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Difficulty: MediumResolving System File Corruption and Driver Issues

A field technician is servicing a Windows 11 desktop that frequently displays system error messages following an improper shutdown. The technician runs `sfc /scannow` from an elevated Command Prompt, which completes with the status message: 'Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.' Which of the following commands should the technician execute next to repair the local component store so that system file repair can succeed?

  1. dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealthAnswer
  2. B
    dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth
  3. C
    sfc /scannow /revert
  4. D
    Open System Configuration (msconfig) and select Diagnostic Startup

Answer

Execute the command `dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth` from an elevated Command Prompt.
When System File Checker (`sfc /scannow`) reports that it found corrupted files but was unable to fix them, it indicates that the cached backup copies within the Windows Component Store (`%WinDir%\WinSxS`) are also damaged. Running `dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth` connects to Windows Update (or a designated servicing source) to repair the corrupted component store files. Once DISM completes, running `sfc /scannow` a second time will successfully repair the operating system files.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the System File Checker (SFC) output
SFC detected corrupted files but could not repair them because its source payload inside the Windows Component Store (WinSxS) is also corrupted.
SFC relies on a healthy Component Store to pull known-good replacement copies of corrupted operating system files.
2
Run DISM to repair the Component Store
Executing `dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth` scans the component store for corruption and automatically downloads healthy replacement files from Windows Update.
Restoring the health of the component store satisfies SFC's prerequisite for repairing protected system files.
3
Re-run System File Checker
Running `sfc /scannow` again will now successfully replace the corrupted system files using the newly repaired component store.
Completes the two-step repair process for Windows system file corruption.

Key Concept

DISM and SFC Repair Sequence for Windows File Corruption
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Resolving System File Corruption and Driver Issues

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