Corrupted system files causing weird glitches

What Are Corrupted System Files?

Windows is made up of thousands of files that control everything from the Start menu to how programs run. When some of these files get corrupted - due to bad updates, sudden power loss, malware, or hard drive errors - you'll see weird behavior. This includes missing right-click menus, Start menu not working, icons looking wrong, error messages about missing DLL files, or features that used to work suddenly not responding.

The good news is Windows has built-in tools to find and fix corrupted system files automatically. Let's use them.

Quick Fix: Run System File Checker

System File Checker (SFC) scans all Windows system files and replaces corrupted ones with fresh copies. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will take 15-30 minutes. Don't interrupt it or close the window.

When it finishes, if it says "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them," restart your computer and your glitches should be gone.

Detailed Fix Steps

Method 1: Run SFC and DISM Together

Sometimes SFC can't fix everything on its own. DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) can repair the Windows image that SFC uses as a reference. Here's the complete process:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)
2. Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth and press Enter (this checks if corruption exists)
3. Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and press Enter (this does a deeper scan)
4. If corruption is found, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter (this fixes it - takes 10-20 minutes)
5. After DISM finishes, type sfc /scannow and press Enter
6. Wait for SFC to complete (15-30 minutes)
7. Restart your computer

This two-step process fixes almost all system file corruption issues.

Method 2: Check Your Hard Drive

Hard drive errors can cause system file corruption. Windows can scan and repair these automatically.

1. Press Windows + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)
2. Type chkdsk C: /f /r and press Enter (replace C: with your Windows drive if different)
3. You'll be asked to schedule the scan for next restart - type Y and press Enter
4. Restart your computer
5. The scan will run before Windows starts (this takes 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on drive size)
6. Let it complete - don't interrupt it

After the scan completes and Windows starts normally, run SFC again to repair any files that were corrupted due to disk errors.

Method 3: Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

Sometimes Windows updates themselves corrupt system files. If glitches started right after an update, try removing it.

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history
2. Scroll down and click Uninstall updates
3. Look at the "Installed On" date to find recent updates
4. Right-click the most recent update and select Uninstall
5. Restart your computer
6. Check if glitches are resolved

After uninstalling, you can pause updates for a week (Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates) while you wait for Microsoft to fix the problematic update.

Method 4: Reset Windows Components

Some glitches are caused by corrupted settings rather than corrupted files. You can reset specific Windows components:

For Start Menu issues:

1. Right-click Start and select Windows Terminal (Admin)
2. Type this command and press Enter: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
3. Wait for it to complete (lots of red text is normal)
4. Restart your computer

For Windows Search issues:

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps
2. Find "Windows Search" or "Cortana"
3. Click Advanced options > Reset
4. Restart your computer

Method 5: Perform an In-Place Upgrade

If nothing else works, an in-place upgrade reinstalls Windows while keeping your files and programs. This replaces all system files with fresh copies.

1. Go to Microsoft's website and download the Windows Media Creation Tool
2. Run the tool and select "Upgrade this PC now"
3. Choose "Keep personal files and apps" when prompted
4. Follow the prompts - this takes 1-2 hours
5. Your PC will restart several times during the process
6. After completion, all your files and programs remain, but Windows system files are fresh

If That Didn't Work

If you're still experiencing glitches after trying these fixes, consider these additional steps:

• Check for driver updates, especially graphics drivers. Outdated drivers can cause visual glitches that seem like file corruption.
• Run a full malware scan with Windows Security. Some malware disguises itself as system file corruption.
• Check your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic (press Windows + R, type mdsched.exe). Bad RAM can cause random corruption.
• Back up your files and consider a clean Windows installation if corruption is severe and persistent.