Fix: 'SFC unable to fix corrupt files' in Windows 10 and 11

This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to fix the 'sfc scannow found corrupt files unable to fix some of them' problem in Windows 10 and 11.

Try the solutions on this page when you get the following error message: 'Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log' when running the sfc /scannow command in Windows 10 or 11.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. Note that logging is currently not supported in offline servicing scenarios.


Solution 1: DISM

  1. Right-click on the Windows start menu button.
    Windows 11 start menu button
  2. Click on Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin) (Windows 11).
    Open Windows Terminal as an administrator
  3. If the 'User Account Control' window appears, you click Yes. Depending on your settings, you may need to enter your administrator password first and then click Yes.
  4. In the Command Prompt or Terminal window, you type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
    Run DISM Online Cleanup-image Restorehealth command
  5. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

This process may take a few minutes to start and complete. At 99.9%, it may look like the process is stuck, but that's normal. Don't worry about it. It will work. Just be patient and wait till the command is 100% complete.

  1. After you see a message that says 'The operation completed successfully', you type the following command: 
    
sfc /scannow
    Run System File Checker
  2. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Solution 2: Start Windows in 'Safe Mode'

  1. Click on the Windows start menu button.
    Windows 11 start menu button
  2. Click on the power button.
    Windows power button
  3. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard.
  4. Click on Restart.
    Shift key and Restart
  5. Release the Shift key.
  6. In the menu, you click on Troubleshoot.
  7. Click on Advanced options.
  8. Click on Startup Settings.
  9. Click on Restart.
  10. When the 'Startup Settings' screen appears, you press the 5 key on your keyboard for Safe Mode with Networking.
  11. Log into Windows.
  12. Right-click on the Windows start menu button.
    Windows 11 start menu button
  13. Click on Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin) (Windows 11).
    Open Windows Terminal as an administrator
  14. If the 'User Account Control' window appears, you click Yes. Depending on your settings, you may need to enter your administrator password first and then click Yes.
  15. In the Command Prompt or Terminal window, you type the following command: 
    
sfc /scannow
  16. Press the Enter on your keyboard.

Solution 3: DISM and Windows ISO

Click here for Windows 11

Windows 10

It's important to wait until a command is 100% complete before running the next command.

  1. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/.
  2. Click on Download now.
  3. Open the media creation tool you've just downloaded.
  4. Click on Accept.
  5. Select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.
  6. Click on Next.
  7. Make sure the correct language, edition, and architecture is selected.
  8. Click on Next.
  9. Select ISO file.
  10. Click on Next.
  11. Select a location on your PC where you want to save the Windows.iso file.
  12. Click on Save.

The media creation tool will now download the Windows 10 iso file.

The download may take a while. The time it takes depends on your Internet connection speed and Microsoft's servers.

  1. When the download is ready, you unzip (extract) the ISO file with a file archiver program like 7-Zip, WinRar, or WinZip.
  2. Open the sources folder of your unzipped (extracted) ISO file.
  3. In the sources folder, you will find an install.wim file. Copy this file to your desktop.
  4. Create a new folder on your desktop and name it mount.
    create mount folder on Windows 10 desktop
  5. Right-click on the Windows start menu button.
  6. Click on Command Prompt (Admin).
  7. If the 'User Account Control' window appears, you click Yes. Depending on your settings, you may need to enter your administrator password first and then click Yes.
  8. Type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /mount-wim /wimFile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\install.wim /index:1 /MountDir:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount
    Fix SFC Unable to Fix Corrupt Files in Windows 10
  9. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
  10. Wait till the process is complete, and then type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  11. Press Enter.
  12. Wait till the process is complete, and then type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount\windows /LimitAccess
  13. Press Enter.

This process may take 5 to 10 minutes. At 20%, it will look like the process is stuck (frozen), but that's normal. Don't worry about it. It will work. Just be patient and wait till the command is 100% complete.

  1. Wait till the process is complete, and then type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /unmount-wim /Mountdir:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount /discard
  2. Press Enter.

Note: When you're trying to unmount your wim image and you get an error like 0xc1420127, then try the following command:


Dism /cleanup-wim
  1. Now it's time to re-run the sfc /scannow command, so type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
sfc /scannow
    sfc /scannow command
  2. Press Enter.

Windows 11

It's important to wait until a command is 100% complete before running the next command.

  1. Open your browser (e.g., Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge).
  2. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.
  3. Scroll down to the 'Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)' section.
  4. Click on the selection menu button that says 'Select Download'.
  5. Select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO).
  6. Click on Download.
    Windows 11 download
  7. Select the same product language as your current Windows.
  8. Click on Confirm.
    Windows 11 product language
  9. Click on 64-bit Download to download the Windows 11 ISO file.
    Windows 11 64-bit download
  10. When the download is complete, you'll have to unzip (extract) the ISO file with a file archiver program like 7-Zip (free and open source). To do so, right-click on the ISO file.
  11. Click on Show more options.
    Extract Windows ISO file step 1
  12. Go to 7-Zip.
  13. Click on Extract to 'Win11_22H2_...' or Extract Here.
    Extract Windows ISO file step 2
  14. Open the sources folder of the unzipped (extracted) ISO file.
    Windows ISO sources folder
  15. In the sources folder, you will find an install.wim file. Copy this file to your desktop.
    install.wim file
  16. Create a new folder on your desktop and name it mount.
    mount folder
  17. Right-click on the Windows start menu button.
  18. Click on Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).
  19. If the 'User Account Control' window appears, you click Yes. Depending on your settings, you may need to enter your administrator password first and then click Yes.
  20. In the Command Prompt or Terminal window, you type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /mount-wim /wimFile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\install.wim /index:1 /MountDir:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount
    DISM mount command
  21. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
  22. Wait till the process is complete.
  23. Type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  24. Press Enter.
  25. Wait till the process is complete.
  26. Type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount\windows /LimitAccess
  27. Press Enter.
  28. Wait till the process is complete. This process may take 5 to 10 minutes. At 20%, it will look like the proces is stuck (frozen), but that's normal. Don't worry about it. It will work. Just be patient and wait till the command is 100% complete.
  29. Type (or copy and paste) the following command: 
    
Dism /unmount-wim /Mountdir:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\mount /discard
  30. Press Enter.

Note: When you're trying to unmount your wim image and you get an error like 0xc1420127, then try the following command:


Dism /cleanup-wim
  1. Now it's time to re-run the sfc /scannow command, so type the following command: 
    
sfc /scannow
  2. Press Enter.

System File Checker

System File Checker is a built-in Windows tool to scan and repair missing or corrupted system files.

If system files are missing or corrupted, the Windows operating system may not behave as expected, some of its functions may not work, or it could crash.

You can run this tool with the sfc /scannow command in Windows Command Prompt or Terminal.


DISM

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a command-line tool that can fix component store corruption that prevents the System File Checker from working correctly.


Windows