How to repair your system files using DISM and SFC

Dear Isaac Hernandez,

Thank you for your inquiry. If you're experiencing system instability, missing features, or unexpected errors on your Windows device, using the built-in Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) tools can help restore system integrity without requiring a full reinstall.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you repair your system files:

Step 1: Repair Windows Image Using DISM

DISM checks and restores the health of the Windows image that SFC relies on.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator Press Windows + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator

Run the following command:

cmd

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   

cmd

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess

Step 2: Scan and Repair System Files Using SFC

Once the image is healthy, use SFC to scan and repair protected system files.

In the same elevated Command Prompt, run:

cmd

   sfc /scannow

1. Wait for the scan to complete. You may receive one of the following messages: No integrity violations found – System is healthy Corrupt files repaired – Issue resolved Corrupt files found but not repaired – Run DISM again or perform the scan in Safe Mode

Optional: Review Scan Results

To view detailed results:

cmd

findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log > "%userprofile%\Desktop\sfc_results.txt"

These tools are part of the Windows Client system management components and are fully supported in enterprise environments.

I hope this helps. Just kindly tick Accept Answer that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Best regards,

Domic Vo