Commands · Command

CommandWindows

sfc

sfc /scannow

System File Checker — scans all protected Windows system files and repairs any that are corrupted or missing, restoring them from a cached copy.

// FLAGS

/scannowscan and repair immediately
/verifyonlyscan without repairing
/scanfilecheck a single file

// EXAMPLE

sfc /scannow (run from an elevated Command Prompt) — scans the whole system, reporting "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations" if everything's clean.

// GOTCHA

sfc must run as Administrator, and if it can't fix something, the usual next step is DISM (/RestoreHealth) first, then sfc again — sfc alone can't repair a damaged component store.

// RELATED COMMANDS