Files are electronic bits that are stored in your computer. Any change in those bits can lead to file corruption. While losing your files can be devastating, you can use that in your favor.
If you corrupt your file, then no one else will be able to open it. So, your files can only be accessed by you. If you have just the right tool, you can quickly repair it and view it once again. And that’s what we are going to do today.
Today, we will teach you how to corrupt a word file and then repair it using Wondershare Repairit.
The Cause of File Corruption
You might be wondering, “How am I going to corrupt my file?”. Luckily, you have come to the right place searching for answers. However, before we proceed, let us take a look at how file corruption generally takes place.
Any file generally gets corrupt if:
- It gets attacked by a virus
- You interrupt the connection when transferring a file.
- Your system crashes
There are tools on the internet that help you intentionally corrupt your file. However, they are not needed. Here is how to corrupt a word file manually without connecting to the internet.
Step 1: Changing Document Extension
The first thing that you need to do is to change the extension of the word file. Click on the Start button, and search for File Explorer Options. Then go to the View tab.
Scroll down the list of Advanced Settings and look for Hide extensions for known file types. Uncheck the box and click on Apply.
Then, transfer the word document that you want to corrupt to the desired file location. Then rename it and change its extension (give it any name you wish to).
Step 2: Copy the error code
The next step to learning how to corrupt a word file is to copy the error code that comes after you have changed the file’s extension. This will be needed when you want to convert the word file into a readable form.
Right-click on the file to open the menu. Click on Open With and then select Notepad. There, you will see an error code. Copy it and save it in your preferred location.
Step 3: Start compressing the file and interrupt it
This is the final step. Click on the word file and start compressing it. After the process begins, pause it. You will see that a compressed file has been created. However, this will not contain the complete word file.
Now, extract it. If you try to open this document, it will not open.
These are the steps you need to follow to understand how to corrupt a word file.
Common Ways to Repair Corrupted Files
Whether you do it intentionally or not, there are a few ways to recover from file corruption if you don’t have any third-party software.
Here are some of the common ways to repair corrupt files.
- Disc Checker
Windows File Explorer has a disk checker that you can use to repair corrupt files present in a hard drive partition.
Go to This PC. Then, right-click on the partition where you have stored the corrupt file and go to Properties. Then, go to the Tools tab and click on Check.
This will automatically scan the entire partition and inform you if any repairs are needed. The scan may take some time based on the size of the partition. Plus, you won’t be able to use the drive when the disc checking process is taking place.
- Use the CHKDSK command
CHKDSK is a pretty helpful command that you can execute in the Command Prompt (available in every Windows operating system).
Now before you start using this command, make sure that you close every program that is accessing the drive.
Open command prompt as an administrator. Then enter the following command to perform every type of check on the corrupt file.
chkdsk [drive[[path]file name]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]] [/B] [/scan] [/spotfix]
In place of [drive[[path]file name]]], enter the path where you have stored the corrupt word document.
As the command executes, it will automatically check all the files present in the path and perform repairs if needed.
Since this command uses repair options, the time taken to complete this process will become large. You can either wait until the process completes or abort it by pressing Ctrl + C.
How to Repair Corrupted Files with Repairit
The processes we mentioned above have some limitations. The File Explorer disk checker scans every single file in the drive, and it can take hours. Plus, you won’t be able to use the drive.
As for CHKDSK, it will also scan every file present in the path and perform any necessary repairs.
And if luck is not on your side, these processes will not fix the file corruption of your word document. All your time and effort have gone to waste.
This is where Wondershare Repairit comes to the rescue. It is a dedicated file repair software that can repair any form of corrupted files or PDF, EXCEL, PPT, or DOCX files that are not accessible.
What makes Repairit a cut above the rest is its user-friendly user interface and its ability to repair any form of corrupt files swiftly. Plus, you can pinpoint the exact file that you want to restore. That means you are saving a lot of time while effectively handling file corruption.
Follow the steps given below to repair your corrupt doc file using Wondershare Repairit.
Step 1: Install Wondershare Repairit from here and install it. After you open and go to the home screen, click on File Repair located on the left side of the panel.
Step 2: Click on + Add to start uploading the files that you want to repair. If you try to upload an incompatible format, it will automatically warn you. After you have added all the files, your screen will look something like this.
Step 3: After you have added the files, click on Repair located on the bottom-right corner of the window. Wait for the process to complete.
After the repair completes, a message will pop up on your screen saying how many files were successfully repaired.
Step 4: You can click on the Preview button located to the right side of each file. This will show you the results of the file repair. If you are satisfied with it, you can click on Save. Select the location where you want to save the repaired file(s) from the following pop-up window.
Closing Words
And that’s it! You have successfully learned how to corrupt a word file and then repair it later. This is an excellent method to increase the security of your confidential documents. Now, only you can read these files after you fix them using Wondershare Repairit.
