SFC cannot fix corrupted files in Windows 7 -- Windows Update for May 2015?

Anonymous
2015-05-14T15:47:58+00:00

I believe we have a system wide problem!  No, I am not kidding.  I routinely run SFC on computers and it almost always returns a report of no problems or not often but sometimes reports that it found problems and fixed them.  Rarely, it reports corruption found and not fixed.  In those instances the only way I know to fix this in Windows 7 is to re-build the OS.

 In the past several days I have run SFC on 5 different computers all running Windows 7, but in different places, used by different people. 

All report SFC found corrupted files and was unable to fix them.

I do not know if there is corruption, if SFC is itself incorrect, let alone how to fix this.  There is suspicion that the May 2015 patches may have caused this.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-05-19T22:15:53+00:00

    There is another more important question -- do you want or need the update?  My understanding is that it is code to "ready" your Windows 7 computer to be upgraded to windows 10.  Do you want Windows 10?  I would rather wait to see what I learn about it for quite a while before I do this, and I am not even sure I will.  In any event, if my computer is not "readied" for this, I am sure Microsoft will provide the tools to do it when I am ready.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-05-19T22:36:39+00:00

    Hello,

    In answer to your first 2 questions

    1. For example is SFC corrupted or are system files actually corrupted and if they are, how is it that SFC can not fix them?SFC is not corrupt. The way it works is each WinSxS folder (Known as a Component) also has an associated manifest file that lives inside of WinSxS\Manifest. The Manifest file will have the exact same name as the component (The WinSxS folder) inside this manifest file will contain a list of files that need to be inside the component folder, it will also have the SHA256-Base64 hash algorithm of the file.SFC will read the SHA256-B64 from the manifest fail, then will generate on the payload folder found within WinSxS, if it is a match it will move one, if it is not a match it will report it as a Hash-mismatch. The majority of the time SFC can not repair the corruption because it can not find a valid replacement.
    2. **What system files and how does that affect normal operations?**These two files which caused these corruptions are .JSON files they are not boot critical or anything, just two JavaScript Object Notation (.JSON) files. It really depends on how often the files are called upon depending on if it affect normal operations. that being said.

    Does that help?

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-19T22:45:33+00:00

    Thank you.  It does.  I appreciate the explanation.

    What that tells me is that these particular corruptions are unlikely to cause a specific problem very often. 

    But, the big remaining question is if I remove the update, is there any consequence of importance?

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-05-20T13:44:49+00:00

    I have just updated my Acer laptop. Installed KB 3022345 and ran System File Checker. No corrupted files.

    The computer had not received the April or May updates. The  KB 3022345 was the updated version and this experience suggests that this version of the update may not be creating file corruption.

    More feedback from others would obviously be welcome.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-05-20T14:11:03+00:00

    I UNISTALLED KB UPDATE AND RAN SFC /SCANNOW WITH NO MISSING OR CORUPT FILES.

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