Windows - can't run "sfc /scannow", because another maintenance task is in progress

I tried to fix a friends laptop by repairing corrupt system files with sfc /scannow but I always get a message saying something like "there is another maintenance in progress" please try it later. But this always shows even if I execute it directly after the reboot?

Why is this happening, how can I find out which maintenance task is blocking it?

2 Answers

You can try disabling it with psexecas descibed here.

Download the PSTools and run psexec to disable it (Otherwise even as admin you will get an access denied)

psexec -s schtasks /change /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\TaskScheduler\Maintenance Configurator" /DISABLE

I know this question is old, but it might help others. If you have Zone Alarm installed, hover over its icon to see its status. Uninstall if it says that it is “initializing” and it is taking forever. If that’s the case, Zone Alarm is most likely corrupted. Or just run DISM to restore health.