How to Fix Corrupt Files

Lee Stanton May 19, 2022

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Corrupted files are a source of frustration. In the worst-case scenario, you may lose valuable data and your PC or portable device becomes unresponsive.

Fortunately, there are methods you can use to remedy the problem. In this article, you’ll find out how to fix various errors from corrupt files across a number of the most popular devices.

How to Fix Corrupted Files in Windows 11

Software problems are a major cause of corrupted files. First, update the software and hardware before attempting the following fixes.

Fix 1: Update Windows 11

Click on “Windows.”
Click on “Settings.”
Select “Windows Update.”
Click on “Check for updates.”
If there’s an update available, it will start updating your PC.
After updating, restart your PC.

Fix 2: Start-Up Repair

Shut down your PC.
Press the power button to restart your computer.
Force shut down your PC by pressing and holding down the power button.
Repeat the process two or three times.
Next, boot up your PC normally.
A new screen will appear called “Automatic Repair.”
Click on “Ädvance Options.”
Click on “Troubleshoot.”
Choose “Advanced Options.”
Click on “Start-up repair” and follow the onscreen instructions.

Fix 3: Perform a System File Check

Press the “Window key.”
Type “Command Prompt.”
Right-click on “Command Prompt.”
Select “Run as administrator.”
Type “sfc/scannow”
Wait for the process to complete. Note that this can take up to 20 minutes.

Fix 4: Run a CHKDSK Scan Fix Repair

Click on “Search.”
Search “Control Panel” and open it.
Click on “Troubleshooting.”
In the left pane, click on “View all.”
Select “System Maintenance.”

After the troubleshooting is complete, run Windows in safe mode. Follow these steps to do so:

Press the “Window key + R.”
Type “msconfig”
Press “Enter.”
“System Configuration” window will open.
Click on “Boot.”
Tick the checklist “Safe boot.”
Click on “Apply” and “OK.”
Reboot your PC.

Fix 5: Scan System File

Press the “Window Key.”
Type “Command Prompt.”
Select “Run as administrator.”
Type “DISM.exe/Online/Cleanup-image/Res”
Press “Enter.”
When finished, type “sfc/scannow”
Press “Enter.”

Fix 6: Reset the PC

Press the “Window Key + I.”
Go to “Settings.”
Choose “System.”
Scroll down and click on “Recovery.”
Under “Recovery options,” select “Reset PC.”
Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove Everything.”
Select “Cloud download” or “Local Reinstall for Windows.”
Follow the onscreen prompts to reset your PC.

How to Fix Corrupted Files in Windows 10

Windows 10 follows a similar repair process.

Fix 1: Use the SFC Tool

Type “cmd” in the “Search box.”
Click on “Run as Administrator.”
In “Command Prompt” type “sfc /scannow”
Wait for the scan to complete.
Type the following command: “findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt”
Press “Enter.”
Open the sfcdetails.txt.
Check the results of the SFC scan.

Fix 2: Use the DISM Tool

Press the “Windows key + X.”
Click on “Windows PowerShell “ or “Command Prompt.”
Type the following command: “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”
Press “Enter.”
The repair process can take 10 minutes or more.
After the DISM tool repairs your files, restart your PC.

Fix 3: Run an SFC Scan From Safe Mode

Press the “Windows key.”
Click on the” Power” button, while holding the “Shift” key, select “Restart.”
Select “Troubleshoot.”
Select “Advanced” options.
Click “Startup Settings.”
Click the “Restart” button.
Select the “Safe Mode” version of your choice.
When “Safe Mode “starts, repeat the steps from Fix 1 to perform an SFC scan.

Fix 4: Run a CHKDSK Scan Fix Repair

Click on “Search.”
Search “Control Panel” and open it.
Click on “Troubleshooting.”
In the left pane, click on “View all.”
Select “System Maintenance.”

After the troubleshooting is complete, run Windows in safe mode. Follow these steps:

Press the “Window key + R.”
Type “msconfig”
Press “Enter.”
“System Configuration” window will open.
Click on “Boot.”
Tick the checklist “Safe boot.”
Click on “Apply” and “OK.”
Reboot your PC.

How to Fix Corrupted Files on a Mac

Macs have a specific error code for corrupted system files, called a Hard Disk Corruption. This can be tricky to resolve, but the build-in utilities sometimes take care of it.

Step 1: Scanning for Hard Disk Errors on Mac

Boot the “Terminal” app. You can find it in the Finder.
Type the following command in the terminal: diskutil list
Press “Enter” to run the command.
If you have multiple disk partitions, which is often the case with newer devices, you can differentiate between them by their size.
Write down the identifier of the partition you need to check.
Type and run the following command: diskutil verifyVolume [drive identifier/name]
Wait for the process to complete, at which point the terminal will print the result of the verification.
If the final lines read “The volume /dev/rdisk3s1 appears to be OK,” that partition isn’t corrupted, and you’ll need to repeat the process with another drive. If the system detected a corruption, proceed with the instructions below.

Step 2: Backing Up Files

Before you start making sweeping changes to system files, you need to have a safe backup of all your files. Some system processes can inadvertently copy corrupted sections to other files and spread the errors.

After you’ve backed up all your files, apply one of the following fixes to restore them.

Fix 1: Repair the Hard Disk With DiskUtil

Type this command into Terminal: diskutil verifyVolume [drive name], where drive name is the identifier of the corrupted drive from the scan above.
Press “Enter” to run the command and wait until the process is complete.
You should receive a status update or might need to run the scan again afterward. If the drive is not repaired, proceed to the next step.

Fix 2: Fix File System Inconsistency With FSCK

FSCK is a system utility only available in the Single User mode, which is a DOS-like terminal accessible when the PC boots. Here’s what you need to do.

Restart your device.
When the system starts booting (usually with a beep or a chime), hold the “Command” and “S” keys to enter Single User mode.
Wait for the Command Prompt at the bottom of the screen to stop scrolling text. The command prompt should read “root#” followed by a blinking cursor.
Type in the command fsck –fy and press “Enter.” If that doesn’t work, try /sbin/fsck –fy and run that instead.
FSCK will automatically try to fix any corruptions and present results in the terminal.

How to Fix Corrupted Files on an Android

Fix 1: Clear App Data

Through your “Notifications” or “Settings,” open the “Settings” menu.
Scroll down and look for “App Management.”
Tap on the app with the corrupted files.
You will see information about the app like “Storage”, “permission”, etc.
Tap on the “Clear Cache” option to erase all data.

Fix 2: Download the File Converter App From Google Play Store

The file or document might not be working on your Android because it doesn’t have a supported format or codecs. Downloading a File Converter app may solve the problem.

Go to the Google Play Store on your device.
Type “format converter” in the text field.
Choose a highly-rated file converter app for your specific file type.

Fixing Files Made Easy

File corruptions shouldn’t cause any undue panic. Fortunately, most devices have built-in ways to solve the problem. If you still can’t repair the files, look for online repair tools for help or consult your local PC guru for assistance.

Have you ever had to fix corrupt files? Do you have any suggestions for a data recovery app that works great? Let us know in the comments section below.