How to run a system file check (SFC) in Windows 11?

To run an SFC scan in Windows 11, open Command Prompt as admin and type sfc /scannow. If issues aren't fixed, use DISM commands first: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then rerun SFC. For non-booting systems, access WinRE, go to Command Prompt, and run sfc /scannow /offboot=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows with correct drive letters. These steps help repair corrupted system files effectively when Windows encounters errors like crashes or update failures.

Running a System File Checker (SFC) scan in Windows 11 is one of the most straightforward ways to fix corrupted system files. If your system has been acting strangely—like crashing unexpectedly, failing updates, or having weird glitches—an SFC scan might help.

How to Run SFC from Command Prompt

The most common way to run an SFC scan is through Command Prompt:

• Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
• Once it opens, type this command and press Enter:
  sfc /scannow
• The scan will start automatically and check for any damaged or missing system files. This can take several minutes.
• If issues are found, SFC will attempt to repair them automatically.

You’ll see a message at the end telling you whether it found problems and if they were fixed.

Note: You need admin rights to do this. If you’re not logged in with an admin account, you won’t be able to run this properly.

What to Do If SFC Can’t Repair Everything

Sometimes, SFC reports that it found issues but couldn’t fix them. In that case, you can try using DISM (Deployment Imaging and Management Tool) first, which repairs the Windows image that SFC relies on.

Here’s how:

• Open Command Prompt as admin again.
• Run these commands one by one:
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After DISM finishes, run sfc /scannow again. It often works better after cleaning up the image first.

This method is especially useful if you’ve tried SFC before and it didn’t resolve the problem.

Running SFC Without Using Command Prompt

If you're unable to access the desktop or Command Prompt normally—say, because Windows won’t boot—you can still run SFC from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):

• Restart your PC and hold down the Shift key while selecting Restart from the Power menu.
• Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
• Then run sfc /scannow /offboot=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
  (Make sure the drive letters match where your Windows is installed.)

This method lets you scan and repair system files even when Windows doesn’t start normally.

That’s basically all there is to running an SFC scan in Windows 11. It's simple, built-in, and surprisingly effective for many system-related issues. Just remember to also try DISM if SFC doesn’t fully solve the problem.

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