How to Fix Corrupted Files on Windows? [Solved]

Bad sectors located within your hard drive results in corrupted files. The same goes for system crashes. That’s why it’s very important to back your data up all the time. If a precious file gets corrupted, fixing it becomes complicated and difficult.

Fortunately, there’s still a possibility of fixing a file if the issue is minor. This is also true if only a few data became corrupted. This small chance of fixing corrupted data is very important especially if the files are precious.

In this guide, we’ll teach you how to fix corrupted files (including damaged ones) within the Windows operating system. Read on to learn more.

Part 1. An Overview of Data CorruptionPart 2. Corrupted Files: What Are They?Part 3. Top Ways on How to Fix Corrupted FilesPart 4. To Wrap It All up

Part 1. An Overview of Data Corruption

Let’s say there’s a hospital that has various filing cabinets where patient information is stored. Each patient has his/ her own folder containing their medical records and personal information. Every folder that pertaining to each patient has a particular place within the filing cabinet depending on different categories that divide them.

Now, the hospital is very busy. The filing cabinets and its drawers are continuously opened and closed. Patient folders are, also, continuously extracted and placed back into its respective locations. You might be thinking that because of too much work and a massive amount of patient folders, data can actually be scrambled. Thus, it is necessary to know how to fix corrupted files at this point.

Some of the defects include, but are not limited to, the following:

• As hospital staff takes and puts back folders, papers inside it are not placed in order. Sometimes, they are damaged and the worst case is the papers can be lost.
• Doctors might put incorrect information on prescription forms. Incorrect data can also be placed in a specific folder.
• Transferring files from one place to another might lead to papers being lost inside their respective folders.
• Natural disasters and vandals can ultimately ruin most of the folders. Or worse, it could lead to the corruption or damage of all of the filing cabinets.
• A particular drawer might have a jam. In this case, patient records from A to C, for example, cannot be accessed.
• Patient XYZ can have the same name as another patient. Their medical records can be interchanged. Thus, Patient XYZ’s can have both his records and the information of another person.

Your hard drive is definitely not a filing cabinet. However, when it puts information into storage, it has the same mechanisms. Data are stored as demagnetized and magnetized areas. These are represented by 0 and 1, respectively.

Part 2. Corrupted Files: What Are They?

Before we delve into how to fix corrupted files, let us define what they are first. Corrupted files are like damaged folders (as stated above). When data is scrambled, lost, or damaged, the file becomes unreadable. Thus, digital corruption happens when the data within a particular file are scrambled. The 0s and 1s that compose the file are messy and results in the destruction of the file’s integrity.

Part 3. Top Ways on How to Fix Corrupted Files

Solution 01. Using Data Recovery Tools

The best solution wouldn’t refer to addressing the problem directly. It pertains to recovering the data of damaged files so it isn’t lost. For this, we recommend that you use FoneDog Data Recovery software.

Here are the steps on how to use it to recover your data:

• Step 01 - Download, install and run FoneDog Data Recovery on your computer.
• Step 02 - Select the drive or device where you want to recover the files.
• Step 03 - Click “Scan” and wait until the process is complete.
• Step 04 - Preview the files and choose the data you want to recover.
• Step 05 - Click “Recover.”

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Solution 02. Modify File Format

Sometimes, you have to change the format of the file in order to solve the problem on how to fix corrupted files. With this method, you won’t have access to the original format of the file. However, you may still access some of the contents of the corrupted data.

For instance, DOCX documents can be converted to PDF files. JPG images can also be converted to PNG. These can be done by using free online converters you can search for with Google. Most of them are free and you don’t have to pay anything to convert your files from one format to another.

Solution 03. Using Another Program

One file format is usually capable of being opened by different types of programs. For instance, your DOCX Microsoft Word file can be opened by Google Docs and even WPSOffice. For video files that are corrupted, you might try VLC Media Player. Use this in place of the built-in Windows Media Player. To open your file using another program, simply right-click on the file. Then, place your mouse cursor over “Open With” and then select another program from the list.

Solution 04. Running SFC Scan

When you want to know how to fix corrupted files, then the SFC scan is the way to go. It scans your system for corrupted files and fixes the damaged data. Here are the steps on how to do it:

• Step 01 - Press the keys for Windows + R. Type CMD within the search bar and launch Command Prompt.
• Step 02 - Type out “sfc /scannow” and then press Enter.
• Step 03 - Wait until the scan is complete.

Solution 05. Using Third-Party File Repair Software

When it comes to fixing your corrupted files, the last resort would be to use a third-party file repair tool. Usually, these tools are purchased and comes with a free trial allowing you to repair files partially.

These tools can also tell you whether a file can be repaired or if it’s a lost cause. Different file repair software can fix different file types. For instance, one tool can repair images and another one can repair ZIP files.

Part 4. To Wrap It All up

Various solutions can be done in order to implement how to fix corrupted files. We’ve shown you different ways on how to do so. The best troubleshoot would be to use FoneDog Data Recovery in order to recover your corrupted files.

We’d love to know your take on our article. What’s your best method of repairing your corrupted files? Did you implement another method that’s not here? If you did, let us know your way of fixing files that are corrupted by leaving a comment in the section below.

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