The corrupt files are an inexhaustible source of problems in Windows. This is a situation that we can find in any kind of file: documents, images, executable programs… And, what is more serious: also system files. In this post we are going to see How to Repair Corrupt System Files in Windows 11.
These are files that have been altered or have suffered some kind of damage. When this happens, their content becomes unreadable. But most likely this situation will lead to all kinds of problems: system errors, inability to start certain programs or, in the most serious cases, the inability to boot the operating system itself.
How can we know that we have a corrupted file problem? Symptoms often manifest themselves in a variety of ways. For example, when you constantly get errors when trying to open files or when you encounter applications that do not respond. In more serious scenarios, you may encounter unexpected Windows shutdowns or the infamous blue screen, which reveal errors in critical operating system files.
Why are the files corrupted?
There are many reasons why a file can become corrupted. These are the most common ones:
- Unexpected system shutdowns. Every time a computer is shut down or restarted abruptly (for example, due to a power outage), files that were in use are at risk of being corrupted.
- hardware errorsThe reasons may range from a faulty hard drive or RAM with errors. Also when there are damaged or poorly connected cables.
- Virus and malwareUnfortunately, one of the most common scenarios is that a malware infection can wreak havoc on our files and even completely block our system.
- Errors during file transferAny interruption during the process of copying, moving or downloading a file can leave it incomplete or damaged. The same can happen when decompressing or decrypting a file.
- software conflictsas the failures in installing updates or incorrect application settings. This can lead to corrupted files.
Ways to repair corrupted system files in Windows 11
There are several effective tools to repair corrupted system files in Windows 11Some of them are integrated into the system itself and are really useful. These are the ones we can use to repair those damaged or incomplete system files that negatively affect the functioning of Windows:
System File Checker (SFC)
This is the first tool to turn to when repairing corrupted files in Windows 11. Here's how we can put it to use:
- To start, we go to the Start menu and there we write "cmd" or "Command Prompt". We right click on the result and select the option "Execute as an administrator".
- In the window that opens, type the following command and press Enter: sfc / scannow
- This starts the Scanning system files, which may take a few minutes. When finished, a message will appear indicating whether any corrupted files were found and whether they could be repaired.
If corrupt files have been detected but the tool has not been able to repair them, we will move on to the next method.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)
Where the SFC command doesn't reach, sometimes the DISM command does. This is responsible for repairing the Windows image in case it is damaged. This is how we can use it:
- First we open the Symbol of the system as administrator (as explained before).
- Then we run the analysis command DISM / Online / Cleanup Image / CheckHealth to analyze possible damage.
- If any damaged file appears in the result, we can try to repair it with the command DISM / Online / Cleanup Image / RestoreHealth (the process may take a few minutes).
- Once the repair is completed, we reboot the system and we run the command again sfc / scannow as explained in the previous section.
Restore the system to a previous point
If the above methods fail, you can always resort to a trick that can help us solve this and many other situations.: restore our equipment to a previous point* , one where it was still free of corrupted files and everything was working normally. The steps to follow to do this are:
- First of all, we go to the menu of Configuration.
- Then we select "System".
- Then we click on "About".
- Now, in the menu on the left of the screen, we click on the potion "System protection".
- Finally, we select "System Restore" and we choose a restore point.
(*) Obviously, for this solution to be really valid, it is necessary that we have previously created some restore point. this link We explain how to do this, step by step.
In short, these are the best methods and tools to repair corrupted system files in Windows 11 and improve the stability of our operating system.