How to Check for Corrupted Files in Windows 11 (2025 Guide) | SFC, DISM & More

Key Takeaways

Windows 11 has built-in tools like SFC and DISM that help detect and fix corrupted files caused by issues like interrupted updates, power outages, or malware, which can affect your computer's performance.
To fix corrupted files, use the Command Prompt as an and run “sfc /scannow” to scan and repair system files; if this doesn’t fully resolve the issue, use the DISM “RestoreHealth” command for a deeper repair by ing fresh files from Windows Update.
For more thorough checks, perform a disk scan with CHKDSK to find hard drive errors, use Windows Security to check for malware, and use Event Viewer to identify recurring file errors after certain events.

If your Windows 11 computer is behaving strangely, crashing, lagging, showing driver errors, or apps aren’t opening as expected, there’s a good chance corrupted system files are to blame. These corrupt files can happen after Windows updates, power outages, faulty drivers, malware infections, or even improper shutdowns.

Thankfully, Windows 11 comes with powerful built-in tools that let you detect and repair corrupted files without needing any third-party software. This guide explains in simple how to use SFC, DISM, and other built-in tools to scan and fix corrupted files.

Let’s walk through all the working methods for 2025, including the sfc scannow, dism restore health command, and other essential dism commands.

How to Check for Corrupted Files in Windows 11 (2025 Guide) | SFC, DISM & More

Contents show

What Causes File Corruption in Windows 11? 603n3f

Before fixing the issue, let’s understand why it happens:

Interrupted Windows Updates
Sudden Power Loss or Improper Shutdown
Malware or Virus Attacks
Bad Sectors on Hard Drive
Faulty Drivers or Incomplete Software Installation

These issues can silently damage core system files, leading to errors like “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation”, blue screen crashes, or programs freezing unexpectedly.

Use SFC Scannow on Windows 11 4l154

What is SFC? 3s1621

SFC (System File Checker) is a built-in Windows utility that scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect or corrupted versions with the correct ones from the Windows cache.

How to Use sfc /scannow on Windows 11 3qf22

Follow these steps carefully:

Click Start and type cmd in the search bar.
Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as .

In the black window, type the command:

sfc /scannow

Press Enter and wait. This may take 10–20 minutes, depending on system size.

What Happens Next? 604f73

Once the scan completes, you’ll see one of these messages:

“Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.”
Good news—no corruption found.
“Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.”
Issues were found and fixed.
⚠️ “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.”
This means you’ll need to use DISM next.

Use DISM to Repair the Windows System Image 5wlt

If SFC cannot fix the corruption, the system image itself might be damaged. That’s where DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool) comes in.

What is DISM? 1b1o6e

DISM checks and repairs the Windows image files, which are used by SFC to restore broken system components.

DISM Restore Health Command (2025) 1j4q1

Open Command Prompt as again, and run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

What This Does: 1h1q6e

Checks your system for inconsistencies in the Windows image.
s fresh system files from Windows Update if needed.
Replaces corrupted system files that SFC failed to repair.

How Long It Takes: 60456y

Usually 15–30 minutes, but slower connections may take longer.
Make sure your PC is connected to the internet.

After this, reboot your PC, then run sfc /scannow again to finalize the repair process.

Other DISM Commands You Can Use 6b416d

These commands are useful if you want to check your system health without fixing anything yet:

Check for Problems (Quick): 643z66

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

This is a fast check to see if there’s any corruption, but it doesn’t repair anything.

Scan Health (Deep Scan): 3l2w1a

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Performs a deep scan of your Windows image for corruption and logs the results.

Restore Health (Repair): f2g27

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This is the most useful command. It actually fixes what’s broken by ing fresh files from Windows Update.

Review SFC Logs (For Advanced s) 4r4m61

If you’re curious about what exactly was corrupted:

Press Windows + R, type C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log, and press Enter.
Open the CBS.log file in Notepad.
Search for corrupt, repair, or cannot repair to find details.

Run Check Disk (CHKDSK) 5o91o

Sometimes file corruption isn’t caused by system files alone—it’s due to bad sectors or drive errors on your hard disk or SSD. CHKDSK can help find and fix them.

How to Run CHKDSK 513k38

Open Command Prompt as .

chkdsk C: /f /r

C: is your system drive (change if needed).
/f fixes errors.
/r finds bad sectors and recovers readable data.

Press Enter:

If prompted to schedule on next reboot, type Y and hit Enter.
Restart your PC. CHKDSK will run during boot.

Why it’s Useful:

Fixes file system-level issues that SFC and DISM can’t detect, especially when hardware issues cause corruption.

Use Windows Security to Rule Out Malware 6a661k

Some file corruption is caused by malware rather than random glitches.

How to Do It:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security.
Click Virus & Threat Protection.
Run a Full Scan or Microsoft Defender Offline Scan.

This helps identify rootkits or deep malware infections that could be corrupting files.

Use Event Viewer to Trace File Errors 491gv

If you suspect recurring corruption, Event Viewer helps trace the root cause.

Press Windows + X and select Event Viewer.
Navigate to: Windows Logs > System
Look for warnings/errors tagged with “Disk,” “NTFS,” “Kernel,” or “File System.”

This lets you see when and how corruption events occurred, especially after software installs, updates, or power loss.

What to Do If SFC and DISM Still Don’t Work 576a3u

If both tools fail to fix the issue, try these next steps:

1. System Restore 4t3040

Roll back your system to a previous point when everything was working:
Open Start > Create a Restore Point > System Restore
Follow the steps and choose a restore point before the issue started.

2. Reset Your PC (Keep Your Files) 6t2b1k

Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC
Choose Keep my files to reinstall Windows without losing documents.

3. Use Bootable USB (Offline Repair) 6s2x32

Create a Windows 11 bootable USB using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool.
Boot from the USB.
Open Command Prompt from recovery mode and run sfc /scannow or DISM commands offline.

FAQs 226i4x

Q1. What does sfc /scannow do? 331c5h

It scans all protected system files and replaces corrupt files with fresh ones from a cache.

Q2. Can I stop SFC or DISM once they start? 421s2t

No. You must let them finish. Stopping them midway can leave your system unstable.

Q3. Do I need internet for DISM? 4k531k

Yes, for the RestoreHealth command to fresh files from Microsoft servers.

Q4. Will these tools work in Windows 10? 2gq5v

Absolutely. Both sfc scannow windows 10 and dism restore health command work the same way in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Q5. Can DISM fix problems that SFC can’t? i264i

Yes. DISM repairs the actual system image. SFC depends on that image to work properly.

Final Thoughts 4c3e3z

Learning how to check for corrupted files in Windows 11 is essential if your PC is acting up. The sfc /scannow and dism restore health commands are your first line of defense against unexplained crashes, failed updates, or broken apps.

If you use these tools regularly especially after updates or major software installs—you can prevent small issues from turning into serious ones.

Don’t wait for errors to pile up. Run SFC and DISM today and keep your system healthy.

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