Run System File Checker in Windows 11, 10, 7, and Vista
To use the System File Checker in modern versions of Windows, follow these steps:
Close any open programs on the desktop. Select Start. In the Search box, enter Command Prompt. Select Run as administer. Enter an administrator password if requested to do so, or select Allow. At the Command Prompt, enter SFC /SCANNOW. Press Enter to begin the scan of all protected system files. Do not close the Command Prompt window until the scan is 100% complete.
Run System File Checker in Windows 8.1 and 8
To use the System File Check program in Windows 8.1 or Windows 8, follow these steps:
Close any open programs on the desktop. Point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and select Search, or swipe from the right edge of the screen, and select Search. In the Search box, enter Command Prompt. Right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Enter an administrator password, if requested to do so, or select Allow. At the Command Prompt, enter SFC /SCANNOW. Press Enter to begin the scan of all protected system files. Do not close the Command Prompt window until the scan is 100% complete.
Allow System File Checker to Work
It may take 30 minutes to a couple of hours for the System File Checker to scan and fix the Windows system files. It works fastest if you don’t use the computer during this process. If you continue to use the PC, performance will be slow.
When the scan is complete, you will likely receive one of the following messages:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations. The computer isn’t missing any files or doesn’t have any corrupted system files. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation. Restart the computer in safe mode and confirm that the Pending Renames and Pending Deletes folders are under %WinDir%\WinSxS\Temp. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Corrupted files must be repaired manually.
Why Run System File Checker
All activities, including applications such as word processors, email clients, and internet browsers, are controlled by system program files. Over time, the files can be changed or corrupted by new software installations, viruses, or problems with the hard drive.
The more corrupt the system files are, the more unstable and problematic the Windows operating system will become. Windows may crash or behave differently than you expect. That is why scanning and fixing Windows system files is important.
