Sometimes a file gets corrupted before you have even had a chance to use it properly. That is very frustrating, especially when it is the only copy you have.
Errors like this can have a logical or a physical cause, and repeated repair attempts can make things worse. If the files matter, see how professional data recovery works, starting with a free diagnosis.
To help you in these situations, we have put together this guide to 9 different ways to recover a corrupted file, all of them simple and easy to follow.
Is it possible to recover corrupted files?
Most people who use computers or phones every day have come across a corrupted file at some point. What few people know is that, in many cases, it can be recovered.
When a file becomes corrupted, something has usually gone wrong with its internal data structure, which can happen for a number of reasons, as we will see below. Even so, there are several ways to try to get that file back.
So don’t panic!
What are the most common causes of corrupted files?
A file can become corrupted for many reasons, whether it is stored on a computer or a mobile device.
Here are the most common ones:
- The system shutting down in the middle of an update;
- Viruses and ransomware that damage or encrypt your files;
- Unplugging a USB flash drive without using the safe eject option;
- Trying to save files to a device that has run out of space.
How do I recover corrupted files?
Recovering a corrupted file does not always require a dedicated program or a complicated method. Before you start, make a copy of the file and work on the copy, so the original is not made worse.
Here are the options:
Repair the file
As soon as you notice a file is corrupted, try a repair tool. Many programs have their own repair function (Microsoft Word’s Open and Repair, for example), and a quick search will turn up online repair services for most file types. Avoid uploading confidential documents to online services.
Virus scan
Another option is to run a full virus scan on your computer. Often the file is not actually corrupted but has been affected by a virus that stops it from opening properly.
Previous Versions (Volume Shadow Copy)
If System Protection or File History was enabled before the problem occurred, Windows keeps earlier copies of your files through Volume Shadow Copy. To use them, right-click the corrupted file (or the folder it was in), choose Properties and open the Previous Versions tab.
If earlier versions exist, they will be listed with their dates and you can choose the one you want to restore. If the list is empty, this feature was not active and you will need to try another method.
Error checking
In This PC (My Computer in older versions of Windows), right-click the drive where the corrupted file is stored and choose Properties. In the window that opens, go to the Tools tab and click Check.
This can take a while to finish, so do it at a time when you don’t need the computer.
System restore
System Restore takes Windows back to an earlier point in time. Be aware that it only restores system files, programs and settings: it does not recover or repair your documents, photos or other personal files. It is useful when the files will not open because of a problem with Windows itself.
To use it, open the Control Panel, search for Recovery and choose Open System Restore. Follow the instructions and pick the restore point you want to go back to.
Like error checking, System Restore can take some time to complete.
Use the CHKDSK command
Dating back to MS-DOS, the CHKDSK command checks the integrity of a drive’s file system and can try to fix any errors it finds.
To use it, open the Command Prompt as administrator, type chkdsk followed by the drive letter (for example, chkdsk D:) and wait for the scan to finish. A report will then be displayed. On its own, the command only reports problems; the /f option fixes them, but it writes to the drive, so if your files are important, recover them first and avoid running it on a drive that makes strange noises.
Run the SFC /scannow command
As with CHKDSK, open the Command Prompt as administrator, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This command scans all protected Windows system files and replaces any corrupted ones with a cached copy. It does not repair your own documents, but it helps when files fail to open because of damaged system components.
Don’t close the Command Prompt window before the scan is complete, because the results are only shown when the process finishes.
Check the file extension
Have you ever tried to open a file that wouldn’t open because its extension didn’t match its actual format? Here is what to do.
If you know what type of file it really is, rename it with the correct extension (for example, a Word document saved as .tmp should end in .docx). Keep in mind that changing the extension does not convert the file; it only tells Windows which program to open it with. Also check where the file came from, as files with misleading extensions are a common way of spreading malware.
Use data recovery software
If none of the options above has worked, you can try a data recovery program such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva or Disk Drill, which can find earlier or deleted copies of the file that may still be intact.
In this article, we suggest 8 more tools, in addition to these 3, to help you.
Read next
Conclusion
The best protection against corrupted files is to keep backups, either on an external drive or in the cloud. This is important because none of the methods described here can guarantee that your file will be fully recovered.
If none of these 9 methods has worked, you can count on Bot, a data recovery company with its own specialist laboratory.
To start your recovery, just fill in the form and leave the rest to us!
