Have you ever been through a sudden system crash while working on a really important project, having all the essential files and tabs open? Is your computer showing a blue screen with a sad face and “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” while you are working on your computer?
If you are facing such a problem, there is a possibility that your files have gone corrupted due to some reason, and you will need to repair them. In this article, you will learn about different ways to fix corrupted files windows 10.
Part 1: Repairing Corrupted Files Automatically
Part 2: Repairing Corrupted Files with SFC Command Prompt
- If your Windows can work normally
- If your Windows cannot work normally
- How to Analyze the Result of SFC Scan
Part 3: Repairing Corrupted Files with DISM Command Prompt
Part 4: Repairing Corrupted Files With CHKDSK Command Prompt
Part 5: Repairing Corrupted Files with Windows PowerShell
Part 6: Repairing Corrupted Files with System Restore
Part 7: Repairing Corrupted Files by Resetting PC
Part 8: What Causes Corrupt System Files in Windows 10?
Part 9: How to Prevent File System Corruption?
FAQs
Part 1: Repairing Corrupted Files Automatically
PassFab FixUWin is an ultimate tool explicitly built to repair your Windows PC. You can resolve blue/black screen errors, system crashes, stuck on boot loop, or any other problem you might face in Windows. The tool scans your system, checks for damaged or corrupt files, and automatically repairs them. Let's see how to fix corrupted files windows 10 with PassFab FixUWin.
- Install and launch PassFab FixUWin on any accessible PC.
- Plug in a USB and click Create boot disk now.
- Switch to the faulty PC, plug in the bootable USB, and restart the computer.
- Press the Boot key on startup, set your USB on priority, and exit the boot menu.
- Click Automated repair.
- Click Restart when the system completes the repair successfully.
Let the tool burn boot instructions on your USB.
Bingo! You have succeeded in fixing corrupted files windows 10.
Part 2: Repairing Corrupted Files with SFC Command Prompt
Microsoft was aware of the corrupt file system error in Windows, hence released a built-in System File Checker in Windows 10 and later versions. If you want to know how to find a corrupted file or how to fix a corrupted file, you can follow the methods given below.
If your Windows can work normally
- Open the Start menu and run Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Now input sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Now let SFC complete the scanning and repairing process. It will take a while to complete, so wait patiently and do not interrupt it. After the scanning ends, the corrupt files will have been repaired. However, there is a chance that SFC fails to repair the corrupt files, and you need to try other ways to fix corrupted files Windows 10.
If your Windows cannot work normally
Sometimes, the SFC scan fails to fix corrupted files Windows 10 in normal mode due to the interference of third-party applications and other programs. So, if this is the case with you, you should try running the SFC scan in Safe Mode.
- Restart your computer from the Start menu while holding the Shift key.
- Click on Troubleshoot>Advanced Option>Startup Settings>Restart.
- After restarting, your PC will show you the following list of options. Press the corresponding key to launch Windows in Safe mode.
- Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator via the Start menu.
- Type sfc /scannow and press Enter key.
- Let the scan complete and restart your computer afterward.
Hopefully, this time the SFC scan will fix corrupted files Windows 10 due to the Safe mode that loads only the essential drives and services.
How to Analyze the Result of SFC Scan
After the SFC scan completes, you will see any one of the following possible outcomes:
Windows Resource Protection found the Corrupt Files but was Unable to Fix Some of Them.This message indicates that the SFC scan failed to repair the corrupted files, and you will have to do that manually.
Windows Resource Protection could not Perform the Requested OperationWhen you see this message, it means that some third-party application or service interrupts the SFC, and you will need to perform the scan in Safe Mode.
Windows Resource Protection did not find any Integrity ViolationsIf SFC does not find any corrupt files, it shows this message after scanning. If you still face the same problem even after SFC shows this message, you should look for other possible reasons behind the issue.
Windows Resource Protection Found Corrupt Files and Successfully Repaired ThemCongratulations! Your PC has been successfully repaired by SFC scan, and no corrupt file exists.
Part 3: Repairing Corrupted Files with DISM Command Prompt
If you fail to use the SFC commands for any reason, you should try to check for corrupted files Windows 10 using the DISM tool via Command Prompt. Here is how to run DISM commands.
- Run Command Prompt as an Administrator via searching or the Start menu.
- Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth and press Enter.
Let the DISM tool scan your system image files and look for the problems in them. The tool will automatically repair any discrepancies found. The issue will probably be gone after the DISM command completes, but if your computer cannot work normally, you also can enter into boot menu to perform DISM command as we mention above.
Part 4: Repairing Corrupted Files With CHKDSK Command Prompt
Run the CHKDSK command in Command Prompt as follows to look for the corrupt files in other parts of your hard disk. You can use this tool to check for corrupted files windows 10.
The steps is similar the other two commands above. Open the Command prompt, type chkdsk e: /f /r /x, and hit Enter.
Note: Replace e: with the drive letter you want to repair.
If the CHKDSK command shows any corrupt file, you should run the SFC command to fix it.
Part 5: Repairing Corrupted Files with Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell is a more advanced and not-so-user-friendly tool built to work with advanced Windows features. We recommend you be extra cautious while following this method as you may lose your data or cause system instability if the commands are not followed properly.
Here are the steps to repair corrupted files Windows 10 with PowerShell
- Open the sfcdetails.txt file to identify the files that could not be fixed through the SFC scan.
- Right-click on the Taskbar and choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the pop-up menu.
- Type takedown /f C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name and hit Enter.
- Now, type icacls C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name /Grant Administrators:F and press Enter to gain full administrator privileges.
- Now, replace the corrupt file with the healthy version of it by running the following command:
copy C:\location-of-healthy-file C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name
- If the system asks for confirmation to replace the files, type Yes and hit Enter. Repeat the same steps for all the corrupt files.
- After replacing all the corrupt files, run the SFC /verifyonly command to ensure that the problem is fixed.
After going through the above process, your corrupted files will be replaced with healthy ones. Please note that you will have to copy the healthy version of all the corrupt files from another PC having the same version of Windows 10.
Part 6: Repairing Corrupted Files with System Restore
- Type Create a restore point in the Search box and press Enter.
- Click on System Restore.
- You can restore to the recommended version, but if you want to choose another restore point, select the corresponding option and click Next.
- Choose the desired restore point. Click Next.
- Proceed with the on-screen instruction to complete the system restore.
Once the restoration completes, the damaged files will be reverted to their healthy version.
Part 7: Repairing Corrupted Files by Resetting PC
Resetting Windows 10 is another option to repair corrupted files
- Restart your computer while holding the Shift key.
- Go to Troubleshoot and choose the Reset this PC option.
- Now choose any of the following options according to your preference.
- Keep my files will leave your data intact and will reset the Windows files only.
- Remove everything will, delete all the data, and clean up your hard disk. Choose this option if you backed up your data before performing these steps.
- Insert the Windows Installation Media if asked, and enter the username and password.
- Choose the Windows version you want to use and click Reset.
The reset process will start and leave your computer as new after completion.
Part 8: What Causes Corrupt System Files in Windows 10?
Various factors can cause the corrupt system files in Windows 10, such as
- Malicious software and viruses
- Frequent PC crashes
- Pending or unstable updates
- Power outages
- Incompatible or faulty hardware
Part 9: How to Prevent File System Corruption?
Although no issue can be avoided entirely, and there is always a chance of a problem, here are some measures that you can take to prevent file system corruption in Windows 10.
- Get an Authentic Antivirus to protect your system against hidden viruses and malicious programs.
- Keep your Hard Drive Clean and maintained to keep it safe from any physical damage, and defragment the disk frequently.
- Properly shut down or restart your computer rather than using the shortcuts such as using the power button or directly plugging out the PC (in the case of a desktop).
- Keep your OS and other software up-to-date. If there are any pending updates, always check if your system meets the minimum requirements before installing the updates.
- Do not interrupt any system process when performing different system-related tasks.
- Eject the external devices properly by ejecting them from the system tray icon rather than directly plugging it out from the port.
- Avoid deleting any system file without knowing its purpose.
FAQs
Q1: How to fix corrupted game files on Windows 10?
Many gaming platforms, such as Steam and Xbox, have built-in options to repair or replace corrupted game files. Besides you can also use Windows’ repair and reset option from the App settings to fix the corrupt game files.
Q2: How to find corrupted files in Windows 10?
You can find the corrupted files in Windows 10 by following Part 2 of this article. Another best yet recommended way to find and fix corrupted files in Windows 10 is using the PassFab FixUWin, an outstanding Windows repairing tool defined in Part 1.
Conclusion
In this article, we have defined the best ways to fix corrupted files Windows 10. Out of all the methods, the most straightforward, easy-to-use, and best is by using the PassFab FixUWin, as it does not require you to mess with any system settings and fixes almost any Windows issue within the minimum time and with less effort.