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Proper usage of these 2 programs?
I assumed that whenever Windows Update performed an Update that the DISM database(?) was also updated and available to run the SFC commands against.
I have never run the DISM CheckHealth option, but do run the SFC /verifyonly and SFC /scannow options after each update. I hardly have any issue but if SFC finds a problem it always fixes it.
Is this OK, or am I running SFC against an outdated database?
If sfc gives you a clean bill of health, you should be OK.
If a problem is not fixable with sfc, it is a good idea to run these commands, in an Elevated Command Prompt, in this sequence:
chkdsk /f (reboot required)
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
Why that order?
System File Checker needs a known-good image from which to restore any corrupted system files. I use that same order because in the distant past when I ran System File Checker first and received the result that corrupt files were found but couldn’t be repaired, I ran the restorehealth command, then ran System File Checker again, and it was able to repair all corrupted files.
Restorehealth restores a known-good image from which sfc can extract known-good files to replace corrupted files. The logical progression is to first provide a known-good image before checking system files, in case corrupted files are encountered.
This sequence took 2:06.15 for completion, including my typing in the commands.
DISM = Deployment Image Servicing and Management; a tool used to service Windows images.
SFC = System File Checker; a tool that repairs missing/corrupted system files.
Basically, SFC does a “quick scan” of just the primary system files and tries to repair any problems it finds while DISM scans everything (i.e. the whole OS including stored backups of installed files, updates, patches and packages) and tries to fix any problems it finds.
While the order you run them in doesn’t really matter, the sequence “normally” recommended is:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth SFC /scannow
Because, if SFC needs to replace one or more files, it’ll fail if the primary store where the backup copies of files are located is corrupt.
Running DISM’s /ScanHealth first lets you know whether the store is good or not and, if it’s not, you’ll need to run the /RestoreHealth option before running SFC.
While the order you run them in doesn’t really matter, the sequence “normally” recommended is:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
SFC /scannow
I have never run /scanhealth, my reasoning being that running /restorehealth does essentially the same thing plus repairs what it finds.
As for chkdsk, that can be run from File Explorer. Right click the drive in question, click Properties, click the Tools tab, then click Check.
I run the restorehealth/sfc combo at least once a month, likely every couple of weeks.
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