How to repair damaged or corrupt windows 10 installation

We bring you the tutorial on how to repair damaged or corrupt Windows 10 installation. Something that is becoming quite common with the release of each update and with the release of Windows 10 Anniversary a few days ago. Do not miss this new tutorial in which you will learn a lot!

How to repair damaged or corrupt Windows 10 installation step by step

Windows 10 was launched as a free and easy update for those who were already using the original Windows 7 or 8. However, this does not mean that problems cannot occur. When the new operating system is already installed, the user will be able to find various error codes.

One of the most serious problems plaguing Windows 10 users is system corruption. Corruption manifests itself in a variety of ways, ranging from a fearful blue or black screen (screens of death) to driver errors. If you've tried everything else, you may want to experiment with three tools that come pre-installed with Windows.

SFC, DISM, Troubleshooter and System Restore

The best free tools come packed by default with Windows 10: System File Checker (SFC), Deployment Image Management and Maintenance (DISM), Troubleshooter and System Restore.

All four tools offer very simple and quick ways to repair some of the most common Windows 10 damage problems. If you have ever suffered from a recurring computer problem unrelated to the error handler, system corruption File is a likely culprit.

System File Checker

The best tool to repair corrupted installations of Windows 10 is System File Checker (SFC). Like many of Microsoft's most powerful repair tools, SFC runs from the command line. After running the program, Windows 10 is inspected for signs of damage. When corrupted files are detected, SFC automatically repairs them. It works more efficiently when used in Safe Mode. Users can restart the computer in Safe Mode before starting to scan Windows 10, although this step is not necessary.

To use SFC, open the command prompt by pressing Win + R and typing CMD in the search box. Or else, in the Windows 10 search box, search for "Command Prompt" and right-click the result to run as administrator.

Once you have started Command Prompt, type the following text and hit Enter:

sfc / scannow

In modern processors the process takes around 10 minutes. After execution completes, you may get results indicating a corrupted file system.

SFC.EXE repairs most of the problems. However, when SFC fails, a second instrument called Deployment Image Management and Maintenance (DISM) must be used.

Management and Maintenance of Implementation Images

DISM, like SFC.EXE, offers a huge number of command line options. It primarily interacts with Windows system images (.WIM files). DISM can scan, repair and clean troublesome WIM files. Once repaired, users can run the SFC.EXE command (if it failed on the first try). Rarely does SFC fail, but when it does, DISM offers the easiest form of repair method.

DISM includes various diagnostic functions that can determine whether or not there is existing corruption and whether the damage is repairable. To scan your installation for errors and repair them, open Command Prompt and type the following:

DISM / online / cleanup-image / RestoreHealth

The process can take around 15 minutes to complete . The percentage counter will freeze around 20%, which is normal.

After DISM completes, a report is created detailing any problem Windows system files. Then, DISM informs the user if the repair of the operation has been successful. If it fails, the utility generates a registration error.

The source of a Windows 10 error may originate from installation disk corruption, bit rot, or some other unknown cause. Unlike some of the more common problems plaguing Windows users, corruption can sometimes occur invisibly, particularly in older installations. Fortunately, other tools within Windows offer additional options.

Windows troubleshooters

In addition to SFC and DISM, Windows includes a troubleshooter for the most error-prone operating systems. Troubleshooters are often the first line of defense against software malfunction. For anyone having network, audio / sound, internet, driver, or other issues, Windows troubleshooters should be the first step in fighting the problem.

First, press Windows Key + Q, type "Troubleshooting, " and select the appropriate result.

After the "Troubleshooting" window opens, you can select "See All" from the left panel. "See All" exposes the full range of Windows 10 troubleshooters, covering most Windows subsystems, such as sound, printer, and network. From here you can choose one of the options to search for troubleshooting.

For example, if you have Windows corruption issues, you can try using " System Maintenance ". Windows will then run some basic maintenance routines, such as synchronizing the system clock.

Another option: Windows 10 update

If all else fails, your best bet is to redownload a copy of Windows and perform an OS upgrade.

An update offers several advantages over performing a Windows 10 reset. An update to your operating system rewrites the file system, which is almost guaranteed to remove corruption from the operating system.

There are two disadvantages: the first, while users retain their data, lose their updates, and may suffer through a tedious download and installation process. Secondly, if you suffer from malware issues, an update doesn't work. Still, the update fixes most corruption issues.

Windows 10 update requires the following:

- A copy of Windows 10, identical to that of your current operating system.

- Enough free space on the hard disk.

- The installation of Get Windows 10 (GWX) and the update of the tool.

WE RECOMMEND YOU How to make a backup in Windows 10

After meeting the above requirements, run the Windows GWX tool. Then you accept the license terms. When prompted, select " Update this PC now, " and then choose Next.

The upgrade process takes a very long time since the tool must download a full copy of Windows 10. Wait several hours, minimum. The process requires practically no effort on the part of the user. Full Windows should overwrite the original installation with a fresh copy of Windows, leaving behind user files, settings, and applications. After the update tool completes execution, the computer must be restarted.

Reinstalling Windows 10

After considering the matter, I realized that the most direct route is often the best path too: a full reinstall of Windows 10 using a copy of Windows. Fortunately, Microsoft has made reinstalling Windows 10 easier than with other versions of the operating system. In fact, you only need to download the Windows GWX tool and burn the image to a USB flash drive.

When installation corruption problems persist after a clean installation, a hardware failure is strongly suggested.

System Restore in Windows 10

We have already come to the last trick of how to repair Windows 10 installation. If you have arrived here, it is our last "cartridge". There may be cases where the system restore option has been accidentally disabled. In the next steps, we are going to discuss how to enable the System Restore option in Windows 10 and help deal with corrupted files.

- Open the submenu with Win + X. This is done to check if the System Restore function is activated or not. You have to click on "System" to access the Control Panel System.

- Click on System Protection in the left panel. A new window opens called "System Properties". In the System Protection tab click on Configure.

- You must have activated the option "Activate system protection".

- If it is not activated, select the system unit you want to protect and select "Apply".

This should enable the System Restore option in Windows 10.

What is the best Windows repair tool?

Virtually everyone should scan their computer to check whether the system files are damaged. If you have problems, a simple scan could expose them, without much effort. If there are problems, and SFC and DISM cannot solve them, the simplest method is offered by the Windows tool: updating.

Starting with SFC, DISM, Update, and finally System Restore, one can find the solution to corrupted files that may be present on your device. Damaged files should be detected and dealt with as soon as possible, otherwise they may cause more damage to your hard drive.

Do you want to learn more about Windows, Linux and technology? What did you think of our tutorial on how to repair Windows 10 installation? You can review all our tutorials and if you have any questions you can contact us, we will solve it in the shortest possible time.