Files are a fundamental part of the operating system environment and we can separate them into two large groups: those that correspond to the user and those of the system. The first are those with which we always interact as documents, audios, videos or tablets. For its part, the second category refers to those files necessary for the operation of the system. Each one is of crucial importance in the operability and experience it offers, so today we are going to talk about how to recover damaged files in Windows 10.
If you cannot start your computer or when executing a file, you receive an error message, then we are going to detail everything you must do to solve it.
Why are there damaged files?
In the field of computing, we define a file as a set of data or bits that are stored on a device.. The information generated by this data set can be of various types, from a document with text, to images, code or audiovisual elements. However, the data that makes up the file can be corrupted by various factors and rendered completely useless.
Files can get corrupted by factors like:
- Updates not finished or incorrectly installed.
- Incorrect shutdowns, due to causes such as power outages.
- An incomplete download.
- Physical damage to the storage unit.
- Malware and viruses.
When a Windows file gets corrupted, the system immediately loses stability and in the worst case, it doesn't even start up. For example, in the Windows file system there is a group dedicated exclusively to startup and in case of damage, we would get an error message just after displaying the logo.
Meanwhile, when an information file belonging to the user is corrupted, the experience is completely affected. For example, double-clicking on a corrupted MP3 file will not open it and instead, the application responsible for executing it will throw an error.
How to recover damaged files in Windows 10?
Given all this, we want to show you how to recover a damaged file in Windows 10, in order to bring back your access to the system or to access those documents that you cannot open again. It should also be noted that each type of file has a different process for its recovery and here we are going to review them.
Recover system files
First, we are going to see how to recover damaged files in Windows 10 that correspond to the operating system. For this task, Microsoft has incorporated a tool whose function is to scan all directories for corrupt files and try to repair them. The process is really simple and only consists of entering a command.
To get started, open a Command Prompt with administrator permissions. This can be achieved by opening the start menu and entering CMD. Immediately afterwards, the results will be displayed and on the right side you will see the button to start with privileges.
Once you have the window open, enter the following command and press Enter:
SFC / SCANNOW
Immediately the analysis will begin to run, which will take a few minutes and at the end it will show if there were corrupt files and if they were successfully recovered.. In case everything goes well, you will bring back the stability of the system and the error messages that you received previously will disappear.
Recover Office documents
If the damaged file does not correspond to the system, but to your own personal files, then we must take other actions. When it comes to Office documents, each program has an option that allows you to repair them, if they are corrupted. We know that these types of files are damaged because when trying to open them, the responsible program will throw an error or display a group of unreadable characters.
In this sense, what we must do is go to Word, Excel or PowerPoint and follow this route:
- Click on File.
- Click on Open.
- Click on Team.
Once you open the Windows Explorer window, find the damaged file, select it and then click on the tab that is right next to the “Open” button.
This will display a series of options where the last one indicates "Open and Repair", click and wait for the process to finish.
Recover damaged PDF files
Within the processes on how to recover damaged files in Windows 10, we cannot fail to mention the very busy PDF. These files typically contain legal documents, academic papers, books, and more, making them valuable information that needs to be repaired. To achieve this, we will use an online and third-party tool, called PDF2GB, which has the function to bring back the corrupted PDFs.
The task is very simple and is reduced to entering the website and dragging the damaged file onto the interface. Then, click on the “Start” button and the system will start working and then download the repaired document.
The service is completely free, so you can repair all your PDFs, without limits.
File Repair
Lastly, we want to mention another third-party tool that will allow you to recover other file formats in Windows 10. So, if you have MP3 or videos that you want to try to repair, you can resort to File Repair. This tool is divided into other mini tools geared towards specific file types. In that sense, you can download different versions to work with images, compressed files, PDF, PST and more.
In addition, it is a very easy-to-use application where our only job will be to insert the file and start the repair.