How to repair Windows system files using System File Checker

The System File Checker (SFC) is a preinstalled Command Prompt tool in Windows that attempts to repair corrupted system files by replacing them with redundant files. SFC is a mechanism of the Windows File Protection feature.

The SFC tool comes with several switches that perform different functions.

SFC Switches

The
table below lists all the switches which can be used with the SFC command-line
tool and their functions:

Commands	Function
sfc /scannow	Scan for issues. If found, replace the file from the DLL cache.
sfc /scanonce	Will scan only once.
sfc /scanboot	Will scan the computer at every boot.
sfc /revert	Revert the scanning functionality to its original (default) state.
sfc /purgecache	Will remove the Windows File Protection cache and begin a scan over the system files.
sfc /cachesize=X	Set the cache size of the Windows File Protection to X MBs.
sfc /?	Display help regarding switches.

The simplest (and most convenient) method to run an SFC scan is by running the following cmdlet in an elevated Command Prompt:

sfc /scannow

The cmdlet will then perform its job and attempt to repair any protected system files that may have been corrupted.

25 Run Commands in Windows

To use Run commands, you need to know how to open the Run dialog. Pressing the Windows+R keys on the keyboard will open it.

Once the Run dialog is open, enter any of the below-mentioned commands and press the Enter key or click on the OK button to execute it.

#1. Access System Configuration — “msconfig”
#2. Access Resource Monitor — “resmon”
#3. Open System Information — “msinfo32”
#4. Access Backup and Restore window — “sdclt”
#5. Access mouse properties — “main.cpl”
#6. Open Windows Registry — “regedit”
#7. Access System Properties — “sysdm.cpl”
#8. Manage Windows Power options — “powercfg.cpl”
#9. Open Windows Features — “optionalfeatures”
#10. Open Magnifier — “magnify”
#11. Open Character Map app — “charmap”
#12. Access Network Connections — “ncpa.cpl”
#13. Run Malicious Software Removal Tool — “mrt”
#14. Open Device Manager — “devmgmt.msc”
#15. Manage User Accounts — “netplwiz”
#16. Open Services app — “services.msc”
#17. Access Programs and Features window — “appwiz.cpl”
#18. Open Control Panel — “control”
#19. Open current user folder — “.” (period)
#20. Open On-Screen Keyboard — “osk”
#21. Open Snipping Tool — “snippingtool”
#22. Open Windows Memory Diagnostic — “mdsched”
#23. Open any website — “Insert website URL”
#24. Open Remote Desktop Connection — “mstsc”
#25. Open Command Prompt — “cmd”

How to find IP Address of your Router on Windows and Linux

Windows

Windows has multiple ways to do this. We will see it with the command prompt and the network settings area.

And it would help to know that Windows designates the router as Default Gateway.

Open Command Prompt and type ipconfig and press enter:

The IP address given against the Default Gateway is the one we were trying to find. For instance, mine is 192.168.1.1

Now let’s try finding this from the network section.

Enter ncpa.cpl in the Run to directly navigate to Network Connections:

Double click the connection name (ex., Ethernet) to access related settings. Finally, click on Details, and locate the Default Gateway.

Linux

One of the techniques for the Linux people is to have the router’s IP from the terminal.

Open the terminal, type ip r, and hit enter to find the default IP address.

(this should work for most Linux distros)

Android

Looking up your router’s IP address on Android is a three-step process. The first one is to navigate to the WiFi settings. You can do this from the notification panel by long-pressing the name of your WiFi network. Or, you can enter into Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.

Afterward, tap the Gear icon (⚙️).

Subsequently, open the Advanced panel, and scroll down to the Gateway to find out the router’s IP address.

However, these steps depend on the Android type you may have. For instance, the preceding steps are valid for stock Android version 10.0.

But a Samsung Android 11.0 user will have to go through this to find the IP address of the WiFi router.

Here, the IP address is in the URL bar, redirecting to the router’s setup page. Conclusively, this might be slightly different based on which Android device you have.

What is Volume Licensing in Windows?

Enterprises buy Windows license in bulk under Volume Licensing Program. There are two types of keys under this scheme – MAK and KMS. You can use MAK keys only once, while KMS keys can be used multiple time.

– Multiple Activation Key (MAK)

MAK stands for “Multiple Activation Key”. MAK keys are used to activate a specific number of devices. The count is pre-configured as a deal between Microsoft and Enterprise. Every time a device is activated using MAK this is what happens:

1. When you try to activate your copy of Windows 10 via MAK, it will connect to Microsoft’s activation service, verify the key, and subtract 1 from the number of activation still available.

2. MAK keys are best suited for situations where machines are not reinstalled often. Because activation counts are not returned when you wipe a hard drive or reinstall your operating system.

– Key Management Services (KMS)

If a company wants to keep a tap on their Windows 11/10 computer and make sure these computers get back to the corporate network from time to time and do not need to connect to the internet, KMS is the way to go.

Instead of going through Microsoft Activation Server, KMS keys go through corporate KMS servers. Every time a device is activated using KMS this is what happens:

1. Like MAK keys, KMS keys are also holds a specific number of device activation. The difference between the both lies in how we configure and process the KMS activation.

2. When choosing KMS activation, you install a KMS service on one of your Windows servers and that host will then act as an activation server within your organisation. Systems activated through the KMS must periodically re-validate themselves (Every 180 days).

3. The advantage of this method is that you can’t permanently waste KMS keys through a constant cycle of OS re-installation. Eventually expired activation return to the KMS server and increase the available activation count.

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