One thing that should be clear to you, a corrupted file is something you don’t want in your computer, as it has the potential to halt, or even crush it. So, if there are any corrupted files on your computer, you need to fix them right away. Now, you probably don’t know anything about corrupted files – what they are, or why they do occur. And before you get to fix them, this is something you need to know first. Well, we are going to look at all this, and we are also going to tell you more about how to fix corrupted files, on your Windows 10 device.
What are corrupted system files?
As you may know, system files are very crucial to an operating system, and when it gets compromised or damaged, to the point where it fails to complete a function it was set for, then we say that the file is corrupted. Understand one thing though, even though all the programs in your laptop can be corrupted, when any files in the operating system get corrupted, things can get really complicated.
Why do they occur?
As we already mentioned, before you are able to resolve the issue at hand, it’s important that you understand what the problem really is, and how they actually occur, or better yet, why they do occur. Now, below are the causes behind the occurrence of compromised or corrupted files;
Viruses and malware
Yes, they may not be as common as many people think, but the truth is, viruses and malware can easily corrupt crucial files on your computer. However, such an occurrence can be pretty rare, given that the main aim of malware or viruses is to gather data, rather than crash your system. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore viruses or malware when you spot them. You must ensure that you remove them to secure your system even further. Viruses such as djvu file extension should never ever be allowed to remain on a computer.
Power outages
This problem is quite common, and what’s even worse is the fact they can happen randomly without a warning, and this can result in a lot of problems with your hard disk. The major problems happen when the storage part with your system installation is affected, as the files that aid your operating system to run smoothly become corrupted, and that means your device will be on the verge of breaking down. So, make sure that you find the best UPS so as to keep your system running smoothly, even in the event of a power failure.
System crashes
Hardware or software problems, in most cases, lead to system crashes, which in turn, lead to many corrupted files. This is a common problem with many devices, by the way.
Update errors
When you fail to update your device, or there is an update error, it often results in problems with your system files as well as BSOD errors, ultimately leading to system file corruption.
Hardware problems
Every time the hard drive starts to have problems, files start to become corrupted. For this reason, you will need to find the best tools for hardware diagnostics for your Windows device.
How do you fix the corrupted files?
Now that you know some of the main reasons why files on your Windows become corrupted, now let’s take a look at ways to fix the corrupted files before they damage your device even further. There are three main ways to do this.
Using the SFC tool
The Windows System File Checker (SFC) is a tool built-in in all modern Windows versions, which allows you to fix/repair corrupt system files on your device. SFC can be run with administrator privileges both from within Windows OS and also from using Windows Recovery Media. Now, fixing corrupted files on your Windows 10 using SFC is pretty easy.
- The first step is to run the system file checker, which you do by typing ‘cmd’ in the Windows search box. Click ‘Run’ as the administrator option.
- A Command Prompt window will appear. You will type sfc/scannow and then press Enter.
- After that, the SFC tool will start the process of fixing the issue. You will need to wait when the file repairs. After the process is done, if the files are no longer corrupted, then you will see a message titled Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
- Next, you need to check the SFC log. Then on the search bar, type cmd and then tap on the Run as administrator option to open Command Prompt with full rights.
- After that, type findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt on the Command Prompt window, and then press enter. After that, the sfclogs.txt will be created. You will open it on your desktop to check the SFC scan result.
Now, if this doesn’t work, try the following method:
Using the DSIM Tool
For those who didn’t know, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a command-line tool that is used in the preparation of Windows images, including the ones used for Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), Windows PE, and Windows Setup. And how do you use this tool to fix a corrupted file? Well:
- Press the Windows and X keys simultaneously on your system. You will then tap on Windows Powershell Command Prompt (Admin).
- Next, in the Command Prompt window, you are going to key in ‘DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth’ and then press enter.
- The repair process will start, and it will take around 10 minutes. So, don’t interrupt it!
- Once the process is complete, make sure that you restart the device.
If the problem still persists, don’t worry, you still have one more option.
System restore
Basically, the System Restore feature enables any Microsoft Windows user to revert their computer system back to how it was previously, (in terms of the installed applications, system files, system settings, and Windows Registry) in an attempt to fix system malfunctions and many other problems.
- So, what you need to do is to press the Windows and S keys simultaneously on your computer, and then key in ‘create a restore point’. Click on that option.
- A System Properties window will appear, and that’s where you will tap on the System Restore button.
- The system will recommend to you the latest restore point. But if it’s not the one that you want, you can still choose your preferred restore point. You just need to select the radio button, which is next to the ‘Choose a different Restore point’. Click Next, and then select your desired restore point and then click Next.
- Then follow the on-screen prompts to perform restoration
- Once the process is over, all the corrupted files will be fixed, and the system will be restored back to its previous healthy version.
And with that, your problem should be fixed. Now, we need to ask ourselves, how can we avoid this problem reoccurring in the future?
Prevention measures
Here are a couple of tips on how you can avoid system files corruption, and they are as follows:
Use an anti-virus to protect your PC – as we mentioned above, viruses and malware are one of the main causes of system corruption. So, it’s only logical to consider protecting your PC with an anti-virus. Of course, the Windows Defender, which is the built-in anti-virus on Windows devices, might offer some protection. But if you want maximum protection, consider also adding one of the best anti-viruses for Windows 10.
Maintain your hard drive – when it comes to physical damage, HDDs are much more vulnerable than SSDs, and over time, their resilience also drops. This means, after a while, your hard drive is likely to start having problems, especially considering other problems like power surges, outages, or drops that directly affect it. Now, you can be able to prevent these kinds of problems, first, by getting an uninterruptable power supply, which is basically a device that acts as a buffer between the power outlet and your PC. The other way to ensure that your HDD is fine is by defragmenting it, to try and identify errors using the system tools. As for an SSD, never defragment it, as it can cause harm to it, thereby reducing its useful life. Now, here is how you can defragment your HDD on Windows 10:
- On your taskbar, click on the Search button, and then type ‘Defrag’
- Then, tap on ‘Defragment and optimize drives
- Select the drive you seek to optimize, and then tap on the Optimize button to start the process.
- Once the process is complete, you will find that the Current Status section has changed.
Other helpful tips
- Always Shut Down or Restart your device properly, through the standard methods. Never use the physical power button.
- Before you update your system or install any software, you first need to ensure that your device meets the requirements.
- When using external drives, always use the option from File Explorer or the system tray. Don’t just remove it from the port.
- Avoid interrupting any system process
- And lastly, never, ever, delete any system files, especially if you don’t understand what it is that you are doing.
Final thought
Here is the thing, when a file on a computer fails to open, or is unreadable, don’t always assume that it has been corrupted. In some cases, the file may simply be unreadable. So, you can always look for ways to ensure that it is readable. Also, don’t trust just about anything claiming to help you fix your Windows – make sure that you verify the source, first.
Now, as you can see, fixing corrupted system files is not that difficult. But if the three processes don’t fix the problem, you can seek assistance from an IT support technician.