Ask a new question

How to repair corrupt Word file

I am using Office Standard 2007.  I cannot open a Word file - it says "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened", then "Microsoft office cannot open this file because some parts are missing or invalid."  Please help.  Thank you.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

The following is from Microsoft documentation. It might help:-

 

If a file has been damaged and you cannot open it by normal means, you may be able to recover its content by using the Open and Repair feature.

 

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Open.

 

Browse to the file that you want to recover, and click it (do not double-click it).

 

Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open and Repair.

 

 

You might like to read this as well:-

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893672/en-gb

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

There are some suggestions for handling corrupt documents at http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm, though most do depend on being able to at least open the file. If Open and Repair doesn't work, there used to be an option to "Recover Text from Any File." This is no longer available, but you can, I believe effect the same thing by unzipping the file. See http://www.groovypost.com/howto/howto/explore-the-contents-of-a-docx-file-in-windows-7/ for instructions.
Microsoft MVP (Word) since 1999
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://ssbarnhill.com
http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com
Screen shots captured with TechSmith's Snagit

1 person found this reply helpful

·

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks for the advice.  Read the article in the first link mentioned (in fact, I had read it on my own earlier).  Also tried changing the file to .zip.  Both did not work.  

1 person found this reply helpful

·

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks for the advice, but there was "Open and Repair" function. 

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

I meant, "No Open and Repair" function.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

1. Do a:-

 

CTRL + O

 

The:-

 

Open

 

 - window should open.

 

2. In the:-

 

Open

 

 - window enter the full path and file name in the field called:-

 

File name:

 

 - then, towards the lower right hand corner, there is a drop down field called:-

 

Open

 

Click on that drop down button then click on:-

 

Open and Repair

 

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks.  Found "Open and Repair" as per instructions, but the original message came out, that the file is corrupt and cannot be opened.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

I suspect an archive corruption. If this is the case, typically some or more uncommonly all, of the content can be retrieved by repairing the archive structure and reasserting XML formatting codes that may have been lost. In most cases, repairing the archive can retrieve recover content up to the point that the last edit was made. These corruptions typically occur when working directly to/from a thumb drive, memory stick or other removable media.

If you would like someone to attempt repair on your document, you will need to upload a copy of your damaged DOCX to a public file area like SkyDrive, DropBox  or Google Drive and post the location to the publicly shared file back here.

Please try to upload a copy that has not already been subjected to repair attempts as previous attempts may have stripped content that was recoverable with a manual edit of the internal components configuration files.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thank you for the detailed explanation.  It does sound like an archive corruption as I was editing the document on the thumb drive when it became corrupted.  As a matter of fact, I have an even bigger problem now - yesterday, I was prompted that the thumb drive had to be formatted before I could use it.  It then said it could not be formatted and asked me to check if there were read-only files inside.  I have tried a few recovery softwares but they could not even access the thumb drive.  I have lost all the pdf documents and photos inside.

 

Anyway, back to the Word document.  It contains some personal info, so I shall not try the method you suggested.  Thanks again.  

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Whenever I get the format drive message, I simply unplug the drive in question, plug drive into a new usb outlet and restart.  Usually that fixes the drive.  I too have several files when upon opening, receives the currupt message.  I've tried the open and repair, and recover text options and none worked except when opening the RFT file I got a lot of weird formatting, no recognizable text  when using recover and repair text from any file.  When using open and repair It opens but it's just shows only parts of the file mixed with symbols and is in a straight line.  If anyone knows how to fix such a problem, please let me know.  Thanks

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

 
 

Question Info

Last updated March 26, 2024 Views 8,368 Applies to: