How to Run an SFC Scan in Windows 10 (with DISM)

To run an SFC scan in Windows 10, type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth first, then run sfc /scannow. Don’t close the window until verification reaches 100%.

Applies to: Windows 10. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 25, 2026.

System File Checker (SFC) finds and replaces damaged Windows system files. DISM repairs the Windows image that SFC copies those files from, so Microsoft recommends running DISM first.

Step 1: Run DISM

1. Type cmd in the search box on the taskbar.
2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes if asked.
3. Type this command and press Enter:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Wait for The restore operation completed successfully. It can take several minutes and sometimes pauses at 20% or 40%.

DISM downloads replacement files through Windows Update, so stay connected to the internet.

Step 2: Run SFC

1. In the same window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
2. Wait until Verification 100% complete appears. This often takes 10 to 30 minutes.
3. Restart your PC if SFC repaired anything.

What the results mean

• Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations. No system files are damaged.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Restart the PC.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Run DISM again, restart, and run sfc /scannow again.
• Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation. Start in Safe Mode and run the scan again.

See what SFC found

In the administrator Command Prompt, run this command to save the details to your desktop as sfcdetails.txt:

findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >"%userprofile%\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt"

Frequently asked questions

SFC says it must be run as an administrator. What now?

Close the window, and open Command Prompt again with Run as administrator.

SFC didn’t fix my problem. What’s next?

Check the drive with CHKDSK, or see how to repair Windows 10 without losing files. For crashes, see how to fix a blue screen in Windows 10.

SFC needs an administrator Command Prompt. For all the ways to open one, see how to open Command Prompt in Windows 10.

If an app asks you to register a DLL file, see how to register a DLL in Windows 10.

To add an update package with DISM, see how to install a CAB file in Windows 10.

You don’t need a registry cleaner to fix Windows. To learn why, see whether you should clean the registry in Windows 10 with CMD.

Microsoft’s guide is Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.

Matt Jacobs

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.