Repairing a Corrupt PC (Windows)

Corruption can have some very nasty effects on your computer. It can make files unusable, increase enragement when using your device and even prevent your computer from starting up.

Below are some ways I fix corrupted computers and restore their functionality.

SFC Scan

An SFC (System File Checker) Scan scans Windows files and checks for any changes since installation. These changes help the tool determine if the file is corrupt.

If the file is corrupt, the SFC replaces it with a fresh copy. To run this scan, you first open the command prompt in Administrator mode. Then enter this command:

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sfc /scannow

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This command will run an SFC scan and repair any corrupt system files.

DISM Scan

A DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) Scan will help repair corruptions within the Windows system image. It works similarly to the SFC Scan. The command to run this scan is below:

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DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

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Restore from Backup

Backups store everything in your current system. This process copies everything into a recovery drive. Later, you can load this backup onto your system to restore it to the point that it previously was.

If this backup was made before the corruption took place, using it to restore the system will remove the corruption.

There are many ways to make backups and restore your PC with them. Examples of this include:

• The Windows Backup tool.

• The System Restore tool.

• Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

• Third-party tools.

Most of these work similarly. You can make a backup with these tools at any time, and they can also be selected to backup automatically. If you need to restore your PC, you choose a backup to load from the same tool you used to make the backup.

Reset PC

Resetting your PC will bring Windows back to its default settings. Resetting will uninstall some apps and reinstall some Windows processes and programs. You can reset a PC without losing files.

You can run PC Resets either from system>Recovery>Reset this PC in settings or from the recovery boot menu (You can access this by pressing a specific key while booting)

Reinstall Windows

Windows is the backbone of everything on your computer. If corruption has gone deep enough that simple fixes don't work, reinstalling Windows will likely fix the problem.

Reinstalling Windows will reset almost everything on your PC, much like a reset. It may result in data loss, so backing up the PC is recommended.

There are two ways that I like to reinstall Windows. Both ways involve downloading the Windows Media Creation tool.

The first way I use it is to install Windows directly from this tool (the tool has a walkthrough of this process).

The other method I use is to convert a USB flash drive into an installation media device. This method allows you to run the tool from any device with a USB port and can even allow you to reinstall Windows on PCs that don't boot from the BIOS menu.

These methods all work towards removing corruption from your device. If you suspect your device is slowing down due to system corruption, these steps will help restore it.

If you want help to remove corruption from your PC or revitalise your PC through other methods, don't hesitate to contact me.