How to repair Windows 10 (and 11) in iv steps

When Windows x gets wonky, attempt this series of repair techniques — in this lodge — to attempt to set things right.

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Sometimes a Windows 10 arrangement starts misbehaving to the point where repair is needed. This ofttimes takes the form of worsening operation or stability, and can originate from damage to, loss of, or abuse of Windows arrangement files typically plant in theC:\Windows folder bureaucracy. When that happens, users would be well advised to interruption out the following routine to assistance them set things dorsum to rights.

I initially wrote this story in 2022, but as Windows 10 has evolved over time, some of the steps have changed a bit. I've now updated information technology for the latest versions of Windows 10. That said, most of these approaches also piece of work with Windows 7 and 8 (with slight variations), and the advice here applies almost 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 Oct 2022 into early 2022.

The Windows ten (or xi) repair drill

The idea is to first try the initial step in the sequence. If that doesn't prepare what'due south cleaved, advance to the next step. Continue working through the steps in order until you lot accomplish the stop, and you are jump to fix the vast majority of issues. (The only remaining step at that point would be to supersede the system on which the software is running, and that'southward outside the scope of this story.)

The amount of time and endeavour required for each step goes up incrementally. Some steps involve additional piece of work to restore the prior state of your PC more or less dorsum to where it was prior to taking that footstep. Thus, the well-nigh important bit of advice I can manipulate for those who must venture beyond Step ane is this: Make a consummate fill-in of your organization to provide a source for files and information that might otherwise go missing. Ignore this advice at your own gamble.

Step i: Using DISM and SFC for system repair

Since I wrote the original version of this story, I've obtained direct advice from Microsoft that it's best to run DISM before running the System File Checker, a.k.a. SFC. Hence, I am reversing the club of events for this step. I'll echo Microsoft and say "Always run DISM first, then SFC 2d, non vice versa."

DISM is the Deployment Prototype Servicing and Management tool. Information technology's a kind of Swiss Army pocketknife for working with Windows operating system images, both offline and online. DISM can frequently set things that SFC can detect only that information technology cannot itself fix. DISM supports a raft of capabilities with switches and parameters to match, simply basic system file repair syntax is reasonably easy (though information technology often requires multiple passes earlier information technology can set things straight).

You must run DISM in an Administrator: Command Prompt window (press the Windows fundamental + X combination and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the resulting pop-up menu) or in an Authoritative PowerShell or Windows Terminal session. Hither's some sample syntax (consult the TechNet DISM Technical Reference for all the gory details):

dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth

Most of the fourth dimension when you run this control, the output volition discover zilch amiss, as shown in Figure 1:

win10 repair 01 dism checkhealth IDG

Figure i: DISM can check the health of whatsoever Windows image. Hither, it reports all is well on a production PC.

The /checkhealth command simply checks the running prototype (that'southward what /online tells information technology to do) to see if it can detect whatever damage or abuse. Because it'south simply checking file hashes and signatures, this command completes in under one minute on nigh machines. The good thing nigh /checkhealth is that it not but tells you if it finds damage but if that damage is repairable or not-repairable. If it's repairable, you can proceed to the /restorehealth option (covered in the following paragraphs); if information technology's not-repairable, jump to Step two.

If DISM reports that component store corruption is found and is repairable, you lot should attempt repairs. That syntax reads:

dism /online /cleanup-paradigm /restorehealth

Even if errors were detected in the preceding pace, this command should complete successfully. It replaces corrupt or questionable elements in the Windows Side-past-Side (WinSxS) store, reading from a local copy of your Windows prototype files.

The/restorehealth command tin can be tricky to use. Because information technology tin can actually repair a Windows prototype, information technology needs a source from which to endeavor such repairs. You can omit the/source choice, simply if yous 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 betoken DISM at a known good source for Windows epitome components on the local machine (or on your local network). This can be a Windows image (.wim) file or a compressed Windows image (.esd, which is used for electronic software downloads of Windows installations, as the file extension is meant to communicate). Y'all can also point to a separate re-create of aWinSXS folder (the usual directory path is C:\Windows\WinSXS) taken from another PC with like or identical hardware for whichdism ... /checkhealth returns a clean bill of wellness.

The syntax for prototype files is where things can get interesting. To point to theinstall.wim file that shows upwardly in ISO downloads for the Windows 10 installer on a USB wink drive designatedFifty:, for example, you must utilize the post-obit source specification (which uses the start image it finds within the .wim file, designated :1):

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

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

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

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

Note: 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's Media Creation Tool to grab the correct Windows 10 or 11 version/build (see my commodity "The best places to find Windows 10 ISOs" for details on how to utilize these sources) and creating media or mounting the ISO file to give DISM the right/source from which to work. For Windows xi, check the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page to take hold of 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 selection is usually successful. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Adjacent, information technology's fourth dimension to run SFC, Microsoft'south System File Checker. To quote TechNet, the system file checker "scans and verifies versions of all protected system files." Information technology can tell yous if it finds anything awry if you enter SFC /scannow at the control line.

As with DISM, yous must run SFC from an Administrator: Command Prompt or an Administrative PowerShell or Windows Terminal session. This control takes five to x minutes to complete, depending on your PC hardware. Unlike DISM, SFC scans and initiates repairs within a unmarried command.

Figure iii shows sample output when SFC finds files in need of repair. If this occurs on your PC, echo the /scannow command until it gives the clear bill of health shown in Effigy 4.

win10 repair 03 sfc scannow corrupt IDG

Effigy 3: If SFC finds questionable files, it will repair them if information technology can. Here, it succeeds. (Click epitome to enlarge it.)

win10 repair 04 sfc scannow clear IDG

Figure four: Eventually, SFC will written report finding no "integrity violations." Y'all're done! (Click paradigm to enlarge information technology.)

In my experience, 80% of all problems will be solved at this bespeak, then the odds are in your favor that yous won't have to keep going. But if DISM can't set up your Windows prototype, or SFC can't or won't brand repairs to your system files, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Attempt a recent restore point or image backup

A restore signal is a snapshot of a Windows PC's Os state from a specific point in time. If enabled, the Windows System Restore capability can create and maintain restore points on your behalf. To see if this is an choice on your target motorcar, blazon restore signal into the Windows 10 search box. The System Properties window should open up to the Organization Protection tab, shown in Figure 5.

win10 repair 05 system restore IDG

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

To await at restore points, you must piece of work through the System Restore sorcerer. Click the System Restore... button to launch the sorcerer, then click the Next button on the outset pane of the wizard to meet a list of restore points available to yous. (If you don't like what you run into, or you lot don't meet something from before your troubles started on this machine, click the Evidence more than restore points checkbox for a consummate list of what'due south available to yous.) Click the restore point to which you lot would like to revert.

Effigy 6 shows the alone restore point available on my test PC.

win10 repair 06 restore point item IDG

Effigy half-dozen: For this story, I created a restore bespeak named "Examination restore indicate."

Considering I have only one restore point — I don't apply them much any more than, for reasons I'll explicate coming up — I picked that detail to show you what appears when you select a restore betoken in this utility. If you click the Scan for affected programs button information technology will tell you if whatsoever programs or drivers will be affected by rolling dorsum to the restore point yous've selected. In this case, there's no impact, as shown in Figure 7. If something were to be afflicted, information technology would show up in either the pinnacle or lesser list in that results pane.

win10 repair 07 restore programs drivers IDG

Figure 7: The current restore betoken has no touch. Only older restore points volition provide a list of drivers and programs that need to be reinstalled if y'all revert to that restore point.

It ordinarily takes between 5 and xv minutes to revert to a restore point. The amount of additional effort to take hold of back up to where you left off depends on the number of items that need to be installed or updated, equally shown in Figure vii. This can take from minutes to an 60 minutes or more depending on size and telescopic.

All this said, I don't employ Restore Points anymore. I've run into occasional problems with failed restores, and I've seen enough of discussion in Microsoft Community and TenForums amid other users who've had like problems. My preference is to restore an image built using Macrium Reflect (free or commercial; I use both). It'due south faster than System Restore, and I've never been unable to restore a valid, integrity-checked Reflect backup. You lot decide what's best for you; I use Reflect.

Restoring an image backup is much like reverting to a restore point: choose the image (usually by date and time) to which you'd like to roll back, then initiate the restore process. For instance, Macrium Reverberate offers a "Restore" carte du jour, then allows you to browse stored backup files to choice the one you want in an Explorer-based Open window.

If reverting to a restore point or prototype backup doesn't work (or y'all don't take either of these), it's fourth dimension to movement on to Step 3.