These errors occur when you double-click the file to open it, or when you attempt to open it from within an application. If you encounter one of these messages, here are some ways to fix the problem.
Causes of Corrupted Files
There are a number of reasons files can get corrupted. One common reason is that the sector on the hard disk where the file is stored had physical damage. A sector with physical damage is known as a bad sector. In other cases, multiple files are allocated to the same space in memory, triggering a corrupted file error. Files are stored in memory in a cluster, and sometimes a bug in the operating system, or a computer crash, may lead to two files getting assigned to the same cluster. Viruses that erroneously mark hard drive sectors as bad can also lead to files getting corrupted.
How to Fix Corrupted Files
Corrupt file errors can be unpredictable and can happen when least expected. A corrupt file can be repaired only about half the time. Try these fixes to see if you can get to the bottom of your corrupt file error.
Protect Files From Corruption
Since file corruption can happen on any file and for many reasons, it’s important to make regular backups of your files. Use backup software to keep your important files backed up at all times. This way, if a file is corrupted, you can recover it from the backup.
