You can learn what is SFC scannow, why “SFC scannow found corrupt files but was unable to fix” error occur and how to fix it with 3 easy methods. Just keep reading and to know more details.
System File Checker tool also known as SFC tool or sfc.exe or sfc scannow, allows Windows users to scan and recover damaged and lost Windows system files. Normally, running the sfc /scannow command will automatically repair corrupted system files, but there are some situations it cannot handle.
When you receive the error message “SFC scannow found corrupt files but was unable to fix” just like described in the picture below, then you need to use some methods to fix it. You can read on to find out why this error occurs and how to fix it.
There are several common reasons for the “SFC scannow found corrupt files but was unable to fix” issue.
Once you understand why SFC scannow found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them, you can read on to learn three troubleshooting methods to fix this problem.
Once you understand the reason, don't worry too much. This article will introduce three simple and useful methods to fix this “SFC Scannow Windows resource protection” error. You can try these methods in turn to help you solve the problem. Detailed tutorials are included for each method.
The first method is through a Deployment Image System Management (DISM) scan, which will check Windows servers to replace corrupt files. You can follow the steps below.
Step 1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the menu.
Step 2. Enter the following command in the terminal and hit Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Note: It can take a while for the scan to run, and it isn’t uncommon for it to appear stuck at 20 percent. Don’t close the terminal window until the scan completes.
Step 3. After the scan completes, run an SFC scan again to see if you still receive the error.
The Windows Resource Protection found corrupt file error can be due to the running of operating system processes and services. You can start Windows in safe mode, which will only load the minimum drivers and services to start the system. After booting into Safe Mode, you can run an SFC scan. To boot Windows 11 into Safe Mode, you can follow the specific operation steps.
Step 1. Press the Windows key and head to Start > Settings > System > Recovery.
Step 2. Scroll down the menu and click the Restart now button next to the Advanced startup option.
Step 3. Click the Restart now button when the verification message pops up.
Step 4. When boot into the Windows recovery environment, and from there, you want to go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings.
Step 5. Choose Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Step 6. Now that you’re in Safe Mode launch the terminal as admin and run an SFC scan.
sfc /scannow
Receiving the Windows Resource Protection found corrupt file error after a Windows update can be caused by conflicts with other system files. You can uninstall a Windows update to try and fix it. The following are the specific operation steps.
Step 1. Open Start > Settings and click on Windows Update at the bottom-left corner of the menu.
Step 2. Under the More options section, click on Update history from the list.
Step 3. Scroll down the list to the Related settings section and click on Uninstall updates.
Step 4. Right-click the troublesome update and select Uninstall and click Yes when the verification message appears.
Step 5. After the update uninstalls, restart your system, and rerun the SFC scan to see if it fixes the error.
To avoid the SFC tool not repairing problem from recurring, you can regularly backup your system with the free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard. That way, even if anything goes wrong, you don't have to worry. You can quickly restore from a previously created system backup without losing any data. It also has the following advantages.
Download and install this freeware first then follow the graphic tutorial below. If you are a Windows Server user, you can pick AOMEI Backupper Server.
Step 1. Open the software and click Backup > System Backup.
Step 2. It will select system partition and boot-related partitions automatically. And you just need to select a destination.
Step 3. Click Start Backup to back up the Windows operating system to prevent the “SFC scannow found corrupt filws but was unable to fix” error occur again.
Notes:
This article explains what SFC scannow is and why this “SFC scannow found corrupt files but was unable to fix” error occurs. You can fix this problem according to the 3 methods provided in the article. In order to avoid such errors from happening again, it is recommended that you regularly back up your system with the free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard. That way, if anything goes wrong, you can also quickly restore from a previous system backup.
In addition to system backup, this software also provides disk backup, file backup and partition backup to fully protect your computer security. You can download this software to explore more functions.