5 Best Ways to Repair Windows 11 Corrupted System Files

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Written By Larious

Larious is the Executive Editor of LowkeyTech. He is a tech enthusiast and a content writer. 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated on December 21, 2024 by Larious

If the Windows 11 system files get corrupted, you will face certain problems such as BSOD, system crashes, file explorer lags, and more.

So, if you are dealing with such problems and feel that your Windows 11 system files were corrupted, you might find this guide very useful. This article will share the few best ways to repair or replace corrupted system files in Windows 11.

1. Run SFC Command in Windows 11

SFC or System File Checker is a Windows utility that scans and fixes corrupted system files. To repair the corrupted system files, you can run the SFC command on every Windows version. Here’s how to run the SFC command in Windows 11 to restore corrupted files.

1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in Command Prompt. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Run as administratorRun as administrator

2. On the Command Prompt utility, type in sfc /scannow and hit the Enter button.

sfc /scannowsfc /scannow

3. This will run the SFC utility on your Windows 11. The process will take a few minutes to complete. Once completed, you will see one of the following messages. Here’s what each message means.

  • Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

If you see this message, it means your Windows 11 is in good condition, and there are no corrupted files in your system.

  • Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.

If you see this message, the SFC command failed to run the scan. To fix this, you need to boot Windows 11 into safe mode and follow the same steps.

  • Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.

If the Command prompt utility shows you this message, SFC has fixed the corrupted system files.

  • Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but could not fix some of them.

If you see this message, the SFC Command has found corrupted system files but failed to replace them. In this case, you need to follow other methods to fix corrupted system files.

2. Run the DISM command

If the SFC utility has failed to repair the corrupted system files, you need to run the DISM command. DISM, or Deployment Image Servicing and Management, is a command-line utility developed for administrators to troubleshoot specific problems on a PC.

It can quickly fix system file corruption, corrupted system image files, etc. Here’s how to run the DISM command in Windows 11.

1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in Command Prompt. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Run as administratorRun as administrator

2. On the Command Prompt utility, execute the command shared below and hit the Enter button.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

The DISM utility will try to find and repair the corrupted files in your Windows 11 PC. The process might take a few minutes to complete.

3. Run Startup Repair

If you have problems with Windows 11 startup, you must run Startup Repair. This method will fix all corrupted files that cause issues with Windows 11 startup. Here’s what you need to do.

1. First, click on the Windows 11 power menu, hold down the Shift key and select Restart.

select 'Restart'select 'Restart'

2. This will take you to the boot screen. On the Boot screen, click on the Troubleshoot option and the Advanced Options.

TroubleshootTroubleshoot

3. On the Advanced options, click on the Startup Repair.

Startup RepairStartup Repair

4. On the next screen, select your OS version.

Now, your Windows 11 PC will restart and attempt to fix Startup problems. The process might take some time to complete, so be patient.

4. Perform a System Restore

If the above methods fail to fix corrupted system files on your Windows 11 PC, you need to perform a system restore.

However, this will only work if you have already enabled the feature to create System Restore Points on your Windows 11 PC. If you have enabled automatic system restore points on Windows 11, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in System Restore Point. Next, open the Recovery app from the list.

Recovery appRecovery app

2. On the Recovery app, click on the Open System Restore link.

Open System RestoreOpen System Restore

3. Select the restore point you want to use on the System Restore Window. Once done, click on the Next button.

Select the restore pointSelect the restore point

4. On the next screen, click on the Finish button.

click on the Finish buttonclick on the Finish button

Your device will restart and restore your computer to its state before the selected event.

5. Reset Your Windows 11 PC

If none of the methods worked and you are still getting BSOD errors, it’s best to reset your PC. Windows 11 provides an option to reset your PC to its factory default state.

However, you should note that resetting Windows 11 will remove all apps installed on your device. Hence, back up your essential apps and data before resetting your PC.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does repairing corrupted system files speeds up PC?

If the system files are corrupted, the device will perform slowly. So, it’s best to repair the corrupted system files to ensure better performance & stability.

Can Windows 11 Repair Itself?

Yes, if some of the files are corrupted, Windows 11 will automatically run the repair tool to fix the files. However, sometimes, you may have to manually repair the corrupted files.

How do I fix the automatic repair loop in Windows 11

You can try running the SFC/DISM commands, checking the disk utility, rebuilding the BCD, and restoring the Windows Registry to fix the repair loop.

How to Repair Windows 11 Using CMD?

You can try running the System file checker utility from the Command Prompt to repair the corrupted system files.

These are the best and the most effective methods to repair corrupted Windows 11 files. If none of the methods worked for you, you must reinstall Windows 11 on your device.

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