How to Repair Corrupted Windows System Files

Why Repair System Files?

Corrupted Windows system files can cause crashes, slowdowns, audio dropouts, or instability in dictation software such as Dragon, Eclipse, ProCAT, or Case CATalyst. Running the built‑in repair tools ensures your system is stable and ready for real‑time performance.

Step 1: Run System File Checker (SFC)

SFC scans your system files and replaces any that are corrupted or modified.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

   • Right‑click the Start button → choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).

2. Type:

   Code

    

   sfc /scannow

3. Press Enter and wait for the scan to complete.

4. Results:

   • Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations → No corruption found.

   • Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them → Continue with Step 2.

Step 2: Run DISM (Windows 10/11)

DISM repairs the underlying Windows system image so SFC can work properly.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

2. Type:

   Code

    

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Press Enter. The process may take 5–10 minutes.

4. Restart your computer after completion.

5. Run SFC again to confirm repairs.

Step 3: Windows 7 Users

DISM is not available on Windows 7. Instead, download and run Microsoft’s System Update Readiness Tool. This scans for corruption and attempts to fix it.

Step 4: If Problems Persist

If SFC and DISM cannot repair your system:

• Try System Restore to roll back to an earlier state.

• Use Reset this PC (Windows 10/11) to return Windows to default settings without losing personal files.

• On Windows 7, use your recovery partition or reinstall Windows.

Dictation User Note

Corrupted system files can directly affect dictation performance:

• Audio may cut out or lag.

• Voice recognition may miss words or crash unexpectedly. Repairing system files ensures smoother, more reliable dictation.

When to Contact Support

If errors continue after running these tools:

• Email josh@m-techlaptops.com with your serial number (starts with PS2 or 8).

• Call 626‑243‑3284 (M‑F, 9 AM–5 PM Pacific).

Quick Checklist

• [ ] Run SFC (sfc /scannow)

• [ ] Run DISM (DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth) on Windows 10/11

• [ ] Use System Update Readiness Tool on Windows 7

• [ ] Try System Restore or Reset if needed

• [ ] Contact M‑Tech support if issues persist