If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track. Run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe)

Learn how to use Manage and Optimize Drives to keep your disk and data drives defragmented and at top performance in Windows.

All Outlook Data Files (.pst) and Offline Data Files (.ost) are listed along with the name of the account the files are associated with. If you cannot open your Outlook data file or suspect that the file is damaged, use the Inbox Repair tool (scanpst.exe) to repair errors in the file.

Microsoft ended support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. This change has affected your software updates and security options. Learn what this means for you and how to stay protected. Describes how to reset the Hosts file back to the default.

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan will automatically detect and remove or quarantine malware. Learn how to remove malware from your PC. Use Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 or Windows 11 to scan your PC for malware, viruses, or other threats.

To start the Disk Cleanup tool and specify the hard disk to be cleaned by using the command line, follow these steps: Click Start, and then click Run. c:\windows\SYSTEM32\cleanmgr.exe /d Drive Note In this command, the placeholder Drive represents the drive letter of the hard disk to be cleaned.

Learn how to update drivers in Windows using Device Manager to update or reinstall a driver.

BitLocker Drive Encryption allows you to manually encrypt a specific drive or drives on a device running Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition. For devices managed by an organization, BitLocker Drive Encryption is usually managed by the IT department, as encryption might be required by organizational policies.

Windows Security Update. This update provides latest updates for Windows Security platform, which is comprised of the Windows Security app and its underlying service. To obtain the current version of Windows Security app, please run powershell command below: Get-AppPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI.

Codecs in Media Player. Windows 11 Windows 10. Codecs allow you to play different formats of audio and video files. Media Player supports a wide variety of codecs. Most are included out of the box; some additional codecs can be installed from the Microsoft Store.