It has long ceased to be a secret that operating systems from Microsoft, especially Windows 10, have various problems and errors. In general, this practice is normal, since in programming it is impossible to create code that will be protected from all "threats". However, in Windows, errors tend to accumulate, and when their mass approaches a critical point, a collapse can easily happen. Therefore, it is advisable to periodically scan the operating system for minor errors and correct them in a timely manner.
How to check the hard drive for errors using standard Windows 10 tools
Oddly enough, but the most important computer check should begin not with the operating system, but with the hardware, more specifically, the hard drive. The hard drive is the most important part of your computer for Windows to function.... Small breakdowns and errors on the surface are common, but when system files are located on sectors with errors, the OS may stop functioning. It is very important to prevent the appearance of problems and bad sectors: the former will lead to the crash of the operating system, and the latter can irreparably damage even personal information... To analyze the surface of the hard drive, the Check Disk utility built into the system is used. Like a lot Windows programs, the application works through the terminal command line(KS), which is called on behalf of the administrator:
It is important to remember that you cannot close the terminal while the Check disk program is running, otherwise the program will stop. And not only may the errors not be fixed, but in connection with the shutdown of the program, new problems may appear on the surface.
Video: how to work with the Check Disk utility
How to scan Windows system files
Integrity scan system files can also be done with Windows tools. For this there is a special utility called System File Check. It also works through the command line terminal, and its main task is to analyze Windows files for integrity and recovery, in the event that they have been modified by viruses or hard disk errors:
How to check Windows 10 storage for errors
SFC can only repair damaged system files if the Windows store is intact. However, if the problems have reached the installation components of the system, then it is necessary to restore them as well.
If the store is corrupted sfc / scannow will not work as expected To restore the storage, the DISM.exe (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) utility is used. Since Windows 7, the program is included in standard set system components and is called through the COP:
During the test, the "slider" can get stuck at the 20% mark for a long time, but you cannot turn off the PC or close the console while the program is running.
After completing the process, you can again use the SFC utility to restore system files, in case it was previously impossible due to damaged storage.
Video: Check Windows with SFC and DISM System Utilities
Checking Windows Integrity via PowerShell Terminal
Another option for restoring storage is a special command in the PowerShell console interface.
Windows PowerShell is a new console in Windows 10 that aims to complement and eventually replace the legacy Command Prompt Terminal. Among other things, you can use PowerShell to manage standard operating system applications, the Store, and more. Restoration of storage files is also included in the list of functions of the new management terminal:
- In the search for the system, enter PowerShell, and then open the result with the signature "Classic application" as an administrator.
Through Windows search run PowerShell as administrator - In the console, we register and run the Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth command. For its correct execution, an active Internet connection is required.
In the console we register and run the command Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth - We wait until the task is completed, after which we restart the PC.
The vault recovery process may take some time
Third-party programs to check the system for errors
In addition to the built-in tools for correcting errors and system shortcomings, there are specialized programs and utilities from third-party developers. Most of them work on the principle of click to all repair (one-click fix) - a function to simplify the interaction between the program and the user. Such programs can solve a lot of system problems, but you should carefully approach their choice, since they can also create problems. Excessive tampering with the registry or the operation of services can adversely affect the operation of Windows.
Windows Repair Toolbox is a comprehensive operating system maintenance utility with a huge number of features. The functionality of the program is almost unlimited, since it uses other specialized applications. They are available for download and installation right inside the Windows Repair Toolbox interface.
Windows Repair Toolbox is a comprehensive utility for operating system maintenance Unfortunately, the program does not have a Russian interface, however, it is very easy to navigate by the names of the graph and applications. In addition to standard searches for system errors, registry and hard drive problems, the application also includes:
- removal of malware;
- test of opening file types and device capabilities;
- uninstalling programs;
- creating backups and more.
Anvisoft PC PLUS is free program that was created on the principle of Microsoft Fix It. Only, unlike its "relative", Anvisoft PC PLUS successfully works on later Windows versions.
The program performs different tasks, mainly fixing system errors, adding libraries, it can even fix some of the BSoD errors ( blue screen of death).
Anvisoft PC PLUS is a program for fixing operating system errors The way the program works is very simple: you need to select a problem category and run the fix tool. Within a short period of time, the application will form a list possible problems and will create a scenario for solving them. The user is only required to start the process in action.
Preventing the appearance of serious errors is an important component of the longevity of the operating system and the computer as a whole. It is better to spend an hour in one or two months than to waste days on end to reinstall the operating system and earn money for new components.
Over time, the Windows 10 operating system, like any other, starts to work slower, all sorts of errors occur, programs take a long time to load. In this case, after manual optimization of the work of "dozens" by means built into the system itself, it also makes sense check the top ten for internal errors and OS integrity.
Of course, for most of us it would be much more convenient to carry out all such checks with one click, which is why all kinds of optimizer applications are so incredibly popular. However, my personal experience is that when solving problems with Windows 10 (and other versions), it is best to use built-in utilities and system methods. This method ensures that the operating system will not be damaged, and also protects against all kinds of threats from third-party programs... In general, the work of all kinds of optimizing applications reminds me of the behavior of an elephant in a china shop: without really understanding the details, they try to speed up the computer at any cost. The result, as a rule, is quite deplorable: the speed of the system first increases, and then decreases again, unknown errors appear, the services necessary for a particular user are turned off, etc. As a result, the integrity of Windows 10 itself is violated, and from this the system begins to slow down and "glitch" even more.
So, in order to check the top ten for errors there is a built-in utility. It is called SFC and works in all versions of the Windows operating system starting from XP. To start it, you first need to open a new Command Prompt window in Windows 10. To do this, click on the Start menu with the RIGHT mouse button and select the "Windows PowerShell (administrator)" item.
The old familiar version of the Command Line is launched through a search (magnifying glass icon on the taskbar). Enter letters cmd and right-click to launch the found tool “Command Line. Classic application "as administrator.
Next, in the command line that opens, type the command “ sfc / scannow"(Without quotes and with a space before the slash) and press Enter. After that, a system scan will begin, which, depending on the performance of the computer, can last from several minutes on fast machines to an hour or more on outdated ones. Progress can be monitored as percentage of completion of the operation.
In most cases, the operation will be completed successfully and a window will appear as in the screenshot below. In the best case, the damage will not be detected at all. If everything worked out for you, then you will not have to take any further action.
If the message “ Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files, but cannot repair some of them", You can continue the restore operation using the utility DISM, which will try to fix existing errors.
Before launching it, you need to prepare. First, turn off the computer and disconnect everything unnecessary from it: flash drives, other removable drives, etc. We turn on and wait for the system to boot. When Windows 10 has fully started, we look at which programs we started with the system and close them. To do this, hold down the Alt key, press Tab and close all active programs with the mouse. We also close all running applications on the right side of the Taskbar (for example, antivirus or Google chrome, which even when the window is closed, continues to run in the background). To do this, move the cursor over the program logo in the lower right corner, right-click and select "Exit".
Now you need to make sure that the computer is connected to the network, and also that the power supply mode does not provide for shutdown hard drives from power supply during prolonged inactivity of the user. The fact is that the recovery process is not very fast (it took me 10-15 minutes), so you need to protect your computer from shutting down during operation. The Internet connection must remain active, as in the process Windows recovery can use the update center. Power supply settings can be checked by RIGHT-clicking on the Start menu and selecting the third item “Power management.
After all this, you can run the command line. ( remind: cmd in the search bar and run as Administrator or Windows PowerShell (administrator) from the Start menu with the right mouse button) Next, copy from here and paste the following command with the right mouse button:
DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / ScanHealth
The utility starts scanning operating system Windows 10 for errors and corruption. This process, as I wrote above, took about 10-15 minutes on my computer. Hanging on certain time at a rate of 20.0% is perfectly normal. Then, as in the image below, a message will appear stating that the Component Store is to be restored. (If not, then without the help of specialists we are unlikely to be able to cope with it - unless reinstall Windows 10 clean) .
To try to repair the damaged parts of our operating system, enter the following command in the Command Prompt and, as always, press Enter:
DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / RestoreHealth
A process begins, similar to the previous one both externally and in duration. Again about 10-15 minutes, again hanging at 20.0%.
In most cases, DISM will fix everything. The message appears: " Recovery completed successfully". Finally, you can double-check whether the errors in the operating system remain a utility SFC (see the beginning of the article).
However, it also happens that to restore the integrity and fix Windows errors 10 fails with DISM. So it happened for me when I was writing this article and doing all of the above on my own computer. As a result of the work, the DISM utility gave me a message in the Command line stating that it was impossible to find the source files for recovery and, therefore, it did not fix the errors.
In this case, of course, you can continue to try to restore the integrity of Windows 10 and fix errors in the system. To do this, as a rule, you need to have a clean image previously saved somewhere, from which the OS was installed. Personally, I decided not to go further into the jungle and just reinstalled the "top ten" cleanly... But if you have the time and desire to figure out how to restore components without a complete reinstallation, then perhaps reading the comments in the corresponding subject on the Microsoft forum.
“Keep track of storage space, install updates on time and check your system for viruses” - this is the most obvious advice to owners of Windows PCs. It's always important to keep your laptop or tablet safe. Microsoft started taking security seriously after a rather gross bug in Windows XP. Only in Windows 8 and Windows 10 did Microsoft include a tool to detect and fix errors on your devices.
With Windows 8 and Windows 10, you automatically get free antivirus protection. What's more, you don't have to manage your updates yourself or download them from the website. They work autonomously and efficiently, keeping your device as safe as possible. Microsoft calls its suite of antivirus Windows tools Defender.
Here's how to scan viruses in Windows 10 using Windows Defender, the security program built into every new laptop, tablet, and desktop with the latest operating system. Microsoft system 2 in 1.
Before we start
Before we get started, there are a few things to note.
Note! It is important that you have some kind of security always available to you to prevent virus infections and other problems.
How to find Windows Defender and make sure it's turned on
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard, or Windows button on the taskbar on your tablet to open the Start Menu.
Please note that if you are using the device in Tablet Mode, you will get a startup screen instead of the startup menu.
- Click "Settings". They are located in the lower left corner of the start screen.
- Welcome to the Settings app. Now click on Update & Security.
In the "Update & Security" section, you will find everything you need to secure your PC. Centre Windows updates ensures that Windows Defender will have Latest updates to detect viruses. This is the first screen you will see. Updates are installed automatically in Windows 10. This eliminates the need to manually scan for new virus definitions before running antivirus diagnostics.
- Click Windows Defender from the menu on the left side of the Settings app. This is the second menu item.
If these switches are grayed out, you can rest assured that Windows Defender is disabled on your device. You will need to remove another security system if you want to use Windows Defender. You can do this from the control panel or from the "Settings" application in the "System" section.
- If all of these switches are turned on, you are likely to get virus definitions from Microsoft servers and Windows will scan your files in real time.
Although Microsoft has integrated these settings into the Settings app, it has yet to add the actual scanning to the Settings app. To do this, you need to go to a separate area.
- Click the "Open Windows Defender" link at the bottom of the screen.
Diagnostics with Windows Defender
Welcome to Windows Defender. A lot has changed in Windows, but Windows Defender itself looks the same as it always does.
Note! Since it's a standalone application, you don't need to dive into the Settings app before accessing Windows Defender. It's much easier than trying to remember exactly how Microsoft named the program ...
In the list of possible options on the right, determine if you want to scan the entire computer or run express diagnostics to check the system for any urgent problems. It also provides a function to diagnose certain files.
Note! Windows 10 scans downloads for you in real time. You will hardly need to use this option often.
Since updates are managed by Windows Update, you don't need this tab. The History tab allows you to track information found by Windows Defender. If Windows Defender detects anything during a scan, it will give you the option to quarantine or remove that item. If this is the file you downloaded, always choose delete.
If this windows file, open it and update your computer immediately.
Good luck with Windows Defender. We hope you don't need it!
Video - Check Disk for Errors in Windows 10
In any operating system, including Windows 10, errors occur during operation. The reasons for their appearance are different: errors on the part of the user (forcibly turned off the computer during the update process), errors related to the operation installed programs, errors arising from a malfunction hard disk, viral activity, etc. In fairness, it should be noted that, starting with Windows 7, operating systems Microsoft became more stable in operation and easier to recover from failures. More and more users are installing a system partition on an SSD, which, compared to hard disk(HDD) increases reliability and speed Windows work... How to check Windows 10 for errors - this is the topic of this article.
How to check Windows 10 for errors yourself and fix them
Use the method below to check Windows 10 for errors. We will not use third-party utilities, but use the tools that Microsoft offers us to check. Let us put our trust in the system developers - after all, they know better how Windows works, what problems it may have and how best to troubleshoot the problems that have arisen.
How to find errors with the SFC utility in Windows 10
The SFC utility is a command known to computer experts that checks system files, detects damaged ones and, if necessary, repairs them. To run it, run Command Prompt (as administrator) and enter the sfc / scannow command 
... Be sure to wait until the work is complete.
If everything is in order, the check will complete without errors or with a message about their correction, otherwise if a message appears about errors found in system files (for example, Windows Resource Protection found corrupted files, but cannot restore some of them), you will need to use another utility.
DISM helps user to check Windows 10
Windows 10 includes a useful repair utility called DISM. Before using it, restart your computer, disconnect external data storage devices (flash drives, external drives, memory card), exit programs that have autorun (including Anti-Virus). You can check programs that are still running, for example, through the "Task Manager" and, if detected, close their work there. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet and the computer will not go into sleep mode when the user is inactive, and hard drives will not turn off to save energy.
Run Command Prompt again as Administrator and enter the command: DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / ScanHealth. Application start: 
Please be patient and wait for the results of the program check. When finished, you may receive a message that "the component store is recoverable" 
in this case enter the command: DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / RestoreHealth
From the names it can be understood that in the first case we checked the system installed on the disk, and now we are restoring.
At the end of the work, you will receive a message "Recovery was successful".
If the work of DISM at the first stage revealed critical errors that cannot be fixed, then the most optimal solution would be to reinstall Windows. Before doing this, make sure that your HDD in order, for example, using the CristalDiskInfo or Victoria program - they scan SMART - service information that the disk stores about its work, and the chkdsk command launched from the command line (on behalf of the administrator) will check and fix possible disk errors.
Typically, Windows 10 Diagnostic Mode (formerly called Safe Mode) starts automatically when the operating system shuts down improperly, as well as various Windows crashes.
Safe Mode - diagnostic mode of the Windows 10 operating system
I would like to note right away as a specialist installer of Windows - this mode in 10 has undergone solid changes. There has never been such extensive diagnostics and recovery tools in Windows operating systems.
That is why, we will take a closer look at how to work in the diagnostic safe mode in order to be able to restore Windows 10. Preparing for such tasks will always come in handy for experienced users and system administrators.
2 Ways to Run Windows 10 Safe Diagnostic Mode
How to enter safe windows mode 10? In previous versions of Windows, you could start Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key. And now, in order to start the diagnostic mode in Windows 10 manually, you need to do the following:
In the window that opens, go to the "Recovery" tab, then "Special boot options" and click the "Restart now" button; 
Windows 10 is forced to reboot;
Windows 10 Diagnostic Mode in action
After we run forced reboot computer in a special boot option, the Windows 10 system does not boot, and a blue "Select action" window appears, where we need to decide and choose from the options: 
- "Continue" - in this case we exit the diagnostic mode, the Windows 10 system is booted;
- "Troubleshooting" - by choosing this particular tab, we will be able to carry out full diagnostics systems;
- "Turn off computer" - accordingly, in this case the computer is turned off.
We open the 2nd tab, the "Diagnostics" window opens in front of us. Here we can also select tasks from 2 options: "Return the computer to its original state", "Additional parameters". Consider all cases of development of events, first select "Return the computer to its original state"; 
Everything is clear here without comments, so we proceed to study the "Additional parameters" tab, to select which we press the button with the arrow in the upper left corner. 
In the "Additional parameters" tab there are a lot of useful utilities that can be used to revive the operating room. Windows system 10. Let's take a closer look at this whole gentleman's set of system diagnostics!
- System Restore - This tab is used to restore the system to a specific point in time. To use this feature, a restore point must be created. Restore points are created automatically (when this option is enabled on the disk) at certain times (for example, after installing a program or updating Windows), you can also create such points manually. A very useful option! I advise, from time to time, to create points manually.
Now let's open the System Restore tab and see what is there. So we choose account, under which we want to open the recovery process, in the next window, enter the password and click the "Continue" button, the "Restore system files and parameters" window opens. And we see that there are no restore points on the system drive. By default, "System Restore" is disabled, it must be enabled in the "System Protection" tab, which will be discussed in detail in the "System Restore" review article. 
- System image recovery - if you select this option, you also need to select an account on whose behalf the recovery will be performed, then Windows looks for a system image on the disk and displays messages asking you to specify the location backup... We will consider this option in the near future. Follow the news on the website and in the group in VK!
- Startup Repair - when you select this option, the system tries to troubleshoot problems that prevent Windows 10 from booting.
- Command Prompt - Selecting this tab opens the Command Prompt. Windows environment 10, from where you can perform a lot of manipulations with the system (for example, run a Chkdsk disk check, open the Diskpart utility for working with hard disks, and much more);
- Boot options - by selecting this mode, you can boot Windows 10 in safe mode, which enables debug mode, logs the boot, and disables automatic system reboot in case of a system failure. Start Windows 10 Safe Mode with the specified useful options very simple. You just need to select one of the options using the F4-F6 keys. Next comes Windows boot 10 in safe mode;
