Easily fix broken Windows files now with System File Checker

Does using the SFC /Scannow command never work for you? That was the case for me for a long time. That was until I learned the proper way to use it by combining it with DISM. The System File Checker is a very powerful tool that can fix a ton of problems if you use it right. Today, I'll show you how.

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Commands used in Video
DISM

To check Windows image for issues (Doesn't do repairs)
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

more advanced scan
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Fix problems
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- This might get stuck sometimes. Just wait for it to finish.

use offline image

to disable windows update in the scan add (/LimitAccess)

SFC

to just verify run
sfc /verifyonly

to fix run
SFC /scannow

#Fix #Windows #Tech

[smartinro.]

DISM, the Swiss knife of every technician.

[jimmyhickey]

You have no idea how many times this has saved me on everything from Server 2008R2 to Server 2019 as well as windows 8.1 installs to windows 11 build 20H2 ! Great to see this information shared with the community!

[davemail]

New to Windows; recently discovered sfc and dism commands. Was looking for best practices advice. DAY-UM! The man knows his stuff and connects the dots for mere mortals like me. Going to watch every single video he has. Thank you, Rich.

[Brothamank]

Props for taking the simple step that most articles skip, which is telling me WHAT FILE I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR AND WHERE. It's amazing people leave out simple details like it should just be known by default.

[MrStupiuno]

I'm delighted to see someone finally creating high-quality content on advanced Windows topics!

[GimmilFactory]

I've been using these tools for years when ensuring stability and security after removing any malicious software or code on a system. This is great educational information for the community. Cheers for this!

[tedjohnson]

Very interesting way to get sfc to actually work! Really liked your presentation style as well, very rigorous and well thought out. Also appreciated the large green overlays with the cmd line details.

[am.m.]

Props to you for being so informative and perfectly representing everything with a clear shot of your screen and not moving too fast. Plus the explanation of background/extra info is so much more helpful. The worst is when you try to ask a question/pose an issue on windows forums and there is the same verbatim copied and pasted answer a million times which hardly ever works, or some a**hole who refuses to help b/c you "don't give enough information" as if every user know every spec of their OS and how it functions. Cheers!

[wilhelmsarasalo]

One time at a client's I started with sfc /scannow. It found no problems. Yet, what had been wrong was working after that. So, that one time I had an opposite problem from what you described.
Thanks for putting all that stuff to one place. You were highly informative and I subscribed.

[abracadabra]

WOW!! DISM worked!! this was by far one of the greatest repair videos I have applied to my computer to date. My computer is running so much better. Thank you for all the GREAT information and it saved me $$$ with a not so smart technician.

[yorickdesmet]

This video couldn't be posted at a better time. Thanks!

[bazenga]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. In this day and age where people are so deceitful and shameless and rip people off, it is so nice to be able to troubleshoot and fix things on your own. I love learning new things and how and why they work. Thank you going the extra mile to not only share the RIGHT way to do it but explaining WHY. You've got my sub and I'm already watching more of your videos. Much love and appreciation sir.

[srvuk]

Very useful. I too discovered a few years ago that SFC scannow never found anything and had to delve deeper to use it effectively.

[EricMilward]

Holy crap in the 15 years I've been doing this I swear you're the ONLY person I've seen actually do it right!! I get into so many arguments with people over this. So called "professionals", smh. I'm honestly surprised and relieved to see someone who ACTUALLY knows how to properly run an sfc scan. THANK YOU!!

[ClefairyGodmother]

Great video! I'm a Tech and I loved this. I'm 6 months in and always learning but at the Helpdesk level I've been giving myself a nudge to run the DISM commands properly when I use sfc. I get much better results that way.

[dougsensei]

This was so helpful. I was told by a online forum to run this and had no idea why it wasnt working. thanks for clearing things up!

[BornToPun]

Had no idea you could use an ISO file in conjunction with DISM. Good to know!

[WyattOShea]

Awesome video man. I did most of the fixes just in case there was something wrong. Came back with no errors but still great tool to have in the future when I inevitably mess something up and need to fix it without reinstalling windows from scratch haha.

[Enjoymentboy]

Just wanted to give you a HUGE thanks for this video. I have an older (2009) HP laptop that has tools and utilities I can't get any longer so I cannot afford to format and reinstall. It became essentially unusable as even at idle it would be running 99% CPU and 8Gb RAM at 60°C+ temps even though it was literlaly doing nothing. SFC never helped at all. No amount of looking into this gave me the answers, although I suspect I wasn't searching using correct terminology to narrow it down. I was just about to give up and accept defeat when I found this. Ran through it all last night and I am happy to report I am currently typing this out on that very laptop with 5 tabs open AND a video being recoded in the background. Literally a world of difference and a whole new machine.

THANK

[PCBEaR]

Rich, I am subbed. You may have helped me fix my wife's old laptop - which is looping in the Window recovery. I've been doing application support so long, my PC Tech skillz have withered a bit with all the tech evolutions. These videos are getting me back in my original game. I am filling my new 64GB KT USB and expect it to help with most family support I have to do.