sfc found corrupt files but "was unable to fix". Now what?

Anonymous

My laptop, which I recently upgraded to Windows 7 from Vista, has been periodically locking up on me. I ran sfc /scannow, and received the following error:

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example

C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

I checked CBS.log and found this line which seemed relevant:

2010-01-13 13:14:13, Info CSI 000001aa [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:22{11}]"autochk.exe" of Microsoft-Windows-Autochk, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

OK. Now what do I do? I found a "How to analyze the log file entries that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker program generates", but it doesn't give a clue as to what to do about a "cannot repair" entry.

Any help?

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hello Mikey Chairs,

a) Have you made any recent changes on the computer?

Method 1: In order to fix this issue, I would suggest you to refer the article given below and follow the steps from the link and check if it helps.

Note: This is also applies for windows 7:

How to analyze the log file entries that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker (SFC.exe) program generates in Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228

**Method 2:**Try to perform clean boot and check if any of the third party applications are causing the issue.

To find out which startup application is causing the issue. Please follow the steps below:

Clean Boot will help you start your computer by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs so that you can determine whether a background program or any of the third party service is interfering with your program.

Steps to perform a Clean Boot:

Click Start on your Desktop
Type msconfig in the Start Search box and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
Click OK.
When you are prompted, click Restart.

If the computer boots fine after clean boot, then there are some non Microsoft applications causing the problem. To find out which application causing the problem refer from step 2 to step 6 in the article this is mentioned in the clean boot article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

Once you find out the application which is causing the issue, i would suggest you to uninstall and reinstall the application.

To return your computer back to normal boot:

Click Start on your Desktop
Type msconfig in the Start Search box and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

Click the General tab.
Click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.
When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

For information on using “Clean Boot”, see the following Microsoft Article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

Method 3: Try to perform disk cleanup to remove temporary files from the computer. To do so, please follow the steps below:

The following procedure cleans up files associated with your user account. You can also use Disk Cleanup to clean up all the files on your computer.

1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Disk Cleanup, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.

2. In the Drives list, click the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

3. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, on the Disk Cleanup tab, select the check boxes for the file types that you want to delete, and then click OK.

4. In the message that appears, click Delete files.

For more information, please refer the link mentioned below:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Delete-files-using-Disk-Cleanup

I hope this information helps. Please get back to us if you have any more questions about this issue.

Thanks and Regards

Mir - Microsoft Support ****Visit our http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/answersfeedback/threads

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi - The 'solution' I found to this may just work for your HP notebook (although I realize the issues with this particular update aren't the same for everybody) - Have a look at my post on 20th May in the thread below...there seems to be some link between this update and KB3035583 which was first offered in March/April, but revised and re-offered this month. I uninstalled the original...installed the new version and 3022345 immediately became shown as an 'optional' update.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/sfc-cannot-fix-corrupted-files-in-windows-7/f798f377-126c-47ff-bb16-ef5e0dddb5be?page=5

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91 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-12-18T19:32:04+00:00

Hi Mir A,

As a Microsoft professional I find that you've taken an easy way out to the solution your are proposing here. I hate it when Support Personnels dump standard text on issues. The first part of your solution is OK, but the second part (Method 2) on using MSConfig is total bull. It doesn't address the issue.

Please read, the user has "Corrupted" System files. The files are already corrupted, how do you think setting boot-time applications will restore the corrupt files. Your solution is below par, and should be removed, especially when you profess to be a support professional. If you don't know the solution, you are forgiven, but don't insult our integrity by dumping standard support text on an issue.

The question here is, how do we get to know which files are corrupted so we can restore them from Install Cabs without having to do a clean install of the system. Do you have a tool with which we can restore these files automatically, etc. Those are the solutions we are seeking.

In my case, I have an IDE drive going belly up, lots of relocated sectors via CHKDSK /F /R. It got so bad to a stage that I am getting Genuine Windows Validation promp, while the System Properties was showing that the system has been activated. Of course I know files are corrupted because of the bad sectors. So now that I have fetched a new IDE drive, and moved Windows 7 over (Partition restor via ImageX), I want to fix those corrupted files. Fired up SFC /Scannow only to end up with the same error as the original user. SFS sees corrupted files but can't fix them, how do fix my system without the rigors of fully system install? Go Microsoft!
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Anonymous

2011-03-01T21:29:30+00:00

Ok, as an MS PRO, you did a great job of correcting the previous posts mistakes and lack of professionalism. You describe a problem you have that is similar and have used the SFC /Scannow to identify you have corrupt system files BUT you did not post how you would go about repairing the corrupt files. Would I be wrong in assuming that I would try running the original install disk and use the repair files option to bring all files back to their original state. Then follow up by allowing all updates to return the OS to the most current state. While this is happening do not try and run any other programs due to the "temporary downgrade" of the OS. Once the updates have occurred, it may be necessary to reinstall any 3rd party software that was installed. Would that be a safe assumption?
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Anonymous

2012-12-29T07:36:51+00:00

What I normally do when this happens is first check the cbs.log file located in C:\windows\logs\CBS to try and figure out what is so corrupt it can't be fixed. To first access the folder where the log is stored, hold the windows button and press R on your keyboard. It will bring up the "run dialog box". Copy C:\windows\logs\CBS into the box and click ok. Once there you should see CBS and FilterList.

(The CBS.log is what you want to read however if you try to just open it you will get a "access denied error")

To fix this Right click **on CBS and click properties -> security tab.**Under the security tab you will see object name and the listing of where the file is located. Click the Continue button and click Add.... type Everyone and then click ok. The bottom of the screen will then say Permissions for everyone and give you a bunch of boxes to check. In the "Allow" category click Full Control -> Apply -> YES to the warning. Click ok and get back to the cbs.log report. You should now be able to open it up and read it just by double clicking on cbs.log or CBS file (Naming will depend on your settings). It will look a little confusing at first but i'll teach you a way to filter out all the craziness.

Once you have the log open, go to the top where it says Edit -> find and type Corrupt. Now anything that says (corrupt or corrupted will show up in the log and you can click find next to find another corrupt file it fixed or couldn't fix) Sometimes (if you're lucky enough) you will be able to locate what can't be fixed and be able to research a reinstall or patch for the corruption.

(I.E. Windows sidebar sometimes needs to be repaired after a bad virus infection or a pc that has never had chkdsk run on it. You can then go to google and type in windows sidebar corrupted and 9/10 find a way to reinstall or re-register the sidebar .dll files.)

I hope this helps. Let me know.

-Jm
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