How to Repair a Corrupt Windows 10 Install and Fix Corrupted Files

First, try running the System File Checker (SFC) tool to scan for and repair any corrupted system files. Open an elevated Command Prompt and run:

sfc /scannow

If SFC finds and fixes any issues, restart your computer and see if that resolves the problems. If not, move on to the next step.

Use the DISM Tool

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool can be used to repair corruption in the Windows image. Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

This will scan for and fix any corruption. If it can’t connect to Windows Update, you can use a working Windows installation or network share as the repair source instead:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:\\\c$\winsxs /LimitAccess

Replace with the computer name of the repair source. If DISM completes successfully, try running Windows Update again. If not, check the CBS.log file for any remaining errors.

Run SFC from Safe Mode

If the above methods don’t work, try running SFC from Safe Mode. Boot into Safe Mode, open an elevated Command Prompt, and run:

sfc /scannow

Safe Mode loads a basic version of Windows, which may allow SFC to fix issues that it couldn’t in normal mode.

Perform a SFC Scan Before Windows 10 Starts

Another option is to run SFC before Windows 10 fully starts up. Boot from the Windows 10 installation media, choose “Repair this PC”, and select “Command Prompt”. Then run:

sfc /scannow

This will scan and repair system files before Windows loads, which can sometimes fix corruption issues.

Replace Files Manually

If all else fails, you may need to manually replace corrupted system files. Boot from the Windows 10 installation media, open Command Prompt, and run:

dism /online /extract-image /imagefile:boot.wim /index:1 /destinationdir:c:\windows

This will extract the Windows 10 system files to the C:\Windows folder. You can then copy the needed files to replace the corrupted ones in your existing installation.

Use System Restore

If you had System Restore enabled before the corruption occurred, you can try restoring your system to a previous restore point. Open the System Restore utility from the Start menu search, choose a restore point, and let it roll back your system to a previous working state.

Reset Your Windows 10

As a last resort, you can reset your Windows 10 installation to its default state. This will remove all your installed programs and settings, but keep your personal files. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and click “Get started” under “Reset this PC”.