[SOLVED] SFCFix cannot repair corrupt files

[jgallimore]

I need some help with SFCFix and Image Health. There are corruptions in my system that these programs cannot fix. SFCFix suggested that I post my log here for help. Help please.

Let me give you a bit of background about my problem. Earlier this week I noticed that numerous programs and handles in Process Explorer had an error in their file path and command line. So I tried removing and reinstalling the offending programs but this did not help. Programs and basic Windows features started crashing. For example, Update would not work. So I went ahead and ran a SFC /scannow but during verification the CMD window disappeared and the computer automatically reset. Upon restart, I was prompted to run a CHKDSK so I let the system run the CHKDSK. The system looped 2 or 3 times where it kept doing CHKDSKs and would not let me log in. Finally after about 3 CHKDSKs, I could boot into the system but the system was not happy. Numerous file paths had errors in Process Explorer and Windows processes like Computer Management and Explorer.exe kept crashing. So I tried a system restore but this did not help. And at one point, I could not even log into my system. After trying numerous recovery options, I used a system image to restore windows. I could now boot into the system but there were major corruptions and I knew that I needed to remove some Windows Updates that are notorious for corrupting systems like KB 3022345. Needless to say, I've been running SFC /scannow, SFCFix, DISM, and Image Health to repair my computer. I've finally gotten Update to work and even replaced some corrupt .dll but files keep corrupting and random windows components are failing so I do not think that I've found the root of the problem. SFCFix reports errors that it cannot fix so I am asking for help. HELP!?!?!

Oh and just because I'm sure it will come up, I have completed anti-virus, malware, and rootkit scans. No viruses have been found.

OS: Windows 7 Professional SP1
Anti-virus: MS Security Essentials
Malware: Spybot
View attachment Dism Details.txt
View attachment 18302
View attachment CheckSUR.persist.log
View attachment CheckSUR.log
I uploaded my CBS log with the SFCFixScript.txt and SFCFix.exe

 

[jgallimore]

UPDATE!!!
During this system failure, I've learned a lot about Windows file systems and how to repair / reset them. I am happy to report that I am no longer getting SFC errors but my solution took a lot of trial and error to figure out. Last I reported, I needed help with errors that SFC /scannow and SFCFix could not fix. Here is my solution.

1) I had to learn how to read the CBS log. The thing you are looking for in the log is the word "error". Often, the CBS log is enormous, especially if you've ran SFC numerous times like I did. The most recent part of this log is at the bottom of the text CBS.txt file located in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS. I went to the bottom of the log and did a CRTL+F and searched up through the document to find the word "error". Surprisingly, the errors I found in the CBS.text file were the same files reported in the SFCFix log file. Once you know the corrupt files, you need to replace them with another copy using the CMD prompt at admin level.

2) If you have not already downloaded and ran Windows Update Readiness tool, then download KB947821 that is appropriate for your system. This tool is designed to reset/fix the winsxs folder and will create a CheckSUR log in the C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. The CheckSUR log will help you identify other corrupt files that need to be replaced. In my case, the components store was corrupt and Windows was having a problem with an update KB3101746. I needed to remove and reinstall this update but it did not show up in Installed Updates. So I had to use the command line to remove and reinstall the update but this did not initially work because some of the update files were corrupt. I had to fix the corrupt files from the update by extracting the files I needed from the new Windows update I had downloaded (use the "extract" command in CMD and Winrar will get you into the .cab files). Using the CMD prompt, I had to replace the corrupt files. Once the corrupt files were replaced, I used the "wusa.exe" command in the command prompt to install and then uninstall this update.

3) Once the update was removed, I could turn my attention to the corrupt files identified by the CBS, SFCFix, and Update Readiness Tool. I could replace the corrupt .cat and .mum files with SFC /scannow, Readiness Tool, and SCFFix but I had manifest files that were corrupt. The only way to replace corrupt manifests files is to copy the corrupt files from another machine that is the same build (i.e., the same exact version of windows). It just so happens that I have the same OS installed on my laptop so I copied good copies of the corrupt files to a flash drive and used the CMD prompt to replace the corrupt files. (***Note: you may need to repeat scans and replace files until no more corruption is found.)

4) With the corrupt files replaced, I restarted and ran a SFC /scannow which came back clean. So I used the Update Readiness Tool which reported my system as clean. So I ran a few chkdsk /R and sfc /scannow to make sure everything was stable. Then I installed KB3101746 and installed any other updates. I cleaned up my temp files and used DISM to clean up my disk image (Image Health is a free program that will help you do this or you can use "DISM" in the command prompt).



Below is the method I used to get the CMD to replace system files.
"Before placing the files in the appropriate locations, you may need to grant yourself permissions to edit the folder’s contents; below is a quick guide on how to achieve this.

• At an elevated command prompt: takeown /f <Path_And_File_Name>
  Example: takeown /f C:\Windows\winsxs\ x86_microsoft-windows-ie-adminkitmostfiles_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_abfb5fd109dad8b8
• Now grant full access to the file: icacls <Path_And_File_Name> /grant Administrators:F
  Example: icacls C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-ie-adminkitmostfiles_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_abfb5fd109dad8b8 /grant Administrators:F
• Now replace the file with a known good copy: <Copy Path_And_File_Name_Of_Source_File Path_And_File_Name_Of_Destination>
  Example: copy C:\Temp\admparse.dll c:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-ieadminkitmostfiles_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_abfb5fd109dad8b8\admparse.dll"

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2700601

I had trouble with the copy command in the third bullet point but after taking ownership and granting access to the corrupt file means you can copy and paste with the GUI interface (e.g., drag the good file from your flash drive into the corrupt file directory).

***Always run your command prompts at Admin Level.

 

[jgallimore]

Xer -You're welcome. I hope others find this information useful because I had to search many corners of the internet to get this information.

***I want to add one more update. I had to reformat and reinstall Windows numerous times to finally figure out that AI Suite 2 from ASUS was causing the corruption problems so even my backup system images or system restore could not help me fix this problem. A reinstall was not a huge deal because I routinely back up my data to internally slaved drives.

To figure out the source of the corruption, I systematically removed components like my esata connection and slaved hard drives, and prioritized the programs I installed. My goal was to determine when the corruption occurred because my new installs were corrupting within hours after install which should only happen if the hard drive is bad or the install media is corrupt. Heck, I was beginning to suspect Hard Drive failure on a 6 month old SSD (Vertex 460A) but every diagnostic tool said it was in tip-top shape. Finally after my 5th or 6th corruption / reinstall, I booted into Windows 7 and a pop up window told me that AI Suite 2 from ASUS was not compatible with Windows 7 and was causing the corruption problems. I'm not sure how my system survived for 2 or 3 years with AI Suite 2 on it without this corruption occurring sooner. Perhaps a recent Windows Update was causing the conflict? Needless to say, I have not experienced corruption problems since my most recent install where AI Suite 2 was omitted.

Bottom line: Back up your data and try to fix your computer problems but there comes a point where a reinstall will save you more time than fighting a week long software battle.