How to view the log file

The SFC.exe program writes the details of each verification operation and of each repair operation to the CBS.log file. Each SFC.exe program entry in this file has an [SR] tag. The CBS.log file is located in the %windir%\Logs\CBS folder.

Note The Windows Modules Installer service also writes to this log file. (The Windows Modules Installer service installs optional features, updates, and service packs.)

You can search for [SR] tags to help locate SFC.exe program entries. To perform this kind of search and to redirect the results to a text file, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, type cmd in the Start Search box, right-click cmd in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator.
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt

The Sfcdetails.txt file includes the entries that are logged every time that the SFC.exe program runs on the computer.

How to interpret the log file entries

The SFC.exe program verifies files in groups of 100. Therefore, there will be many groups of SFC.exe program entries. Each entry has the following format:

The following sample excerpt from a CBS.log file shows that the SFC.exe program did not identify any problems with the Windows Vista system files:

<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000006 [SR] Verifying 100 (0x00000064) components
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000007 [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000009 [SR] Verify complete
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000a [SR] Verifying 100 (0x00000064) components
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000b [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000d [SR] Verify complete
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000e [SR] Verifying 100 (0x00000064) components
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000f [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000011 [SR] Verify complete
<additional entries>
<additional entries>
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000011 [SR] Verify complete

The following sample excerpt from a CBS.log file shows that the SFC.exe program has identified problems with the Windows Vista system files:

<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000006 [SR] Verifying 100 (0x00000064) components
<additional entries>
<additional entries>
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000007 [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    00000008 [SR] Repairing corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:108{54}]"\??\E:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO"\[l:20{10}]"dao360.dll" from store
<date> <time>, Info   CSI    0000000a [SR] Verify complete

Note Although the log file entry states that the SFC.exe program is repairing the changed file, no actual repair operation occurs when a file is verified.

The following table lists other messages that may be logged in the SFC.exe program entries of the CBS.log file after verification is completed.