System File Checker reports changes

Helpline Q&A Directory

I consider my Windows 98 system to be stable so I was very surprised, having run SFC (System File Checker), to find that 11 files were not as expected. Should I replace these or leave them alone?

If you found only 11 changes, you're doing well and, if the system is working, it's best to leave it alone. It's likely that the changes occurred because the files were replaced by newer versions, which are backwards compatible with the old file. It's unadvisable to replace a newer file with the original, as it may contain a feature that is required by the application.

What you should do is pay attention to the information SFC displays when it finds a change. It will show the file's previous version number (as recorded in its database) and the current version number. If the current version number is greater than the previous one, you can ignore the change. You could even update the verification information if you're sure that the update is okay. This will prevent the change being flagged up next time you run SFC.

If the current version number is older, however, it might be wise to restore the original version from the Windows CD. Allow SFC to make a backup of the current version in case you experience problems later on and want to try putting that version back.