So, I was trying to uninstall some programs and accidentally deleted a crucial system file along with around 1,000 others. Most of my applications are gone, but my computer still functions—though there are some annoying bugs. For example, I can't pin the Control Panel to my Start menu when I right-click on it. Is there a way to restore my Windows system files? I've looked into Recuva for recovery, but that seems like a hassle since I'd have to sift through a lot of other files. Any suggestions? I really don't want my PC to act up more!
3 Answers
You can try some command-line tools to fix missing or corrupted Windows files. First, run the `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` command to repair the underlying Windows image. Then, follow it up with `sfc /scannow` to repair the system files. Just make sure to open Command Prompt as an Administrator to do this. It works pretty well!
Can you give a quick recap on why DISM needs to run before SFC?
If the deleted files aren’t in your recycling bin and you don’t have a system restore point, you might need to consider reinstalling Windows. Just a heads-up, that could wipe everything, so it’s a last resort if nothing else works.
Wait, if I reinstall Windows, does that mean I lose everything? How does that usually go down?
You should first check if System Restore can bring back your files. It’s usually simpler than a full reinstall!
There are definitely commands you can use from the command line to attempt repairs. I don’t remember all of them off the top of my head, but it’s talked about a lot in Microsoft forums. A bit of research might be needed, though!
Thanks for the step-by-step! I didn’t know DISM was the first step before SFC. Good to know!