How To Fix "File Is Corrupt Or Damaged And You Have To Replace It" Error?

There is a scenario when you may want to fix "File is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it" in file explorer. This warning pops up only when there is a corruption in the system. If you ignore this message, your applications may act abnormally and Microsoft Windows system files may be corrupted. In such cases, you must format your disk and reinstall your OS. This article provides step by step method for how to fix "File is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it" error message.

Have you ever tried opening Word, PDF, Excel, or even Windows system files only to get a pop-up message saying “File is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it”?

Well, this error usually occurs when you have a bad sector on your hard disk. A bad sector can be caused by physical damage or a system crash. This causes the file to be corrupt and renders it inaccessible.

However, you don’t have to worry if you encounter this problem. Chances are you will still be able to fix and recover the file corrupted. And to help you with that, here are four easiest ways to recover corrupted files.

Method 1: System Recovery

This is the best way of recovering your files. The system’s recovery method will be able to fix most corrupted files problem on your computer. It usually comes as a pop-up windows as seen below.

If these windows pop up, click “Yes” and let it do the work. Most of the time, the system will be able to recover your file.

Method 2: Change the File Format

Sometimes, a corrupt file may occur when you use the wrong file format when naming the file. When this happens, the file is likely to be unreadable by the system and identified as corrupted. Fortunately, this can be fixed manually by changing the file format in file explorer.

You can change the file format to other similar format, for instance, .doc to .docx or .docm, .xslx to .xslm or xltm.

Another option available to change the file format is to use file converter app. A free file converter app will automatically convert the file from the file format and solve the “Fix is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it error.” In most cases, a file conversion app will solve the issue.

Before converting the file format, it is important to make a copy of the file. Doing this helps to avoid further damage.

Method 3: Restore the File to Previous Versions

If you have the previous versions of the file corrupted, you are allowed to restore it. Unfortunately, this could mean that you lose all the changes made from that time. This method is also applicable to damaged or corrupted folders.

To run this method, you have to browse the file using file explorer.

1. Right-click on the damaged file. If there are previous versions available, then you will see “Restore previous versions” option available. Click on it and a new window will appear
   
2. In this window you can select one of the available versions and click on the Restore button to restore the file.

Still, it is advisable to copy the restored version and paste it on a different location in case you can recover the newest version of the file through other method

Method 4: Use Data Recovery Software

This is the last resort to go to if you are still unable to recover your file after trying the three methods mentioned above. There are many options available out there, free and paid software. Some of the data recovery software that you can use include: Anyrecover, Filerepair, and Hetman.

Summary: fix "File is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it" error

• Replace the file with a new copy.
• Modify the share permissions of the file.
• Perform a Disk Scan.
• Run Chkdsk tool.

Conclusion

The methods mentioned above are applicable on Windows computers. You can use either of the methods to solve the “File is corrupt or damaged and you have to replace it error.”

To avoid encountering further problems, it is recommendable to do backups of your important files regularly. This is the best preventive action to protect your files.