100-140 · Question #15
Which issues might be resolved by running the sfc /scannow command? (Choose two)
The correct answer is A. Corrupted system files C. Application crashes. The sfc /scannow command runs the Windows System File Checker, which scans protected OS files for corruption and replaces damaged files, which can in turn resolve application crashes caused by missing or corrupt system components.
Question
Options
- ACorrupted system files
- BBroken registry entries
- CApplication crashes
- DFaulty network adapters
How the community answered
(23 responses)- A74% (17)
- B17% (4)
- D9% (2)
Why each option
The sfc /scannow command runs the Windows System File Checker, which scans protected OS files for corruption and replaces damaged files, which can in turn resolve application crashes caused by missing or corrupt system components.
sfc /scannow directly scans all protected Windows system files and replaces corrupted or missing files using cached copies stored in the Windows Component Store (%WinDir%\System32\dllcache), making corrupted system files its primary use case.
Broken registry entries require manual editing with regedit, a registry cleaner, or System Restore - sfc /scannow does not scan or repair the registry.
Application crashes are often caused by corrupted or missing DLLs and system libraries that applications depend on; by restoring those files, sfc /scannow indirectly resolves crashes that stem from underlying system file damage.
Faulty network adapters are hardware or driver issues resolved through Device Manager, driver reinstallation, or hardware replacement, which are outside the scope of the System File Checker.
Concept tested: Windows sfc /scannow system file repair scope
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/sfc
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Lena V.Apr 2, 2026sfc /scannow scans and replaces corrupted protected system files, which directly fixes A, and since many application crashes (C) are caused by those same corrupted files, restoring them stops the crashes too. Registry and hardware issues are outside what sfc touches, so B and D are out.
Imani T.Mar 25, 2026sfc /scannow is the System File Checker, and its whole job is to scan protected Windows system files and replace any that are corrupted or missing with a cached clean copy from the WinSxS folder. That directly addresses option A, no debate there. The trickier one is C, because application crashes can have a dozen different root causes, but when an app is crashing because it depends on a shared system DLL or runtime file that got corrupted, sfc can actually fix that crash by restoring the clean version of that file. B is a trap because sfc does not touch the registry at all, and D is hardware territory that software scans cannot resolve. Quick question for the group though: if sfc finds corruption but reports it cannot repair certain files, what is the next tool you would reach for, and does it need to be run before or after sfc to be most effective?
Grace U.Mar 27, 2026DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth is what you reach for, and it needs to run first because sfc pulls its replacement files from the Windows component store, so if that store itself is damaged, sfc just keeps failing on those same files no matter how many times you run it.
Grace U.Mar 27, 2026The tricky part here is C, because "application crashes" sounds vague enough to make you second-guess it, but sfc /scannow repairs protected Windows system files, and a corrupted system DLL is one of the most common reasons an application will crash, so fixing the underlying file resolves the symptom. B is the distractor that pulls a lot of people, and understandably so, but sfc does not touch registry entries, it only scans and restores protected OS files, so your answers are A and C.
Prof. SaraMar 14, 2026Almost flagged B, then remembered sfc owns system files, which resolves crashes.