Fix: SFC Scannow not Working on Windows 11/10: 4 Solutions

According to Microsoft Windows Support, SFC, which is also known as System File Checker, is a Windows utility that lets users check Windows system files for corruptions and Fix SFC Scannow not Working on Windows. But Windows 10/8/7 users may not always be able to use the sfc / scannow command line to fix corrupted files on their PCs for various reasons.

Fix ‘SFC Scannow Found Files but was Unable to Fix’ issue that checks the integrity of system files and replaces missing or brokenness with working ones if it finds problems. This can happen for a number of reasons. So, how can we quickly fix corrupted system files and get SFC back to working? Just follow the steps below and you’ll be able to solve this problem on your own:

Fix: Fix SFC Scannow not Working on Windows 11/10

Running Windows Update Troubleshooting

Browse the Windows support page of the webpage and search for Windows Update.
Choose the appropriate Windows Update Troubleshooting program based on the operating system you want to download and continue the process.
To successfully run the downloaded file, double-click it.
Follow each displayed instruction one by one and complete the process. Restart the PC to save the changes and run sfc /scannow again.

Repair Your Computer Using a Bootable Disk

Boot Windows 11 and wait for the installation screen to appear.
From the bottom-left corner, choose Repair your computer.
Next, navigate to the Advanced Troubleshooting option and choose Startup Repair.
Proceed with the steps and complete the repairing process.
Finally, restart your device and run the SFC /scannow command on Command Prompt again.

Run Automatic Repair

Insert the Windows 10 bootable installation to your computer and boot your computer from it. If you don’t have the Windows 10 installation disc
Then you will enter the welcome interface and click Next to continue.
Then click Repair your computer in the bottom-left corner to continue.
You need to choose Troubleshoot in the popup window to continue.
Click Advanced options to go to the next page.
Choose the Startup Repair in the Advanced options screen and wait for the process to be completed.

Run Command Prompt in Safe Mode

Navigate to Run by pressing Window Key + R. Here, type msconfig and hit enter.
Next, navigate to the Boot tab.
Under Boot options, tick the Safe Boot feature. Also, make sure Minimal is selected.
Then, click on Ok.
Now, a dialogue box asks you to restart your PC. So, click on Restart.
Once your PC turns on, launch Command Prompt and check if the scan command works.

Why Is SFC Scannow Not Working?

Incorrect shutdown: Some files can become corrupted if the computer is shut down incorrectly or if the power goes out. It would stop the SFC scan from being done.
Problems with the hardware: Users have also said that hardware problems can cause SFC/Scannow to stop. Most of the time, bad RAM is the main cause and should be tested.
Certain features may cause issues: On top of that, some features, like Turbo Memory, might not work with all hard drives, which could cause problems with SFC/Scannow.
Changes to the system32 directory: Finally, there is also a chance that the problem is caused by changes to the system32 directory.

FAQs

What is the alternative to SFC?

When running SFC command can’t help resolve the issues or you can’t run a SFC scan, then you should try DISM command at first. DISM command can fix core computer file corruption and make SFC command run properly. Check how to run DISM command in Windows 10 to repair system image below.

What if SFC Cannot repair files?

However, System File Checker may not have the correct files to replace the corrupt ones. Instead, you can run a Deployment Image System Management (DISM) scan, which will check Windows servers to replace damaged files.