannow command 3 or more times to completely fix everything that it's able to.
• If not, then download and run the 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) System Update Readiness Tool for your same installed 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7, restart the PC afterwards, and try the sfc /scannow command again.
• If still not, then try using OPTION ONE above to run the sfc /scannow command at boot.
• If still not, then you can attempt to run a System Restore using a restore point dated before the bad file occured to fix it. You may need to repeat doing a System Restore until you find a older restore point that may work.
• If still not, then you can use the steps in the TIP box in the OPTION THREE section below to manually replace the files that SFC could not fix if there are not to many fix.
• If there are to many files to manually fix, or you prefer not to use OPTION THREE below, then you could do a repair install without losing anything.

If you would like to get help with your SFC issue, then be sure to upload and attach your sfcdetails.txt file from OPTION THREE below in your post.

5. When done, close the elevated command prompt.

OPTION THREE

How to See and Read Only the "SFC" Scan Results from the CBS.LOG

   Note

When SFC runs, it logs it's actions into the C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. The steps in this option will show you how to see only the specific SFC entries with the [SR] tags in this CBS.log. This can be helpful to show you what files SFC could not fix automatically if you wanted to try and manually replace them.

1. Open an "elevated command prompt" (right click -> Run as administrator).

2. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will place a sfcdetails.txt file on your desktop with only the SFC scan result details from the CBS.LOG in it.

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

3. Close the elevated command prompt.

4. Open the sfcdetails.txt file on your desktop to see the SFC scan details in the CBS.LOG.

5. You can safely delete the sfcdetails.txt file afterwards if you like.

   Tip

If you need to replace a corrupted system file that SFC cannot fix, then this will show you how to by extracting a new copy directly from your Windows 7 installation DVD.

Extract Files from Windows 7 Installation DVD

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Run the System File Checker in a Command Prompt at Boot
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
• How to Run Disk Check in Windows 7
• How to See Windows 7 Reliability and Problem History with Reliability Monitor
• How to Extract Files from the Windows 7 Installation DVD
• How to Troubleshoot a Problem by Performing a Clean Startup in Windows 7 or Vista

 

[Brink]

I would say that either PC Tune Up tool or the Chinese tool "Baidu PC Faster" caused the issue.

Hopefully you'll be able to use a restore point at boot dated before this issue started to undo and fix it.

 

[klingcam]

Not "administrator"?

I try to use the sfc /scannow command and it tells me that I must be an administrator running a console session. This is my home PC and I am the administrator. ?? Any help?

 

[Brink]

Hello klingcam,

It sounds like you didn't open an elevated command prompt to run the command in.

(click on link for details)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

 

[giovy]

Hello!
Didn't have time to perform a Restore Point at boot today, but need to make a huge backup of my HD first otherwise I risk to lose many software and drivers I had installed in my machine recently.
Yes, BAIDU PC FASTER may be the culprit of the Windows Update glitch, but how about the RESTORE POINT issue? Why it doesn't work even in safe mode?
Today windows updates seems to work again, despite being BAIDU PC FASTER still installed in my system.
In fact I was able to install one update out of two....the other one failed to be installed, but weird thing is that this time I got a different error code message (80073712): any idea how to solve this issue? Maybe by simply uninstalling BAIDU PC FASTER? It's a pity bcs it's a very good sw in my view and its SMART UPDATE function seems to be very good indeed, maybe even better than Windows Update itself. Just wonder why such a glitch occured to me only!!

 

[Brink]

For now, about all you can do is to uninstall BAIDU PC FASTER as a test to see how it performs without it installed to rule it out as a cause or not.

 

[Chuckman4112]

Hello all, great thread, but I have a few questions to ask before I proceed any further.

I have ran SFC with [SR] and created my SFC details.txt file. (Attached) As noted, there appears to be some duplicates, but since they were not perfect matches I did not exclude them from the attached file. I did however group them for easier viewing.

In my TXT file, I am seeing issues with...

d2d1.dll.mui
MshtmlDac.dll
XpsPrint.dll
System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.dll
System.ServiceModel.Web.dll
ielowutil.exe
pdm.dll
ieunatt.exe.mui

Following a link in this thread I opted to replace the files using the 7-Zip method. Of the files listed above, I was only able to find (on my install disc) d2d1.dll, xpsprint.dll and ieunatt.exe. I could not find any of the others listed in Option Folder #3 (Windows Professional).

My questions are:

1.) 2 of the 3 I did find d2d1.dll and ieunatt.exe do not have the additional .MUI at the end. Are these the same thing? I did a search on my computer to find the original d2d1 file and found no such file. When I searched for the ieunatt.exe, I found both .exe and .exe.mui files...lots of them.

2.) Any idea why I could not find the other files, or where I can find them?

3.) any recommendations based on the attached TXT file?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[Brink]

Hello Chuck,

Are you having any issues that led you to run a SFC scan?

For now, you might download and run the 64-bit (x64) System Update Readiness Tool, restart the PC afterwards, and see if the sfc /scannow command may be able to repair the files now.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[Chuckman4112]

Thanks for the quick reply Brink. About 2 weeks ago, I had a pretty severe BSOD. It really jacked up alot of things. Since then, I have manage to correct most of the issues and system is pretty stable right now.

In the process of fixing, I became aware of errors in system events. So for the last few days I have been trying to research and fix the errors and warnings that I am getting. One of the errors led me to a thread that talked SFC and what it can do. So I ran it and now I am here trying to fix what what showed up in the txt file.

As for the readiness tool, there was a thread I was reading that pointed to that tool, but at that link is says...

If the error you see is in the following list, try the solution in this article.

0x80070002 | 0x8007000D | 0x800F081F | 0x80073712 | 0x800736CC | 0x800705B9 | 0x80070246 | 0x8007370D | 0x8007370B | 0x8007370A | 0x80070057 | 0x800B0100 | 0x80092003 | 0x800B0101 | 0x8007371B | 0x80070490

I did not see this error anywhere in the report, so I closed the window without running it. Did I miss the code somewhere, or is this a tool I can run regardless of the errors listed?

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Yeah, the System Update Readiness Tool can also be used for this as well. It can help to repair the component store that SFC uses to repair system files from. It'll be worth a try.

 

[Chuckman4112]

Okay, thanks...downloading it now. I'll let you know.

 

[Chuckman4112]

Okay, ran the program, rebooted, ran SFC \scannow 4 times then reviewed report. All the same errors are there with the addition of 3 new ones...

Cannot verify component files for Microsoft-Windows-DirectWrite.Resources, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture = [l:10{5}]"cs-CZ", VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral, manifest is damaged (TRUE)

Cannot verify component files for Win7-Microsoft-Windows-DownlevelApisets-Base-WinIP-Deployment-LanguagePack, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture = [l:10{5}]"es-ES", VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral, manifest is damaged (TRUE)

Cannot verify component files for Win7-Microsoft-Windows-DownlevelApisets-Windows-WinIP-Deployment-LanguagePack, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture = [l:10{5}]"et-EE", VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral, manifest is damaged (TRUE)

Any guidance on what next?

Thank again

 

[Brink]

If you're not having any issues, then I would worry about it. Otherwise, you may need to do a repair install or clean install.

 

[Chuckman4112]

Thanks Brink. The only issue I have remaining is an occasional freeze, which requires I do a hard restart. I might just have to do the repair install, although it seems with my luck I would be just opening a whole new can of worms...LOL

We'll see how much the freezing annoys me and go from there. Thanks again.

 

[Brink]

Hopefully you won't need to.

 

[theneves]

Good afternoon Brink. I tried to sfc /scannow my pc. And the result is on the .zip file attached. Please help me what to do, I do not know how. Thank you.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ryan,

If you have not already, see if the items listed in the blue note box under step 4 in OPTION TWO may be able to help.

 

[theneves]

Hello Ryan,

If you have not already, see if the items listed in the blue note box under step 4 in OPTION TWO may be able to help.

I try tonight, and will post the result. Thank you Brink.

 

[theneves]

Still having the same result: "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them." I tried options 1 and 2 in number 4 notes. In addition, I cannot perform the other options because I do not have the installation cd of this unit. The result is attached herewith in a .zip file.

 

[Brink]

It looks like you tried to add Group Policy to your Home Premium edition which is not supported. That's why these files are found to be corrupted, and cannot be repaired.

 

[theneves]

It looks like you tried to add Group Policy to your Home Premium edition which is not supported. That's why these files are found to be corrupted, and cannot be repaired.

You're right, I installed gpedit.msc in my unit. But I uninstalled it last year. Does it leave any traces? Last night, when doing something, I tried to run gpedit.msc, and alas! It is still there though I uninstalled it.

What should I do?