The technician can use the System File Checker (SFC) utility to replace or fix
corrupted system files. The SFC tool scans all protected system files and
replaces corrupted files with a cached copy located in a compressed folder at
%WinDir%\System32\dllcache. This is done by running the command sfc /scannow
in an elevated command prompt (run as administrator). It will scan and repair
the system files automatically. Before running SFC, it is recommended to run
the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool with the command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
DISM repairs the Windows image that SFC relies on to replace corrupted files. Therefore, the combined use of DISM and SFC will help the technician restore the corrupted or missing system files that are causing error messages after rebooting the PC. Summary:
- Use DISM tool first:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth - Then run System File Checker:
sfc /scannow
This approach is the standard and recommended utility for repairing and replacing corrupted system files in Windows after malware removal or other system issues.
