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| System File Checker - An XP Maintenance Utility? |
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| Written by windowsxp550 | |
| Sunday, 30 October 2005 | |
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The System File Checker is a great utility that is typically not utilized by the average Windows XP User. What it does is scan system files that are protected by Windows File Protection (by default Windows File Protection is enabled), and it checks to make sure that the protected files have not been altered. If it finds that a protected file has been altered, it will replace the file with the proper file. If you are troubleshooting a windows problem or error, running the System File Checker, should be first check. The nice thing about the System File Checker is that it is a tool that isn’t as intrusive as doing a repair install or using the recovery console. Also, by design, it is utility that doesn’t hurt to run, in fact it is a utility that should be run even when there are no problems. System File Checker is meant to ensure that files that are critical to Windows to operate properly are not deleted, overwritten or altered in any way….typically 3rd party software or malicious virus attacks are the culprits. Taking this a step further, I have incorporated running this utility regularly as a maintenance tool, even when I am not experiencing any problems. You might be saying to yourself, ‘well, I haven’t experienced any viruses lately and I don’t think that any of the software on my computer has caused system files to be replaced and overall I my computer is running in tip top shape,...so I’m sure that my system files are fine and have not been replaced, renamed or altered.’
Well, think again…I have been using the System File Checker for a very long time, and to this day, I have NEVER had the utility not find anything. The way you can tell if the System File Checker finds a file on your system that has been replaced, deleted, or altered, is to run the utility without inserting your Windows XP Installation CD . If all of your files are good,…then you will not receive a prompt asking you to insert your Windows XP Installation CD…Here is how to run System File Checker…
Click Start, then Run , then type sfc /scannow then click OK
If you see a window pop up asking you to insert your Windows XP Installation CD, then the System File Checker utility has found a file on your system that has been replaced, deleted or altered…. If you are troubleshooting, first try running the System File Checker. If you are not troubleshooting, I also urge you to run the System File Checker on a regular basis to keep Windows happy and running smoothly. After all, if Windows isn’t happy, where does that leave you ?
Comments (4)
  written by wedgehog, January 03, 2007 written by wedgehog, January 02, 2007
Help and Support center won't run
> > Trying to start the Help and Support services results in Error 126 > > Repairing Windows XP does not solve the problem > > SFC /SCANNOW results in an RPC server unavailable error > > Applying the fixes from Doug Knox does not fix the problem. > > XP Fax support will not install. > > > > Try this: > > > > At a command prompt, type SET > > If the value for WINDIR=%systemroot% (and if you have all the above > > mentioned problems, it WILL be :-) ) you need to apply the following > > fix: > > > > Run REGEDIT > > > > Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetControlSes sion > > Manager Environment > > > > in the right-hand pane, find the value WINDIR. You'll notice it is of > > type REG_SZ. This is incorrect since it's value (%systemroot%) needs to > > be expanded to what windows will eventually use (in my case, > > C:WINDOWS). > > > > What is happening is window is attempting to load the help and support > > module (and anything else that relies on the %windir% environment > > variable) by calling it %systemroot%pathtofile ile.dll instead of > > c:windowspathtofile ile.dll. > > > > DELETE the existing windir value. > > Make a new EXPANDABLE STRING VALUE, call it WINDIR and give it the value > > %systemroot% > > > > This procedure basically recreates the WINDIR value as an expandable > > string. > > > > Reboot your system and watch your help and support center work for the > > first time in recent memory. written by wedgehog, January 02, 2007
Does system file checker know that some of the system files have been updated by the microsoft website? or does it just blindly replace any changed files with the originals so you lose all your security updates? If it askes for the windows cd, it is replacing files with very old ones.
written by Guest, February 04, 2006
thanks for this. Tryed a lot of things, but this helped me.
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You may be asking yourself how does sfc.exe know how to check for updated Windows system files? Well during OS upgrades, service pack installations etc.. the dllcache folder should be updated with these new files.
As an example the recent Windows XP Hotfix - KB828035 updated the system file wkssvc.dll A new version of the file was placed in C:WINDOWSsystem32 and a copy in the cache: C:WINDOWSsystem32dllcache A copy of the old system file is archived in: C:WINDOWS$NtUninstallKB828035$
But I (Wedgehog) will add to that. The dllcache folder is set to a fixed size in the registry (Not sure what the size is) but if it is full, any further updates will not be put in there and if the new files in system32 become corrupt, sfc will ask for the windows cd and replace them with the old files.
To solve this problem use the sfc /cachsize= command to increase the cache size, the value is in mb I set mine to 2gig
sfc /cachsize=2000
Now there should be loads of room to store all the updates and you won't get asked for the cd. have fun.