Full Scan Getting Stuck or Working Very Slowly

bjm · June 15, 2025, 6:48am

Note: recommended run sequence varies

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How to Repair Corrupted Windows System Files with the SFC and DISM Commands | How-ToGeek

Using SFC and DISM to correct file corruption | Malwarebytes Forums

Note: recommended run sequence varies

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AI Overview
SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) are Windows tools used to repair corrupted or missing system files. SFC is a command-line utility that scans and replaces damaged Windows files with cached versions, while DISM is a more comprehensive tool that can repair the Windows component store and the system image itself. If SFC finds errors and cannot repair them, DISM can be used to repair the underlying system image.

System File Checker (SFC):

Purpose:
Scans and repairs corrupted or missing Windows system files.
How it works:
SFC compares files on your system with the versions in the Windows component store and replaces any discrepancies.
When to use it:
When you experience issues like crashes, errors, or malfunctioning Windows features.
How to run it:
Open an elevated command prompt (search for “cmd”, right-click, and select “Run as administrator”), then type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM):

Purpose:
A more powerful tool that can repair the Windows component store and the system image, often used when SFC fails to fix issues.
How it works:
DISM can scan and repair corruption in the Windows component store, and it can also use a healthy Windows image (from Windows Update, a running system, or installation media) to restore the system image.
When to use it:

When SFC fails to fix issues or when you suspect deeper system corruption.

How to run it:
Open an elevated command prompt, and type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.

Relationship between SFC and DISM:

DISM provides the files that SFC uses to repair system files.
It’s recommended to run DISM before SFC, especially if you suspect deeper system corruption.
After running DISM, you can run SFC again to ensure all issues are resolved.

Norton and DISM/SFC:

Some users have reported issues with Norton antivirus interfering with DISM and SFC commands, specifically with the aswhook.dll file.
If you encounter errors with DISM or SFC while Norton is installed, you may need to temporarily uninstall Norton or perform a clean install after running the DISM/SFC commands.
Some Norton support threads suggest that the issue might be due to a compatibility problem between Norton and the DISM/SFC commands.

In summary, SFC and DISM are valuable tools for maintaining the health of your Windows system. If you encounter issues, running these commands can help repair corrupted or missing system files. If you have Norton installed, be aware that it might interfere with these commands in some cases.

AI responses may include mistakes.

ASWHOOK.DLL Errors on Windows 11 Using DISM Command | Norton Community

Note: recommended run sequence varies

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AI Overview
When dealing with corrupted or missing system files in Windows, it’s generally recommended to run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool before running the SFC (System File Checker) tool.

Here’s why:

DISM repairs the OS image:

DISM is a more powerful tool that can repair the underlying Windows image itself, including the component store where SFC gets its repair files.

SFC relies on DISM:
SFC uses the component store repaired by DISM to restore corrupted system files.
Efficiency:
Running DISM first ensures that SFC has a healthy source for repairs, potentially saving time and effort.

In short:

Run DISM to repair the OS image.
Then, run SFC to scan and repair system files.

Example Commands (run in an elevated Command Prompt):

DISM: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
SFC: sfc /scannow

AI responses may include mistakes.

Note: recommended run sequence varies

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AI Overview
It is generally recommended to run the System File Checker (SFC) scan first. If SFC finds and fixes corrupted files, you’re done. If SFC encounters issues that it cannot resolve, then you should run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to repair the Windows image, followed by another SFC scan.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

SFC (System File Checker)
SFC is a utility in Windows that scans for and restores corrupted or missing system files. It’s a good first step because it’s quick and can often fix minor issues.
DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)
DISM is a more powerful tool that can repair the Windows image itself, including the component store. It’s useful when SFC can’t fix the problem because the underlying issue is with the image.
Running them in sequence:

Run sfc /scannow.
If SFC reports errors it couldn’t fix, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
After DISM completes, run sfc /scannow again to ensure all issues are resolved.

This approach leverages the strengths of both tools and ensures a more thorough repair process.

AI responses may include mistakes.

Note: recommended run sequence varies

Full Scan Getting Stuck or Working Very Slowly

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