How To Fix Corrupted Files

                     

Fix corrupted files immediately as they can cause a system crash.

How do corrupt files happen and what are they and how can fix corrupted files?

A system file is crucial to the operation of the operating system, and it can be referred to be corrupt when it is damaged and unable to carry out its intended function.

Corrupt files can occur in all programs, but these files can be quite challenging when they occur in the operating system.

Your Windows files or system files can get corrupted due to various reasons, below are the most common reasons.

Power outages:- 

These can occur haphazardly and without any warning, and they can seriously damage your hard drive.

System crashes:-

System crashes can result from hardware or software issues, and they can also cause system files to become corrupt.

Update Errors:-

Update errors occur frequently and can also cause BSOD errors which can lead to system file corruption.

Malware and Viruses:–

Although not as often as you might think, viruses and malware can corrupt system files. This event is unusual because crashing your system does not achieve the main goal of a virus or malware, the retrieval of important data.

Hardware problems:–

Bad sectors and corrupted files can start appearing when the hard drive starts experiencing problems reading and writing data.

How to fix corrupted files windows 10 

Use the SFC tool to fix corrupted files 

 Start the System File Checker.

Click on the search bar at the bottom left.

Type in "Command Prompt".

Click on Command Prompt  "Run as administrator".

Click Yes if the Windows 10 User Account Control prompt is displayed.

Enter the following command and click Enter once Command Prompt has opened

sfc /scannow

Don't quit Command Prompt or stop the fix from happening. Be patient as you wait for it to finish as it may take some time.

SFC will detect the issues and fix missing or damaged system files in Windows 10 when you perform the scan. Additionally, it can quickly fix problems when Windows 10's C disk is faulty.

If your system files are not corrupted, you should see the statement Windows Resource Protection did not identify any integrity violations after the repair operation is complete.

However, keep in mind that the System File Checker utility can't always restore corrupted files.

Check the SFC log

Use the Windows Search Bar to type cmd, and then select Run as Administrator to launch Command Prompt with full access

You'll generate a sfclogs.txt file on your Desktop by entering the following command and pressing Enter:

 findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt

Open the sfcdetails.txt and check the results of the SFC scan.

Remember that the information in this log file is limited to details on the Windows SFC scan. You may easily perform a CMD scan and repair using the two ways mentioned above.

 Use the DISM tool to repair corrupted files

Press the Windows key + X and click on Windows PowerShell (Admin)  to open the app with administrative privileges.

Type or paste the following command and press Enter:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Be patient and don't pause the repair procedure; it can take ten minutes or longer.

Restart your computer after the DISM utility has fixed your files.

Deployment Image Servicing & Management, or DISM, is used to resolve any corruption issues that can hinder the SFC tool's ideal operation. Additionally, if the Windows 11 installation file is damaged, this program will be helpful.

Run an SFC scan from Safe Mode to fix corrupted files. 

Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner.

Holding down the Shift key, click the Power icon, and then Restart.

Your computer will restart, 

You'll have a choice between three things.   

Choosing Troubleshoot.

Select Advanced options.

Next, click Startup Settings.

Click the Restart button. 

Upon restarting your computer, a menu will appear. By pressing the appropriate key, choose any Safe Mode option.

Repeat the instructions from Solution 1 to run an SFC scan after Safe Mode has launched

Before Windows 10 launches, run the SFC scan.

Press the Power button to turn on the system, and as soon as the Windows logo appears, hold it to turn off the computer.

When you go through the identical procedure three times, Windows will automatically run a Startup repair on your fourth attempt.

Once the process is complete, click on Advanced options.

Select Troubleshoot from the list of available choices when it displays.

Choose Advanced options and select Command Prompt.

Be sure to provide your login and password if prompted when your computer restarts.

Find the letter of your Windows 10 drive. To do that, enter the following command and press Enter

 wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, description

Keep an eye on the Volume Name. Windows Volume Name will typically begin with the letter D. There is no need to be concerned about this if Command Prompt is launched before Windows.

Also, check the System Reserved drive. In most cases, it should be C.

Enter the following command and press Enter (Be sure to use the letters that you got from the previous steps)

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=D:\Windows

As your system files are scanned, please wait.

Close Command Prompt after the scan is finished, then launch Windows 10 normally.

If Windows 10 is being used normally, you can't always scan and repair protected system files.

To scan protected system files you’ll have to run an SFC scan before Windows 10 starts as shown above in this solution.

Replace the files manually to fix corrupted files

Press the Windows key + X combination and select Windows PowerShell (Admin)

Paste or type the following command and press Enter:

takeown /f C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name

Remember to replace corrupted-file-location-and-file-name with the actual location of the corrupted file. You need to include both the file name and extension and not just the location of the directory (By running the takedown command you’ll have ownership over the corrupted file).

Include the following command to gain full administrator privileges over the file and press Enter:

icacls C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name /Gran Administrators:F

Replace the true location of the file with the corrupted file location and name once more.

The troubled file must now be swapped out for the healthy file that you copied from a different PC.

Paste the following command and press Enter:

copy C:\location-of-healthy-file C:\corrupted-file-location-and-file-name

 Enter Yes if you’re asked whether you want to overwrite the file.

Repeat these steps for all corrupted files.

After all corrupted files are replaced, run the following command to verify if the problem with corrupted files is fixed:

SFC /verifyonly

Use the System Restore Feature to repair corrupted files

Press Windows Key + S, type create a restore point and select the option from the results.

Click on the System Restore button.

The most recent restore point will be suggested, but you may click Choose a different restore point and then press the Next button to choose one that was already made.

Select the desired restore point and click Next.

System files should be restored to their previous, healthy state after the process is finished.