K C has more questions about SFC (System File Checker)
SFC /scannow tells me there are errors that it cannot fix. Refresh tells me there are missing files that it can replace if I insert my windows installation or recover media. However, the Win 8 disk I made when I downloaded Win 8 is not accepted, probably because the system has been upgraded to 8.1 Pro through MS Store. So then, how do I provide the needed installation or recovery media?
Our answer
SFC /Scannow is great for users of XP, Vista, and Windows 7 because it provides a way to restore missing, corrupted, or damaged Windows System files without reinstalling Windows and thus losing everything that isn’t backed up.
Sometimes SFC can repair all of the damaged files, but sometimes it can only repair some of them — anything it fixes is better than not fixing anything. Windows SFC also generates a complete log of what was fixed and what was not fixed and notifies users at the end of the SFC /SCANNOW sessions in which missing or corrupt files were repaired or where was attempted but failed, where they can find the log file.
On Windows 8 and 8.1 SFC /SCANNOW is a bit outdated since Windows 8/8.1 users have at their disposal Windows System Refresh which allows Windows 8 and 8.1 users to “Refresh” their computers at any time. Refresh is like reinstalling Windows without losing any personal files, settings or Windows Apps – you will need to reinstall your desktop applications.
System Refresh is superior to SFC /SCANNOW because it reinstalls Windows — thereby replacing any missing / damaged files.
It’s my fault for not mentioning this in the original article about SFC /SCANNOW. While great for Windows XP users (who have a Windows XP SP3 installation disk), Windows Vista and Windows 7 users, it’s not a good choice for Windows 8 or 8.1 users; System Refresh is a better choice.
If you upgraded to Windows 8.1 through the Windows store, System Refresh will reinstall Windows 8.1 — and leave all your personal files and folders and settings intact — but you’ll need to reinstall your desktop programs (Windows apps are not affected).
I have used SFC on XP / Vista / and Win 7. useless piece of crap.
“System Refresh is superior to SFC /SCANNOW” Ok, glad they got rid SFC . Time will tell ? have not needed to use it so far .
They didn’t get rid of SFC. Windows 8 has System File Checker. On the contrary, on Windows 7 and previous versions SFC is the only way to replace corrupted / missing Windows system files without reinstalling Windows. If you found it a “useless piece of crap “then you were running it to fix problems other than missing/corrupt Windows system files. All SFC does is replace any corrupted Windows files with pristine copes. Obviously, if you’re trying to fix something other than problems caused by something other than corrupted Windows system files, it wouldn’t do anything. We have seen SFC work wonders on XP, Vista, and Windows 7 — but then again, we only use it when we suspect Windows files are corrupted. Obviously it’s not going to fix a broken or infected system. If that’s why you were running it, no doubt you found it a “worthless piece of crap”– and it’s not something anyone should be running as a matter of course anyway.
I ran it on Windows 7 & told me there were some errors it could not fix. Went to the CAB log, but when I tried to open it to view the errors, it gave me “acess denied”. why is that?
You have to copy the log and paste it on the desktop to read it — you cannot read it from a restricted directory. Just right-click on it, choose copy, go to your desktop, click Paste. Open it with Notepad. It is a massive file full of arcane text and unless you know a lot about computers and have a lot of time, the log won’t do you much good.
Keep in mind when SFC says it found corrupted Windows files but could not fix all of them, that means it fixed some of them.
Thank you for answering the question!
What exactly do you mean when you say I will need to reinstall desktop programs. Do you mean download them all again?
When you do a system refresh on Windows 8, all your personal files and so-called “modern apps” are saved but none of your desktop programs are. So yes you have do download and reinstall them again. Desktop programs are different than “modern apps”. Modern apps appear on the start screen – desktop programs are the ones like all the programs you used with Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista and Windows 7. Those programs are not preserved when you do a system refresh – but all your pictures, documents, videos, music files, and “modern apps” are preserved. It’s basically a version of re-installing Windows.