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To run System File Checker in Safe Mode, open an administrator Command Prompt and enter sfc /scannow. Microsoft recommends running DISM first: use DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth, wait for it to finish, then run SFC and keep the window open until verification reaches 100%.
Start Windows 10 or 11 in Safe Mode
Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to reach Startup Settings. Microsoft’s menu route is Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Safe Mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers.
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- Open Windows Recovery Environment and choose Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced options, then Startup Settings, and choose Restart.
- When the Startup Settings choices appear, select Enable Safe Mode for the regular desktop, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt to start directly at a command prompt.
If the device is encrypted, Windows may ask for the BitLocker recovery key to complete this process. You may need to retrieve that key before continuing.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsRun DISM and SFC
SFC scans protected Windows system files and attempts to replace corrupted files with cached copies. It requires an account that belongs to the Administrators group. If you chose regular Safe Mode, open an elevated prompt first:
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- Search for Command Prompt from the Safe Mode desktop.
- Choose Run as administrator and approve the prompt, or provide administrator credentials.
- Enter
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealthand press Enter. Wait for the command to complete successfully. - Enter
sfc /scannowand press Enter. - Leave Command Prompt open until verification reaches 100%, then read the final message.
Microsoft recommends DISM before SFC because DISM can repair the component store that provides files for SFC’s repairs. The commands above target the Windows installation currently running in Safe Mode.
Understand the SFC result
- “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations” means SFC found no missing or corrupted protected system files.
- “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them” means SFC repaired the files it identified.
- “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation” is the case for which Microsoft specifically recommends running SFC in Safe Mode. If it still appears there, check that
%WinDir%WinSxSTempcontains thePendingDeletesandPendingRenamesfolders. - If SFC says it found corrupt files but could not repair some of them, review the scan details in CBS.log.
Find details about files SFC could not repair
Microsoft documents this command for extracting SFC-related entries from the CBS log into a desktop text file:
findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >"%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt"
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Open sfcdetails.txt and use its dates and times to identify entries from the latest scan; the file can also contain details from earlier SFC runs. Replacing an individual system file manually is an advanced troubleshooting step, not part of the ordinary Safe Mode procedure. Follow Microsoft’s official SFC instructions before attempting it.
Safe Mode repair versus offline SFC
The procedure above runs SFC against the Windows installation that is currently booted. Microsoft also documents offline repair using /offbootdir and /offwindir, for a Windows installation that is not currently running—for example, when working from a recovery environment. These switches are not substitutes for sfc /scannow in ordinary Safe Mode.
| Repair context | Target | Command approach |
|---|---|---|
| Windows booted in Safe Mode | The currently running Windows installation | Run sfc /scannow, preferably after DISM. |
| Offline repair | A Windows installation that is not currently booted | Use SFC’s /offbootdir and /offwindir switches. Microsoft’s example scans an offline Windows directory at D:Windows with boot directory D:. |
In WinRE, drive letters can differ from those used during a normal Windows session. Confirm the target installation’s actual drive letters before using offline switches. See Microsoft’s SFC command reference for the syntax and switches.
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