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.
