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]

Yep, evidently there's left over files that whatever you used left behind.

Unless you know exactly what files it added and where, about all you can do is do a system restore using a restore point dated before you installed gpedit.msc.

Otherwise, it's not going to hurt anything to leave them as is if you wanted though.

 

[theneves]

I have a restore point, but it is only limited, what I mean is the restore point I created before installing gpecit.msc is no longer available because every after three weeks I make restore points, and also while uninstalling program using revo, it creates a restore point.

What d you mean by it doesn't hurt? Is it okay that it is still here in my unit?

Thank you for your willingness to hep.

 

[Brink]

Since those files are the only thing found wrong by SFC, and you are not having any other issues, then it wouldn't hurt to not worry about trying to find and remove all the files that were added when you installed gpedit to avoid potentially causing more harm by deleting the wrong file.

These files will not cause any issues other than they just will not work if you try to open gpedit.msc.

 

[theneves]

Thank you very much Brink.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Bental]

Is it odd that I am unable to check the particular file I think is corrupted?
C:\windows\system32\rundll32.exe
Can't open sound devices from the tray after running SFC and fixing integrity. Is a restart required?

Big thanks to Brink though

 

[Brink]

Hello Bental, and welcome to Seven Forums.

To scan that specific file, the command would be this below.

sfc /scanfile=C:\windows\system32\rundll32.exe

Restarting may sort sound devices.

 

[rody]

thank you alot

 

[humanoutlaw]

Hi thanks a lot of the sfc scan detailed post i went thru the steps as im having a lot of problem with my new upgraded PC lot of bluescreen try to check with memtest ran into few more problems and i was not able to restore system to previous date finally i managed to do it and ran sfc scan and im getting this error now.

I will post BSOD in the proper thread if i get it again.

Also attached the .txt file of the sfc details.

I'm not running on a AMD processor, im on intel i5 4670.

"main.cpl" of Microsoft-Windows-main, Version = 6.1.7601.17514, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

 

[Brink]

Hello humanoutlaw,

Your SFC details show that the main.cpl system file in the folder locations below cannot be repaired. It's showing a hash mismatch for both the system file and copy in the component store.

This file is the Mouse Properties control panel item.

• C:\Windows\System32
• C:\Windows\SysWOW64
• C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-main_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_98badf7befde219d
• C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-main_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_3c9c43f83780b067

If you have not already, do all of the listed items in the blue note box under step 4 in OPTION TWO to see if that may allow SFC to be able to repair the file afterwards.

 

[dodoupload]

please help me,, my seven is always getting error 0xc000007b when i want run some app.
i do a sfc /scannow and this is the message
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of th
em.
Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example
C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

The system file repair changes will take effect after the next reboot.

and the CBS.log file already i switched to sfcdetails.txt
help me, thanks before

 

[Brink]

Hello dodoupload, and welcome to Seven Forums.


Wow, you have a lot of corrupted or modified system files there. For now, see if doing what's listed in the blue note box under step 4 in Option Two may help.

 

[jack2014]

Hi Brink,

Is it possible to have a look at my file? Was trying to installed .net framework 3.5 on a Win7 64bit Ultimate, i end up in this forum from my research and after spending many hours trying to figure out why a software that i have on my pc keep's crushing on me!, and then , the software creator said that i need .net 3.5 , now i can't install this !
So if you can can you take a look? is all the CBS file as for some reason my pc has c:\user... not c:\windows...

Thank you,
Regards.

 

[Brink]

Hello Jack, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Your SFC details do not show it found any corrupted system files.

I would recommend to create a new thread in the Software forum area for this issue to see what we can do to help.

 

[jack2014]

@Brink, Thank you for replying!
I did open a new tread here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/software...3-5-windows-7-64bit-ultimate.html#post2778478
Thank you!.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. I hope you will get a solution soon.

 

[cliffordwar]

need help deciphering this

here's the results of my SFC scan could yo uhelp me figure it out? thanks a lot

 

[Brink]

Hello Clifford, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You SFC details show that the mf.dll (Media Foundation DLL) system file cannot be repaired.

You could see if doing what's in the blue note box under step 4 in Option Two may help.

 

[XxChrisxX]

Hello guys! Jimmy here.

A week ago I tried to run sfc /scannow but since then it has shown me that it was unable to fix some corrupted and still is unable to do so, I uploaded the sfcdetails from desktop. I gave up trying to download all required updates from Microsoft as it still showed me the message. Btw I use Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with the latest updates installed.

Thanks a lot, in advance!!!


View attachment sfcdetails.txt

 

[Brink]

Hello Chris, and welcome to Seven Forums.

For now, you might see if doing the items listed in the blue note box under step 4 in Option Two may be able to allow SFC to repair the file afterwards.