Steps to Fix Corrupted Files in Windows

Corrupted Files


Corrupted files are digital files (like documents, images, videos, system files, etc.) that have been altered from their original structure or data format, either partially or completely. Because of this damage, the file cannot be opened, read, or used properly by the software that created it or by any other application.

Cause of File Corruption:

Power Failures or Sudden Shutdowns

  • When: While saving or transferring a file, if the computer suddenly loses power or crashes.
  • Why: The file may not have finished being written correctly to the storage disk.
  • Example: You are saving a Word document and the electricity goes out. When you reboot, the file won't open.

Faulty Storage Devices

  • When: The hardware (hard drive, SSD, USB stick, SD card) has physical damage or is worn out.
  • Why: Devices develop bad sectors — areas that can no longer reliably hold data.
  • Example: An old USB drive starts giving errors when copying files, and saved photos become broken.

Software Errors and Bugs

  • When: Applications that create, save, or manage files have coding mistakes (bugs).
  • Why: Bugs can corrupt files during saving, compression, or transfer.
  • Example: A photo editing program crashes while saving an image, leaving the file half-written.

Malware and Viruses

  • When: A malicious program intentionally or accidentally damages file structures.
  • Why: Some malware encrypts, deletes, or alters files for ransom or destruction.
  • Example: Ransomware encrypts all your personal documents, making them unreadable without a decryption key.

Interrupted Transfers

  • When: Moving or downloading files over a network or between devices, and the process is interrupted.
  • Why: Partial transfers mean only part of the file exists.
  • Example: A movie download is interrupted due to internet disconnection. The file won't play.

File System Corruption

  • When: The system that organizes files on a disk (NTFS, FAT32, etc.) is damaged.
  • Why: It leads to incorrect file locations, broken metadata, or lost parts of files.
  • Example: You unplug an external hard drive without ejecting it properly, and next time it says "drive needs to be formatted."

Human Error

  • When: Mistakes like improper shutdowns, deleting system files, or wrong commands.
  • Why: Users might overwrite or corrupt files by accident.
  • Example: Accidentally cutting a video file from a USB drive instead of copying it, and pulling it out before the move is complete.

Physical Damage to Media

  • When: External storage gets physically damaged (broken USB sticks, scratched CDs/DVDs, water damage).
  • Why: The physical layer that holds digital data is destroyed or altered.
  • Example: Dropping a hard drive causes mechanical failure, leading to corrupted or lost files.

Software Conflicts

  • When: Two programs interfere with each other’s access to a file.
  • Why: Conflicts can cause unexpected behavior or corruption.
  • Example: Antivirus scanning a file at the same time it’s being written to.

Impact of Corrupted Files

Malware Risk:

Corrupted files could contain malware or malicious code, potentially harming your system.

Data Loss:

Corrupted files can be inaccessible or completely erased, leading to potential loss of important data. 

Application Issues:

Corrupted files can cause applications to crash, display errors, or malfunction.

System Instability:

Corrupted system files, like drivers or Windows files, can cause system instability, crashes, or unexpected behavior. 

Steps to Fix Corrupted Files using CMD

Start > Command Prompt > Run as  Administrator



Commands to fix the corrupted files

sfc /scannow

sfc /scannow is a Windows command that scans your computer for missing or corrupted system files and automatically tries to fix them.




DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth is a Windows command that quickly checks if the system image is damaged, but doesn’t fix anything.



DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth checks your current Windows system for any damage or corruption, but it does not fix anything.



DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth scans your Windows system for corruption and repairs any problems it finds using Windows Update or another repair source.



DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:repairSource /install.wim

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:repairSource\install.wim tells Windows to scan for and repair system corruption using a specific repair file (install.wim) instead of downloading files from Windows Update.

The install.wim file in Windows is a Windows Imaging Format (.wim) file that contains one or more complete copies of the Windows operating system used during installation or repair.



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