How to repair Windows ten (and xi) in 4 steps

When Windows 10 gets wonky, endeavor this series of repair techniques — in this society — to attempt to set up things correct.

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Table of Contents

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Sometimes a Windows 10 system starts misbehaving to the signal where repair is needed. This often takes the form of worsening performance or stability, and tin originate from damage to, loss of, or corruption of Windows system files typically found in theC:\Windows binder hierarchy. When that happens, users would be well advised to suspension out the following routine to help them set things back to rights.

I initially wrote this story in 2022, but equally Windows 10 has evolved over time, some of the steps have changed a scrap. I've now updated it for the latest versions of Windows 10. That said, well-nigh of these approaches also work with Windows 7 and viii (with slight variations), and the advice hither applies well-nigh identically to Windows 11, which Microsoft is gradually rolling out to Windows 10 users whose hardware can support the new OS via Windows Update from October 2022 into early 2022.

The Windows 10 (or 11) repair drill

The thought is to kickoff try the initial pace in the sequence. If that doesn't fix what's broken, advance to the next step. Go on working through the steps in order until you reach the end, and you are bound to set the vast majority of problems. (The only remaining step at that point would be to replace the system on which the software is running, and that's exterior the scope of this story.)

The amount of fourth dimension and attempt required for each pace goes upwardly incrementally. Some steps involve boosted piece of work to restore the prior state of your PC more or less back to where information technology was prior to taking that step. Thus, the about important scrap of advice I can dispense for those who must venture beyond Footstep 1 is this: Brand a complete backup of your system to provide a source for files and information that might otherwise go missing. Ignore this advice at your own risk.

Step i: Using DISM and SFC for arrangement repair

Since I wrote the original version of this story, I've obtained straight advice from Microsoft that information technology'southward all-time to run DISM before running the Organisation File Checker, a.k.a. SFC. Hence, I am reversing the guild of events for this step. I'll echo Microsoft and say "Always run DISM get-go, then SFC second, not vice versa."

DISM is the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool. Information technology'due south a kind of Swiss Army knife for working with Windows operating system images, both offline and online. DISM can often prepare things that SFC tin find but that it cannot itself fix. DISM supports a raft of capabilities with switches and parameters to match, but bones organisation file repair syntax is reasonably piece of cake (though it oftentimes requires multiple passes earlier it tin set things directly).

Y'all must run DISM in an Administrator: Command Prompt window (press the Windows key + X combination and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the resulting pop-up carte du jour) or in an Authoritative PowerShell or Windows Last session. Here's some sample syntax (consult the TechNet DISM Technical Reference for all the gory details):

dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth

Nigh of the fourth dimension when you run this command, the output will detect cipher awry, equally shown in Effigy 1:

win10 repair 01 dism checkhealth IDG

Effigy 1: DISM can check the health of any Windows image. Hither, it reports all is well on a production PC.

The /checkhealth command simply checks the running paradigm (that's what /online tells it to do) to run into if it can detect whatsoever harm or abuse. Because it's only checking file hashes and signatures, this command completes in under one infinitesimal on almost machines. The expert thing about /checkhealth is that it not only tells y'all if it finds damage only if that damage is repairable or not-repairable. If information technology's repairable, you can proceed to the /restorehealth option (covered in the following paragraphs); if it's not-repairable, jump to Step 2.

If DISM reports that component store corruption is institute and is repairable, you should try repairs. That syntax reads:

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Even if errors were detected in the preceding step, this control should complete successfully. It replaces corrupt or questionable elements in the Windows Side-by-Side (WinSxS) shop, reading from a local re-create of your Windows epitome files.

The/restorehealth control can be tricky to apply. Because information technology tin really repair a Windows paradigm, it needs a source from which to attempt such repairs. You can omit the/source choice, only if you do, the command will try to grab its files from Windows Update over the internet. This may or may not work, depending on firewall settings on your network.

A safer bet is to signal DISM at a known good source for Windows paradigm components on the local machine (or on your local network). This tin can be a Windows prototype (.wim) file or a compressed Windows image (.esd, which is used for electronic software downloads of Windows installations, equally the file extension is meant to communicate). Yous can also point to a split up copy of aWinSXS folder (the usual directory path is C:\Windows\WinSXS) taken from another PC with similar or identical hardware for whichdism ... /checkhealth returns a clean bill of health.

The syntax for paradigm files is where things tin get interesting. To betoken to theinstall.wim file that shows upwardly in ISO downloads for the Windows x installer on a USB wink drive designatedL:, for case, you lot must use the following source specification (which uses the outset prototype it finds inside the .wim file, designated :1):

/source:WIM:Fifty:\sources\install.wim:ane

To use an ESD file, change the wim items to esd, as shown hither:

/source:ESD:L:\sources\install.esd:1

If you run into difficulties getting this to work, attempt adding the/limitaccess switch to your control strings. This stops DISM from attempting to grab source files from Windows Update, which it will sometimes do fifty-fifty if pointed at a local source. If you only tin't get either of these to work, try aWinSXS folder instead.

Annotation: the version and language for the/source image must be identical to that for the image to be repaired. This may mean using HeiDoc.net, UUP Dump, or Microsoft'due south Media Creation Tool to grab the correct Windows 10 or 11 version/build (meet my article "The all-time places to discover Windows ten ISOs" for details on how to use these sources) and creating media or mounting the ISO file to give DISM the correct/source from which to work. For Windows 11, check the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page to catch the proper ISO.

Figure ii shows typical DISM output using /restorehealth:

win10 repair 02 dism restorehealth IDG

Figure 2: Even when DISM /checkhealth finds errors, the /restorehealth option is usually successful. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Next, it'southward time to run SFC, Microsoft's System File Checker. To quote TechNet, the arrangement file checker "scans and verifies versions of all protected system files." It tin tell you if information technology finds anything amiss if you enter SFC /scannow at the command line.

Equally with DISM, you must run SFC from an Administrator: Command Prompt or an Administrative PowerShell or Windows Terminal session. This control takes 5 to 10 minutes to consummate, depending on your PC hardware. Different DISM, SFC scans and initiates repairs within a unmarried command.

Figure 3 shows sample output when SFC finds files in need of repair. If this occurs on your PC, repeat the /scannow command until information technology gives the articulate pecker of health shown in Figure 4.

win10 repair 03 sfc scannow corrupt IDG

Figure iii: If SFC finds questionable files, information technology volition repair them if information technology tin can. Here, it succeeds. (Click image to enlarge it.)

win10 repair 04 sfc scannow clear IDG

Figure 4: Eventually, SFC will written report finding no "integrity violations." You're done! (Click image to enlarge information technology.)

In my feel, 80% of all problems will be solved at this point, and then the odds are in your favor that you won't accept to keep going. But if DISM tin can't fix your Windows image, or SFC tin can't or won't make repairs to your organization files, continue to Step 2.

Stride 2: Try a recent restore point or prototype backup

A restore indicate is a snapshot of a Windows PC'due south OS country from a specific signal in fourth dimension. If enabled, the Windows Arrangement Restore adequacy tin can create and maintain restore points on your behalf. To run into if this is an option on your target automobile, type restore point into the Windows x search box. The System Properties window should open up to the Organisation Protection tab, shown in Figure 5.

win10 repair 05 system restore IDG

Figure 5: Access bachelor restore points using the "System Restore…" button.

To wait at restore points, you must piece of work through the Organization Restore wizard. Click the Arrangement Restore... button to launch the wizard, so click the Next push button on the first pane of the wizard to see a list of restore points bachelor to yous. (If you don't like what you run into, or you don't see something from before your troubles started on this motorcar, click the Show more than restore points checkbox for a consummate list of what's available to you.) Click the restore indicate to which you would like to revert.

Figure 6 shows the lone restore point bachelor on my test PC.

win10 repair 06 restore point item IDG

Figure six: For this story, I created a restore point named "Test restore point."

Because I take just one restore betoken — I don't use them much any more than, for reasons I'll explicate coming up — I picked that item to show you what appears when y'all select a restore indicate in this utility. If you click the Scan for affected programs push button it will tell y'all if any programs or drivers volition be afflicted by rolling back to the restore point you've selected. In this case, there's no affect, as shown in Figure 7. If something were to be affected, it would show up in either the pinnacle or bottom list in that results pane.

win10 repair 07 restore programs drivers IDG

Figure 7: The electric current restore point has no bear upon. But older restore points will provide a list of drivers and programs that need to be reinstalled if yous revert to that restore signal.

Information technology commonly takes between 5 and xv minutes to revert to a restore indicate. The corporeality of additional effort to catch back up to where you left off depends on the number of items that need to be installed or updated, as shown in Effigy seven. This can have from minutes to an hr or more depending on size and scope.

All this said, I don't use Restore Points anymore. I've run into occasional issues with failed restores, and I've seen plenty of discussion in Microsoft Community and TenForums amidst other users who've had similar bug. My preference is to restore an image congenital using Macrium Reflect (complimentary or commercial; I employ both). It's faster than System Restore, and I've never been unable to restore a valid, integrity-checked Reverberate backup. You decide what's all-time for you lot; I use Reflect.

Restoring an paradigm backup is much similar reverting to a restore indicate: choose the epitome (usually by date and fourth dimension) to which y'all'd similar to whorl back, so initiate the restore procedure. For example, Macrium Reflect offers a "Restore" card, then allows you to browse stored fill-in files to pick the one y'all want in an Explorer-based Open window.

If reverting to a restore bespeak or paradigm fill-in doesn't work (or yous don't accept either of these), information technology's time to movement on to Step 3.