With Windows 10, Microsoft has produced a mature operating system. With regular updates and the ever-improving Windows Defender, which is making third-party anti-virus programs increasingly obsolete, it’s the most secure Windows yet and the operating system is very stable on most computers. Most users of the system rarely see crashes and blue screens.
However, problems do arise from time to time with Windows 10, and no matter how seldom they occur, it’s just annoying.
Luckily, unlike some older Windows versions, the operating system offers several functions that allow the system to be repaired during operation. In this blog article, we will show you how to easily fix most Windows errors.
In addition to the following detailed explanation, you will find step-by-step instructions at the end of this article.
Install the latest Windows update
In many cases, it’s easy to spot and repair a bug in Windows 10. To correct problems caused by outdated or faulty drivers, or to replace incorrectly installed Windows system files, it often helps to install or reinstall the latest Windows update.
To install the update on Windows 10, open “System Settings” with the key combination WINDOWS+I or with the gear icon in the start menu.
In the “System Preferences” you click on “Update and security” and here on “Check for updates”, or on “Download and install now” if an optional update is already available.
After installing the update and restarting, with a little luck your computer will work as usual again. If not, you can try the Windows Troubleshooting Assistant.
Use the Windows troubleshooting wizard
Troubleshooters have long been an integral part of Microsoft operating systems. In Windows 10, you can now find the troubleshooters centrally in the system settings.
These wizards are particularly helpful and mature when there are problems with certain system functions, such as network connections. With a bit of luck, the Windows wizards can help you solve your problem.
To do this, open the system settings again either with the key combination WINDOWS+I or via the start menu and select the menu item “Updates and Security”. Then navigate to “Troubleshooting”.
In this sub-menu, the troubleshooters are sorted into different categories, so you can easily select the right one for your problem and run it with one click.
If the troubleshooter finds a problem, it guides you interactively through the troubleshooting process so that you can solve your problem directly.
Repair corrupt system file
To ensure the smooth functioning of Windows 10, like all previous Windows operating systems, it uses countless system files. If any of these files become corrupted, damaged or deleted, it can result in an unstable system that keeps having problems.
With a bit of luck, such defective system files will be replaced by a Windows update. If this is not the case, you can use the “System File Check” that Microsoft has installed in Windows 10. To do this, you need to run the “Command Prompt” as an administrator.
To open the “Command Prompt”, call up the “Run” window with the key combination WINDOWS+R and type in the command “cmd.exe” in the dialog line. In this black window, you can use the command “sfc /scannow” to start the System File Check.
Windows is now checking the system files, it can, of course, take some time for the thousands of files to be checked by the system. If the computer finds problems during its scan, Windows will try to fix them automatically. You will then be prompted to restart your computer.
The second tool besides the SFC is the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. If the scan with SFC is unsuccessful, you can try this tool next. To do this, open the “Command Prompt” again with the command “cmd.exe” in the “Run” window.
Now you type in the command “dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”. Just like with SFC, Windows will now check for errors and will attempt to repair them by replacing the broken files with original ones.
It is best not to run any other applications on the computer during the search and repair processes to avoid errors during these processes. Once Windows 10 is done, you should restart your computer.
Using the Upgrade Function in Windows 10 to Repair the System
To save the system files from Windows 10, you can also use your installation ISO or DVD to reinstall. To do this, place or insert the data carrier in the appropriate hardware compartment and open the setup file directly from the desktop.
Instead of reinstalling the entire operating system including all programs, the installation program recognizes your files and programs and only installs the latest Windows 10 version. So now only all system files of the operating system will be reinstalled. In this way, your operating system will be repaired again and should then be fully functional again.
Important! Make sure that you have the “Keep personal files and apps” option activated in the installation menu, which you open via the “setup.exe” file on your data carrier.
If, contrary to expectations, this function does not work either, you can also reset Windows 10. You can achieve this in two ways, both of which are significantly more user-friendly than previous operating systems.
In the system settings (WINDOWS+I), you go back to the “Updates and Security” menu and navigate there to “Recovery”. Here, there is the function “Reset this PC”. Here, you follow Windows’ instructions and can restore the PC before choosing whether you want to keep your own files or “remove everything”.
If you’re resetting your entire computer, it’s a good idea to make a backup beforehand, even if you select the “Keep my files” option, to be safe. We have a tutorial that explains how to create a backup or restore point in Windows 10.
Quick start Guide: Repair Windows 10 with the update function
- Open the system settings with the key combination WINDOWS+I and go to the “Updates and Security” menu.
- Here, you click on the option “Check for updates” and install the latest updates.
Quick guide: Use Windows Troubleshooter
- Open the system settings again and go to the “Updates and security” menu
- Find the Troubleshoot submenu in the left column
- Start the appropriate troubleshooting wizard and follow its instructions
Quick Guide: The Windows Command Prompt
- Open the command prompt with administrator rights via the “Run” window with the command “cmd.exe”
- Enter the command “sfc /scannow” in the command prompt.
- Wait to see if Windows finds an error in the system files. If not, proceed to step 4.
- Enter the command “dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”
- Wait to see if Windows finds an error and restart your computer if necessary.
Quick start Guide: Repair Windows 10 with the upgrade function
- Insert your Windows 10 data medium and start the installation program with the file “setup.exe”.
- Make sure you have enabled the “Keep my files and apps” feature and follow the installation wizard’s instructions.
Quick start Guide: Reset Windows 10 to default
- Create a backup or restore point of your system.
- Go to the “Updates & Security” menu of System Preferences.
- Select the “Recovery” submenu.
- Click on “Reset this PC”.
- Follow the instructions of the installation wizard.
