CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71)Applications and SoftwareMedium
A user is experiencing issues with a recently installed application on their Windows 10 computer. The application frequently crashes, and some of its icons appear corrupted. The user suspects that critical system files might have been accidentally deleted or corrupted. Which built-in Windows utility should the technician use FIRST to diagnose and repair potential system file corruption?
- ATask Manager
- BSystem File Checker (SFC)
- CSystem Restore
- DDisk Defragmenter
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. System File Checker (SFC)
The System File Checker (SFC) is a Windows utility specifically designed to scan for and restore corrupted or missing critical system files. This directly addresses the user's suspicion of system file corruption causing application issues.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Task Manager monitors running processes and system performance but does not repair system files.
- C. System Restore reverts the system to a previous state, which might fix the issue but is a more drastic step than first checking for file corruption.
- D. Disk Defragmenter optimizes disk performance by reorganizing fragmented files, not repairing system file corruption.
System File Checker (SFC)
A Windows command-line utility that scans for and restores corrupted, damaged, or missing Windows system files.
- Accessed via `sfc /scannow` in Command Prompt (Admin).
- Compares current system files to cached copies.
- Can repair issues causing system instability or application crashes.
- Focuses on core operating system files.
Memory trick: SFC scans for bad files, System Restore rolls back, Disk Defrag tunes, Task Manager monitors.