As stable as Windows is, it’s eventually bound to break. It could be a bad driver or a rushed Windows update. Microsoft’s flagship operating system isn’t as bulletproof as it would like you to believe.
After rescuing multiple Windows systems from the brink of digital oblivion, I’ve learned that the mouse is often useless when things go sideways. Just like there are Windows commands that are easy to learn but make a big difference, you need to keep some tools handy for when Windows eventually breaks.
Windows’ built-in repair trio
The holy trinity of SFC, DISM, and CHKDSK
When Windows starts acting weird—random crashes, features disappearing, or that maddening “something went wrong” message—you need to troubleshoot in a specific order.
First comes the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool. Type and run the following command in an elevated Windows Terminal window.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
DISM will then scan your Windows image and download fresh files from Windows Update servers to replace corrupted ones. I always run this command before SFC (System File Checker) because if your system image is corrupted, SFC will just pull from a broken source.
Once DISM completes, it’s time to run the SFC tool with the following command:
sfc /scannow
This command verifies every protected system file against Microsoft’s cryptographic signatures and replaces everything that doesn’t match. The process takes some time, but I’ve seen SFC fix everything from broken Start menus to applications that refuse to launch for no apparent reason. In fact, it’s good maintenance practice to run the two tools on your Windows PC from time to time.
CHKDSK or the Check Disk tool handles the storage part of the problem. Once you’re done with DISM and SFC, run the following command:
chkdsk C: /f /r
The /f parameter fixes file system errors, while /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable data. I usually run this when I suspect drive issues like unusual slowdowns, files that won’t open, or that gut feeling that your SSD is having a bad day. Keep in mind that you’ll often need to restart for this to run properly.
The network resurrection kit
IP resets, DNS flushes, and other last-ditch connectivity fixes
Nothing’s more frustrating than a network connection that cuts off mysteriously. When the Wi-Fi icon shows “connected, no internet,” GUI troubleshooting is often just a waste of time.
Start by running the following command:
ipconfig /release
Followed by
ipconfig /renew
This drops your current IP lease and requests a fresh one from the router’s DHCP server. If that fails, you can also run:
ipconfig /flushdns
This clears the DNS resolver cache, which fixes connection issues where you might not be able to reach specific websites. Alternatively, you can also run:
netsh int ip reset
The command completely rebuilds your TCP/IP stack. This is often the nuclear option for network issues as it resets every network component to factory defaults. It’s most helpful on older computers where the network adapter has accumulated years of conflicting configurations.
Once you’re done troubleshooting, you can run this command to verify connectivity:
pint -t 8.8.8.8
This runs a continuous ping to Google’s DNS, showing real-time information on whether your connection is dropping packets or not. Another helpful command is netstat -an, which shows every open port and connection—a handy way of checking outbound connections if you suspect malware is phoning home.
Killing runaway processes the hard way
Tasklist and taskkill when Task Manager gives up
When the GUI freezes, but the system hasn’t completely locked up, you need to kill processes from the command line. You can check running processes with their PIDs using the tasklist command, and the best way to shut down rogue tasks is via this command:
taskkill /IM processname.exe /F
The /F flag is crucial as it forces termination when a process refuses to close gracefully. Keep in mind that you will have to get the process name exactly right.
You can also use it in sequence with the start command to completely restart the shell without rebooting. Just run the following commands one at a time:
taskill /IM explorer.exe /F
start explorer.exe
I’ve used this combination to recover systems where Explorer has crashed and won’t restart, or when a runaway application is consuming 100% CPU and the Task Manager won’t open. And if you’re using this hidden Windows terminal feature, you can restart the Windows Explorer without ever needing the mouse.
Diagnosing what Windows won’t tell you
Systeminfo and recovery commands that surface the real problem
Before making any major changes to a system, it’s always best to get some situational awareness. The systeminfo command dumps your entire system configuration, including the OS version, patches, hardware specs, and network details.
You can also use restrui.exe to launch System Restore from the command line. When you can’t reach the GUI but can still boot to a command prompt, this lets you roll back to a previous working state.
If Windows won’t boot at all, boot from the installation media and open the recovery terminal. Here, you can run bootrec /rebuildbcd to reconstruct the Boot Configuration Data store.
PowerShell when the Windows Terminal isn’t enough
Windows Terminal is good, but PowerShell gives the best command line experience
Sometimes the Windows Terminal or Command Prompt just doesn’t cut it. That’s when you should switch to PowerShell. Running Get-ComputerRestorePoint shows available restore points, and Restore-Computer applies them programmatically. I can script entire recovery sequences that would take hours manually.
PowerShell also provides Get-Service and Stop-Service for managing services when the Services MMC snap-in won’t load. There’s also Test-NetConnection, a more powerful variant of Command Prompt’s ping command that can also look up specific ports in addition to general connectivity.
Command-line tools matter more than you think
The GUI is a luxury that failing systems often can’t afford. I keep this toolkit not because I’m nostalgic for DOS days, but because it’s saved my data and my sanity more times than I can count. And with Windows Terminal updates quietly making it incredible, there’s no reason not to have a few commands handy under your belt.
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While others reinstall Windows at the first sign of trouble, I’m usually back to work in under an hour. The command line isn’t just for Linux users or old-school admins—it’s the emergency kit every Windows power user should be familiar with.
Learn these tools and commands. Practice them on a working system. When disaster strikes, you’ll be the one calmly typing while everyone else panics.
