How to Run SFC/SCANNOW and DISM in Windows 11 [2024 Guide]

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Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

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If your Windows 11 is experiencing Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) issues or behaving abnormally, you can usually resolve the errors causing these problems without having to rebuild your OS.

Windows comes pre-equipped with various tools designed to help fix issues with the operating system. In addition to the built-in troubleshooters in the Settings app, Windows includes the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool and the System File Checker (SFC) tool, each of which performs different checks and attempts to automatically resolve any issues with the operating system.

If you're experiencing issues with your operating system and want to know how to run SFC and DISM in Windows 11, and which one you should run first, read on.

What's the difference between SFC and DISM?

The system utilities SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) in Windows 10 and Windows 11 are designed to be used only via text commands, mainly by IT experts and server administrators. Yet the system repairs they perform require no special technical knowledge and are thus of interest to all users.

"State Food and Drug Administration" (SFDA)

SFC (also referred to as the System File Checker tool) is an in-built Windows utility for diagnosing corruption in system files. Its sfc /scannow command scans for the integrity of all protected operating system files and replaces erroneous, corrupted, altered, or damaged versions with the correct ones.

Hence, SFC can address issues caused by missing or corrupted system files. This utility also checks if any files have been updated or replaced with older versions. In such cases, SFC retrieves the correct version from the Windows Store and replaces the altered files. This tool is particularly useful when your computer has been affected by malware or a virus. You can utilize the SFC tool to promptly repair the Windows 11 operating system.

So, if you're having issues, it's a good idea to run SFC first. If that doesn't work, you may need to try DISM.

Read more: SFC Scannow says There is a System Repair Pending

DISM stands for "Deployment Image Servicing and Management," which translates to "部署映像服务和管理工具" in Chinese. It is a command-line tool in the Windows operating system used for maintaining and configuring Windows images. With DISM, users can add, remove, or update system files, enable or disable features, and check the health of an image.

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is the most powerful repair tool in Windows, capable of preparing, modifying, and repairing system images. You'll need an active Internet connection to download and replace corrupted content with updates from Windows.

DISM is used with various command-line switches to fix different types of repair errors. It can come in handy if your operating system is malfunctioning, such as crashing, freezing, or error messages.

In addition, DISM repairs corruption in the component store of the operating system image, which is necessary for SFC to succeed.

How do I run SFC and DISM scans in Windows 11?

In Windows 11, you can run the SFC /scannow command in any console, including Command Prompt, PowerShell, or the Windows Terminal. If Windows 11 isn't functioning correctly, you can use Command Prompt to restart it. This tool doesn't require a Wi-Fi connection, so you can check for corrupted files on your computer without an internet connection. After the scan completes, you can view the results in the CBS.LOG file (C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log). You can open this log file with Notepad. Here's how to run SFC and DISM scans in Windows 11:

How to Run an SFC Scan in Windows 11

Step 1: Open a Windows terminal as an administrator.

Step 2: Run the following command at the prompt, and then press Enter on your keyboard to execute it:   

This is a command in the Windows operating system used to scan and repair errors in system files. Its Chinese translation is "System File Checker" or "sfc scan now." This command verifies the integrity of system files and repairs them if necessary.

The sfc /scannow command thoroughly checks and scans all protected system files, and replaces bad ones, if necessary, with cached copies located in the compressed folder %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.

Step 3: Wait until the scanning is finished.

Windows Resource Protection might show that the SFC scan didn't find any integrity violations, or it found corrupted or missing files but couldn't fix some of them. If SFC didn't find any issues, you can now close the Windows Terminal console.

If you receive the message “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them” after running SFC, try the following:

After running the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command (which requires an active Internet connection), restart your system.

Now, run SFC /SCANNOW again.

Read more: SFC SCANNOW Stuck

How to Run a DISM Scan in Windows 11

If SFC can't fix your operating system, you'll need to use DISM. However, this requires an Internet connection, as it will connect to the Internet and download the latest versions of files from Windows Update.

Step 1: Launch Windows Terminal as an administrator.

Step 2: If you prefer to use the Windows Terminal as your command prompt, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth at the command prompt. You can also run Repair-WindowsImage -Online -CheckHealth at a PowerShell prompt.

Step 3: If this fails, try running the command again. This time, DISM will attempt to fix the operating system by connecting to a Windows server and downloading the necessary files. This process can take 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Next, we need to apply the operating system repair indefinitely. To do this, enter the following command and press Enter on your keyboard:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Repair and Fix Windows 11 Disk Errors with SFC and DISM Alternative Tools

If you've tried everything but the problem persists, don't worry. If your computer still crashes randomly or shows a Blue Screen of Death after running SFC and DISM, it's better to use a professional third-party tool like Partition Master, because sometimes only a professional utility can fix unresolvable issues.

Step 1: Right-click on the problematic partition.

Step 2: Choose Advanced > Check File System.

Step 3: Choose whether to hide the partition.

Click “Start” to begin checking for errors on your partition.

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"Partition Master Tool is a professional solution specifically designed to tackle all Windows issues. Its user interface is simple yet inspiring. With Partition Master Tool, partitioning hard drives and making the most out of your disk space becomes a breeze. Some of its outstanding features include:"

• Resize or move partitions as needed.
• Combine two SSD drives into one.
• Clone, create, format, or delete partitions.
• Optimize and improve hard drive performance.
• Aid in cloning/migrating partitions to unallocated space.
• Can hide drives in Windows 10.

Furthermore, the tool boasts a highly professional technical team that can assist you with any system issues you might encounter, such as system crashes, blue screens, or devices failing to boot, among others.

Conclusions

We've shared some verified solutions to run SFC and DISM on Windows 11. Regardless of which method you use to fix the issue, remember to recover and back up your files with data recovery software beforehand.

To resolve this issue, you can utilize the Windows Startup Repair tool, perform SFC and DISM scans, execute System Restore, and reset your computer. We recommend using Partition Master as an alternative and reliable tool for SFC and DISM operations for Windows 11 users.

If you found this guide helpful for running SFC and DISM in Windows 11 or fixing disk errors, feel free to share this page with others who might need it using the buttons below!

Frequently Asked Questions about SFC/Scannow and DISM

There is no specific order or sequence to run CHKDSK or SFC, it depends on your needs or objectives.

• SFC (System File Checker) scans and repairs corrupted system files. It can be helpful when Windows programs crash, your computer fails to start or run certain system programs, encounters blue screen issues, or has startup problems.
• CHKDSK scans and fixes internal file system errors that may cause issues with accessing or reading data from a disk or storage device, such as disk failures or damage.