Windows repair functions

[Kid.Lazer]

Has anybody ever had success in fixing a problem with the SFC /scannow or Dism.exe /cleanup-image options? I have both given them out as advice from time to time, as well as performing them myself. But as I am using it today to hopefully fix a weird issue, it made me think of that question. While I have used it personally, I don't recall it EVER making an appreciable difference in whatever issue I may have been trying to solve. It dawned on me that it feels more like a waste of 5 minutes while you research other options you'll invariably have to use.

 

So I'll ask again, has this ever worked for anyone? I'm genuinely curious.

 

As an aside, the weird issue in question is that one of my work computers sometimes changes the desktop background from a picture to a solid black color at login. Not everyday day, though. Seems to be totally random.

[Mojo-Jojo]

I've had issues before that would be fixed with the DISM/SFC commands. But it's rare, last time was years ago and I can't even clearly remember what the issues were...

[manikyath]

essentially since the launch of win10 they have been my first step (well.. second step, reboot first..) in fixing issues.. and hoo boy has this made short work of about 10% of the "weirdness" i encounter.

 

windows 10 just loves to brick system files in funny ways..

 

having that said - your issue is that windows occasionally cant access said image, and then it just defaults to color. is it in a "weird" place? (network share, secondary drive, etc?)

[Kid.Lazer]

8 minutes ago, manikyath said:

essentially since the launch of win10 they have been my first step (well.. second step, reboot first..) in fixing issues.. and hoo boy has this made short work of about 10% of the "weirdness" i encounter.

It's usually one of my first steps too, I just don't remember it ever actually accomplishing anything.

9 minutes ago, manikyath said:

having that said - your issue is that windows occasionally cant access said image, and then it just defaults to color. is it in a "weird" place? (network share, secondary drive, etc?)

Nope. I know Windows can act silly connecting to a NAS (especially right at logon) so the picture is stored in the "downloads" folder for easy local access.

[manikyath]

43 minutes ago, Kid.Lazer said:

Nope. I know Windows can act silly connecting to a NAS (especially right at logon) so the picture is stored in the "downloads" folder for easy local access.

try and sticking it somewhere else, like just in C:\ or something, just to exclude any profile oddities as a possible cause.

[NumLock21]

SFC and DISM is the most useless repair tool out there, along with Windows Automatic Repair. The times when I need it the most it does not work, where it would spit out messages like cannot find installation or access denied. But if it does work, after waiting forever for it to finish, it give a message, it finds them errors but cannot repair them, so it's hours of wasted time.

 

The last OS where it's designed to be repair friendly is Windows XP. After that, the function of repair goes out the window. Let's say you're running a Windows XP system and you're having trouble getting booting into your desktop, where the OS is giving you some weird bsod about some error. To repair this, all you need to do is just insert your Windows XP setup disc like how you'll when installing a new OS. Let setup run and then it will being to search to any old Windows installations. If it find one, it will ask, would you like to repair? Select Yes and then it does the rest, where it looks like you're doing a fresh install, but it's overwriting the entire windows system. When it's all done, you can now boot into your desktop and everything stays intact, programs, games, settings, personal files, as if nothing has happened.

 

Starting from Windows 7 and later, that repair function is gone. To repair, you'll now have to rely on Windows Automatic Repair, DISM, SFC, and System Restore Points.

Where it rarely or never works. The XP repair for Windows 7 and later, let you install a clean OS on top of your existing one. but it's not like XP's where it keeps everything intact. What it does is, after installation is finished. you'll be meet with a empty account as if it has wiped everything. But all your files are in "Windows.old".

Programs and games you've had before no longer works and everything needs to be reinstalled. So basically what it does is, "repaired" your OS and then leave you with a huge pile of digital mess for you to clean up, so it's 2 to 3 times more work. Where if you were to just backup and reinstall, it would have save a lot of time.

 

 

[SnugglyGirl]

I have used it before to fix a few issues that was happenig after a fresh install of window. Also a few errors that were popping up in event viewer. I can not recall what the issues were though.

[Mark Kaine]

yes,  they can work... but its kinda rare... depends on the specific issue... it cant hurt to try honestly...

 

 

 

[WildDagwood]

Helped a few times, but don't recall them all now.

 

Two that come to mind are a start menu issue (immediately closed after selecting it) and another a taskbar issue (missing icon of some sort, forget which now).

[Kid.Lazer]

Well, what a coincidence, one of those repair functions (who knows which) fixed the black screen issue I was having. I guess there's a first time for everything!