Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesTo run System File Checker in Safe Mode, start Windows 10 or 11 in Safe Mode, open an administrator Command Prompt, and run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth followed by sfc /scannow. DISM repairs the component store that SFC uses as a source for replacement files. Leave the prompt open until verification reaches 100%.
Start Windows in Safe Mode
Microsoft recommends Safe Mode if SFC reports that it “could not perform the requested operation.” Safe Mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. To reach it on Windows 10 or 11:
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- Open the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). If you can sign in, open Settings > System > Recovery and select Restart now beside Advanced startup. You can also hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart from the sign-in screen or Start menu.
- In Windows RE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- When Startup Settings appears, choose Enable Safe Mode for the usual desktop, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt to start directly at a command prompt.
If the device is encrypted, Windows may ask for its BitLocker recovery key to complete this task. You will need the key to proceed if prompted.
Run DISM and SFC in Safe Mode
From the Safe Mode desktop
- Search for Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt or enter administrator credentials. The account must be a member of the Administrators group.
- At the prompt, enter
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealthand press Enter. Wait for DISM to finish successfully. - Enter
sfc /scannowand press Enter. Do not close Command Prompt until verification reaches 100%.
From Safe Mode with Command Prompt
If Windows opened directly at Command Prompt, enter the DISM command first, wait for it to complete, then run sfc /scannow. If the prompt is not elevated, use an administrator account or return to the regular Safe Mode desktop and open Command Prompt with Run as administrator.
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Microsoft says SFC scans protected system files and replaces corrupted files with cached copies when it can. Its repair source is why Microsoft recommends running DISM before SFC.
Understand the SFC result
- “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.” SFC found no missing or corrupted protected system files.
- “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” SFC repaired the files it found.
- “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.” Microsoft recommends running SFC in Safe Mode. If you are already in Safe Mode and still see this message, check that
%WinDir%WinSxSTempcontains thePendingDeletesandPendingRenamesfolders. - “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.” Review the SFC details in CBS.log to identify what remains unrepaired.
Review CBS.log if SFC could not repair everything
To extract SFC-related entries from the CBS log into a text file on the desktop, run this command in an elevated Command Prompt:
findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >"%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt"
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The extracted file may include entries from earlier SFC runs. Check the dates and times to identify the entries for the latest scan. Microsoft documents manual replacement of an individual corrupted file as an advanced troubleshooting step; follow its instructions rather than replacing system files as a routine fix. See Microsoft’s SFC repair guidance.
Safe Mode repair versus offline SFC
The steps above run SFC against the Windows installation that is currently booted, even though it is running in Safe Mode. That is different from scanning an offline Windows installation from a recovery environment.
| Execution context | Target | Command approach |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Mode | The Windows installation currently running | sfc /scannow |
| Offline repair | A Windows installation that is not currently running | Use the /offbootdir and /offwindir options |
Microsoft’s offline example scans a Windows directory at D:Windows with boot directory D:. Drive letters can differ in the recovery environment, so confirm the target Windows and boot directories before using offline options. Do not substitute them for sfc /scannow when Windows is already booted in Safe Mode. See Microsoft’s SFC command reference.
Quick Recap
Official instructions
- Microsoft Support: Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files
- Microsoft Support: Windows startup settings
- Microsoft Learn: sfc command (command syntax and offline switches; last updated November 1, 2024)
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