Microsoft KB Archive/928228

= How to analyze the log file entries that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker (SFC.exe) program generates in Windows Vista =

Article ID: 928228

Article Last Modified on 3/15/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Windows Vista Business
 * Windows Vista Enterprise
 * Windows Vista Home Basic
 * Windows Vista Home Premium
 * Windows Vista Ultimate
 * Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition
 * Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition
 * Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition
 * Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition
 * Windows Vista Starter

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INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to analyze the log files that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker (SFC.exe) program generates in Windows Vista.



Overview
You can use the SFC.exe program to help you troubleshoot crashes that occur in the user mode part of Windows Vista. These crashes may be related to missing or damaged operating system files.

The SFC.exe program performs the following operations:
 * It verifies that non-configurable Windows Vista system files have not changed. Also, it verifies that these files match the operating system's definition of which files are expected to be installed on the computer.
 * It repairs non-configurable Windows Vista system files, when it is possible.

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:  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. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

findstr /c:&quot;[SR]&quot; %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:

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

, Info   CSI    00000006 [SR] Verifying 100 (0x00000064) components , Info  CSI    00000007 [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction , Info  CSI    00000008 [SR] Repairing corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:108{54}]&quot;\??\E:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO&quot;\[l:20{10}]&quot;dao360.dll&quot; from store , 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.

Keywords: kbexpertiseadvanced kbfilesystems kbhowto kbinfo KB928228

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