Running the Windows System File Checker "SFC /Scannow" First step to fixing PC problems 8-06-25
0Running the Windows System File Checker "SFC /Scannow" First step to troubleshooting Windows PC problems 8-06-25
Should you fix the source of your Windows Problem?
Or should you attempt to fix "The Symptoms" of your Windows Problem?
I just want to make a short video, so I won't go into great detail here...
But, basically, when you have a problem in windows, the obvious signs of it, are often really just symptoms of the problem.
Like, if you have a fever, the fever itself is not the real problem.
It is just a "surface symptom" that acts as a sort of "warning sign" that you have *a deeper problem underneath*.
Like, maybe you have an infection.
Well, nothing you do to try and treat the fever, like putting an ice-pack on your forehead, is going to cure your infection.
Windows problems tend to be the same way.
Like, if your game keeps crashing, that is often only the symptom of a deeper problem.
And, if it's only a symptom, reinstalling your game a hundred times, might not fix anything.
So, Instead of starting by trying to treat a surface symptom *directly*...
FIRST, no matter what your Windows problem might be, run a simple check of your Windows System Files.
The "Windows System File Checker" (SFC) is a built in tool/program that is specifically made to do just that.
It usually only takes a few minutes or less, and it checks for corrupted system files, then attempts to replace anything that is messed up.
If it finds no problems, then yay!
No harm is done, and you've verified that the files that the SFC can check for corruption, are fine.
But...
If it DOES find and fix a problem, that may be as far as you even need to go.
Just reboot and see if the PC works better. See if your previous problem is still there.
Because corrupted system files can cause problems with literally anything on a Windows PC.
Corrupt system files can cause your install processes to mess up, which can make it so it's impossible to successfully fix anything with a reinstall, like drivers, programs, support files and applications.
The windows system files are down at *the foundational layer of windows*, which means problems with them, can affect anything that is built on top of that, and relies on those functions.
So, while the SFC cannot fix every problem that you can have on windows, it CAN fix problems that you would likely not be able to fix any other way, and might save you hours or days of wasted time trying to fix something that can't really even be properly fixed until the system files are functioning properly.
All it takes, is launching a Windows Command Prompt (CMD) IN ADMINISTRATIVE MODE and entering the command:
sfc /scannow
If you do NOT run the CMD in administrator mode, it will NOT be able to FIX anything.
It will only be able to tell you IF you have problems it could have fixed.
And I honestly can't imagine any reason that you would want to run the system file checker and NOT want to fix the problems it finds.
Basically, if you need to find problems but NOT fix them, then you probably don't need any help from me lol ;P