# sfc /scan



## XXLMandalorian (Jun 8, 2020)

I'm new to sfc /scan. Had been reading up and read, 

"If sfc /scan cant fix the errors to try Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them message, try restarting your PC in Safe Mode and running the command again."

Any reason to just run it in safe mode the first time to skip a step? Also I'd imagine if you did start it in safe mode that you should have "with networking" right?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

thanks,


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## britechguy (Dec 6, 2019)

I believe you mean *SFC /SCANNOW*.

And I don't attempt to fix issues in SFC via SFC anymore with the advent of DISM.

Using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management) to Repair Windows 8 & 10


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## XXLMandalorian (Jun 8, 2020)

britechguy said:


> I believe you mean *SFC /SCANNOW*.
> 
> And I don't attempt to fix issues in SFC via SFC anymore with the advent of DISM.


Yes your right sfc /scannow. I will read more into DISM then, thanks


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

The link in post #2 is not working. 
Open an Elevated Command Prompt as previously done. 
Copy and Paste or type 
*DISM /Online /CLEANUP-IMAGE /RestoreHealth* and press Enter
When that is complete, type 
*SFC /scannow* and press Enter again


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## britechguy (Dec 6, 2019)

It is not uncommon for Google drive to have occasional "burps."

I can assure you that the link I gave, which is to my own Google Drive and to a document that's public, does still work. I just tried it, and in a browser where I am not logged in with a Google account, let alone the one under which this document resides, and I am instantly getting a "Save" dialog, which is what I generally expect anyone else should get.


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## oscer1 (Jan 27, 2010)

britechguy said:


> It is not uncommon for Google drive to have occasional "burps."
> 
> I can assure you that the link I gave, which is to my own Google Drive and to a document that's public, does still work. I just tried it, and in a browser where I am not logged in with a Google account, let alone the one under which this document resides, and I am instantly getting a "Save" dialog, which is what I generally expect anyone else should get.


 link works fine for me


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Ditto. Use XML Converter.


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## iamsapphire (Dec 9, 2011)

The link works, but my Anti-Virus blocks it, as it should, as it is a DOCX (Windows Microsoft Word Document).. Using my tablet, I downloaded the file, turned it into a PDF and posted it here;
britechguy, storing it as a PDF might be the best way, so it won't scare my computer's anti-virus... lol

-sapphire


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## britechguy (Dec 6, 2019)

Sorry, but any antivirus that blocks MS-Word documents, rather than scans them for known threats and lets them through if they don't have them, is not one I intend to cater to.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, well for what it's worth this piece of advice has been around for a long time:-

Windows comes with two native binaries, DISM and SFC, for repairing Windows via the OS system file backups, kept in %WinDir%\WinSxS. 

DISM should always be run prior to SFC due to the latter being dependent on the data the former is verifying. 

The cmds are:-

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth (requires an internet connection) 

Next run sfc /scannow

Should you have continuing problems with running sfc then run this cmd:-

dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup 

Then run sfc again.


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## XXLMandalorian (Jun 8, 2020)

jenae said:


> Hi, well for what it's worth this piece of advice has been around for a long time:-
> 
> Windows comes with two native binaries, DISM and SFC, for repairing Windows via the OS system file backups, kept in %WinDir%\WinSxS.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your response, I'm not having any problems myself but a co-worker's PC was just off so I ran the scans fixed his problem. I had read that you can run these scans in safe mode. Would you run DSIM and sfc in safe mode if it could not fix the errors for any reason could you just run it in safe mode the first time rather then normally to skip a step?


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## xrobwx71 (Oct 24, 2019)

iamsapphire said:


> The link works, but my Anti-Virus blocks it, as it should, as it is a DOCX (Windows Microsoft Word Document).. Using my tablet, I downloaded the file, turned it into a PDF and posted it here;
> britechguy, storing it as a PDF might be the best way, so it won't scare my computer's anti-virus... lol
> 
> -sapphire


A .pdf can be infected and propagated as easily as a .docx.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

As stated, the DISM command must be run with an internet connection. So, you cannot run it in _Safe Mode_, unless you run it in *Safe Mode with Networking*.


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## xyxo (Mar 3, 2012)

Works for me. I immediately get an offer from the browser to save a .docx file, which I presume are your instructions.
EDIT: Sorry, posted twice.


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## xyxo (Mar 3, 2012)

britechguy said:


> It is not uncommon for Google drive to have occasional "burps."
> 
> I can assure you that the link I gave, which is to my own Google Drive and to a document that's public, does still work. I just tried it, and in a browser where I am not logged in with a Google account, let alone the one under which this document resides, and I am instantly getting a "Save" dialog, which is what I generally expect anyone else should get.



Works fine for me. I have no anti-virus problems with the .docx file as some have mentioned either. Just downloads, I open it with LibreOffice and there it is in all its glory.


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## Gary R (Jul 23, 2008)

spunk.funk said:


> As stated, the DISM command must be run with an internet connection. So, you cannot run it in _Safe Mode_, unless you run it in *Safe Mode with Networking*.


Just remember that when you connect to the internet when booted into *Safe Mode with Networking* your AV and other protections will not be active, or will be working much less effectively.

Because of this, I personally do not recommend people to use this boot method unless absolutely essential.


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## britechguy (Dec 6, 2019)

Gary R said:


> Just remember that when you connect to the internet when booted into *Safe Mode with Networking* your AV and other protections will not be active, or will be working much less effectively.
> 
> Because of this, I personally do not recommend people to use this boot method unless absolutely essential.


Interesting, as I'm must the opposite. I virtually always end up needing something related to networking even in Safe Mode.

Since there is almost nothing (not absolutely nothing, but it's the very rare infection) that "sneaks on" to a machine by stealth, I've never had an issue.

Of course I don't web browse, for instance, in Safe Mode. And even if I did, I've developed safe browsing habits over the years and wouldn't do anything that typically "invites an infection in."

I can't honestly recall, even as a tech, the last time I've seen an infection of any sort, including a couple of instances of ransomware (which can be one of those things that does "sneak on"), where it was not direct action by the user, e.g., clicking on a suspicious dialog, link, or downloading something, that wasn't the root cause.

Whenever you're (any you) are using Safe Mode, no matter what options you may have invoked it with, you should be very careful about just what you're doing.


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## Gary R (Jul 23, 2008)

If you go online unprotected, you do not need to do anything to get infected, being unprotected is enough.

Infections come in many forms, and one of the more popular forms is a Worm, which is a self-propagating infection that is internet transferable. In other words it spreads from machine to machine across the internet without human assistance.

Worms usually exploit some kind of vulnerability to gain access to your machine, and will search the web looking for machines that expose that vulnerability.

True, they're not as common as trojans, which are by far the most prevalent type, and which do generally (but not always) need you to "invite" them onto your machine, but Worms are still a very real and present danger to anyone going online without protection.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Seems to be a correlation between folks going unprotected on their computers/phones and not wearing a mask vis a vis Covid-19.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, I think the chances of being infected doing a sfc in safe mode are pretty rare, we certainly have no record of it happening. Since sfc does not require an internet connection (unlike dism, which contacts MS servers) , then it is recommended if you have run dism and sfc in normal mode and you receive the message:-

"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them"

You should run sfc in safe mode (no need to run dism as you have already done this)


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## britechguy (Dec 6, 2019)

jenae said:


> Hi, I think the chances of being infected doing a sfc in safe mode are pretty rare, we certainly have no record of it happening.


As a data point from a single user/tech, I've never had an infection from running Safe Mode with Networking in over 35 years of doing so.

There is a difference between worrying about a reasonably probable issue versus a remotely possible one.

I don't need 100% when 99.99999% is what I've probably got to begin with.


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## Gary R (Jul 23, 2008)

I'll admit, I look at things from a different standpoint. As someone who has spent the last 15 years or so specialising in removing infections from people's machines, I've seen people get infected in just about every different way you can think of.

Most are as a direct consequence of their own actions, particularly their browsing habits, however some were performing what most would consider to be safe actions when they got infected.

Going online for even the briefest period of time without protection is risky. You might get away with it for years, but that does not mean it's not a risk.

Now I have no way of determining exactly how big a risk it is, to boot into Safe Mode with Networking, and then go online, since that would require data I do not have access to, but I believe that people should be informed that there is a potential risk, which is what I have done.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi my comments referenced SFC it does not need to be online, DISM can be run in normal mode (needs an internet connection) the comment was meant to give people with a negative sfc outcome the knowledge that it can be safely run in safe mode.


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