How to recover damaged files? Restoring a damaged book Copying to a new document.

There are many situations when a user suddenly realizes that the data on his USB drive is damaged or completely missing. What to do in this case? Let's look at how to recover damaged files and data from USB using the command line. We will also list several free USB disk data recovery programs if command line recovery does not produce the desired results.

Recover damaged files and data from USB from the command line

Damage to the drive can be caused by many factors, such as damage to the file table, power failure, incorrect shutdown of the drive, viruses, and so on. Let's try to recover damaged files from USB without using third-party software as follows: run the command prompt as administrator and enter:

Chkdsk f:/r

This will launch the built-in disk error checker or Check Disk Utility to identify and resolve possible file table failures. Here f is the drive letter of our USB, and the parameter /r identifies bad blocks and tries to recover information.
After that, we use the built-in tool attrib.exe to restore files that may be inaccessible due to the influence of malware. In the same window, run the following command and press Enter:

Attrib -h -r -s / s /de:\*.*

Once the verification is complete, you can check if you have access to your data.
If this does not help, then the other option you have is to run some free data recovery software.

Free USB Drive Recovery Software

Software that helps you recover data from a USB flash drive. We will look at three programs - Recuva, R2FD Recover and Easeus.

1) Recuva

3) EaseUs Free Data Recovery

EaseUs Free Data Recovery follows three simple steps to recover any user's lost data. The program's simple wizard guides you through the entire process of detecting lost files and recovering them from your PC, laptop, hard drive, SSD, USB, memory card or digital camera.

Select the drive where you want to recover damaged files and click "Scan". If found, you will have the opportunity to save them by simply clicking the "Recover" button.

To avoid data loss, it is highly advisable to save the recovered files to another drive. Please note that the free version allows you to recover up to 2 GB of data.

How to recover damaged files from a USB drive

Having learned how to format text so that frames and effects do not cause pain in the eyes, the user can calmly do the work he loves. However, one day, as a result of an unplanned shutdown of the computer, a program crash, or other unpleasant factors, a Word file that previously opened perfectly becomes damaged, and it can no longer be opened using standard means. Let's try to figure out how to restore a Word document.

Built-in Word option

The easiest option for recovering a file is to use the “Open and Restore” system function. Its main advantage is its simplicity: a user faced with a message that a document is damaged will not need to install additional software or understand the features of Windows Explorer - everything is as easy and fast as. The main disadvantage is the relatively small percentage of successes: in most cases, the probability of successful recovery is 50–60%.

Important: all the methods listed below only work if the user did not manage to delete the “deleted” Word file - otherwise, you will have to first restore it from the Recycle Bin (or using special software tools).

To restore and open a Word document that cannot be read as a result of damage using the program itself, you should:

• Launch MS Word and select “New Document” in the start window - finding the corresponding item will be no more difficult than.

• Go to the “File” menu located in the “ribbon” or top panel of Word.

• Switch to the “Open” tab and click on the “Browse” button - this method will allow you to work with documents that are damaged using additional program functions.

• Find in Explorer the document that you want to restore, select it with the left mouse button and call the drop-down menu of the “Open” button - to do this, you need to click on the triangle located next to the inscription.

• In the list that appears, select “Open and Restore.”

• And make sure that the Word document that could not be viewed is ready for use again.

If this recovery method does not produce results, you can resort to a related Word option:

• In the already known way, go to the “File” menu, select “Browse” and expand the “All Word Documents” sublist in the “Explorer” window.

• Select the item “Recover text from any file” in the new list.

• And just click on the “Open” button.

Important: in the second case, by opening a damaged Word document, the user may receive an incoherent set of characters; You can really try to fix the situation by changing the encoding - or go to one of the following methods to restore the file.

Automatically saved copy

One of the remarkable features of the most popular text editor, which allows, in particular, the automatic creation of backup copies of open documents at regular intervals. Typically, these copies are deleted at the end of the session, but in the event of an unexpected failure or power outage, there is a high probability that the “draft” will remain on the hard drive.

Important: Since the program creates copies solely based on time, a user who manages to restore a Word document using this method may discover that the edits were missing - however, this is better than completely losing important data.

To restore and open a Word file that was damaged due to a system error or an unscheduled computer shutdown from a backup copy, you will have to:

• Open the “Computer” menu and go to drive C. Here, switch to the “View” tab.

• Expand the Show or Hide sublist.

• And check the two lower checkboxes: “File name extensions” and “Hidden elements”.

• Now, without leaving drive C, open the “Users” directories sequentially.

• The folder of the account under which the Word document was created and edited.

• AppData - this subdirectory is hidden, and a user who neglects to complete the first three points will not advance further.

• Roaming.

• Microsoft.

• And Word.

• Here, a computer owner who wants to open a Word document that has been damaged will see a folder with the name of his file.

• And opening it - a backup copy with the ASD extension. It can be opened in MS Word by double-clicking on the title.

• Or by first changing the extension to DOC/DOCX - this is where the checkbox in the “File name extensions” checkbox comes in handy.

Important: you will have to agree to change the extension; if desired, you can always return it to the original one.

Draft mode

If the Word file is seriously damaged and it is impossible to open it using the previously described methods, you will have to sacrifice a number of data, in particular, attached images. The user will need:

• Launch Word, go to the “File” menu, and then go to the “Options” section.

• In the window that opens, switch to the “Advanced” tab.

• Scroll down the page and, having reached the “Show document contents” section, check the “Show placeholder picture frames” checkbox.

• Here, in the “General” section, uncheck the “Automatically update links when opened” checkbox - this will allow Word to access directly the contents of a file that is damaged.

• And activate the option “Allow opening the document in draft mode.”

• That's all - all you have to do is click “OK” and try to open the Word file again; Usually this recovery method helps better than the first.

R-Word

Couldn't open a Word file using system methods? So, it's time to try software from independent developers. The first of the recommended programs is R-Word, a convenient development distributed in shareware mode that allows you to recover even “hopeless” documents. To use it, you need:

• Download (link - r-tt.com), install and run the application, and then call the File menu in the main window.

• Select Add documents.

• Click on the Browse button.

• And indicate in the window the path to the directory containing the Word file, which cannot be opened using standard tools.

• In the main window, expand the nested list that appears.

• And double-click on the name of the document you want to open.

• After a few seconds of waiting, the user will be able to view the contents of the Word file directly in the R-Word window.

• Unfortunately, you cannot save the document in demo mode: to be able to click on the floppy disk icon, you must either purchase the application on the developer’s website or use alternative activation methods.

Advice: if after double-clicking on the title of the Word document nothing happens, you should use the Recovery button located next to the “floppy disk”.

Recovery Toolbox for Word

Another shareware program specifically designed for recovering Word files. If a Word document is so damaged that it cannot be opened using standard means, the user can:

• Download (link - word.recoverytoolbox.com), install, launch the application and click on the “Explorer” button in the main window.

• Find your Word document that you need to restore, select it with the left mouse button and click on the “Open” button.

• Next, select the “Analyze” option.

• Confirm your desire to begin the recovery process.

• And after a couple of seconds, having read the developers’ warning that some of the data in the document may be unrecoverable.

• Start studying the open file. Unfortunately, this program also does not allow you to restore a document in the demo version. Ways to remove the restriction were discussed in the previous section; when it is eliminated, the user will only have to click on the “Start recovery” button.

• And choose one of the saving options: in Word or a text document suitable for viewing in Notepad.

• At the end of the process, you should click on the “Complete” button - or simply close Recovery Toolbox for Word and start working with the successfully recovered Word document.

OfficeRecovery Online

You can also restore a Word file online; For this purpose, there are special paid services that give excellent results. If the data is really important, and you cannot open the document using the previously described methods, you will need:

• In any convenient browser, follow the link - online.officerecovery.com and click on the "Browse" button, then specify the path to the Word file.

• Use the "Secure Boot and Recovery" button.

• And, waiting for the data processing to complete.

• Click on the “Get recovered file” link.

• On the next page the user can download a free excerpt of the text contained in the document. Don't be upset: files in a few lines are completely restored - and you won't have to pay for access to the “full” version.

Online File Repair Service

To restore a Word file that is damaged and does not allow itself to be opened in normal mode, using the second most popular online service, the user will have to:

• Follow the link - onlinefilerepair.com and click on the “Download file and start recovery” button located in the center of the screen.

• Using the Select File button, indicate to the service the path to the Word document.

• Enter your email address and one-time password in the two lower fields and click on the “Send file for recovery” button.

• Click on the link as soon as it appears in the upper right to go to the results.

• And view the “trial version” - it will be covered with watermarks and protected from copying, but the user will be able to view their data.

• In a few seconds, a letter will be sent to the previously specified email containing a link to the payment form to receive the full version of the document - if desired, the computer owner can click on it and receive his text in its original state.

Previous versions

There is another way to recover a Word document that has been damaged due to a software or hardware failure. If the user is very lucky and has recently created a Windows restore point, in order to be able to open the text again, it is enough to:

• Right-click on the damaged file and select “Properties” from the menu.

• Switch to the "Previous Versions" tab.

• Are there earlier versions in the window that opens? Great, then you can click on the “Restore” button.

• And confirm the replacement of the damaged version of the text with the “intact” one.

• After a few seconds, the Word file will be successfully restored to the same folder; Now the user can check how badly the edits have been affected - and start working with the document, not forgetting to make backup copies themselves in the future.

Let's sum it up

You can recover a damaged Word file using the “Open and Repair” system options or from an automatically saved copy. Other options are opening in draft mode and using third-party programs and services. In addition, a document that cannot be read after changes should be tried to be converted to an earlier version - this is done in the “Properties” menu.

Do you want to recover a damaged file yourself? Are you looking for a program that can correct the internal file structure and restore the original image quality? Is your image viewer no longer displaying photos or are you only seeing small “preview” images?

How to recover damaged files
program:

Starus File Repair

Recover damaged files using Starus File Repair. The program's capabilities are not limited to restoring the logical structure of a file. The program will also save all photo data, including "Priview" and Exif data. The powerful Starus File Repair algorithm will professionally eliminate the negative consequences of a virus attack, software and hardware failures.

The program interface, designed in the style of Windows Explorer, has an image preview function. That is, you will be able to evaluate the quality of recovery of damaged information even before saving the file and registering the program itself. The built-in “File Fix Wizard” will simplify your task and help you quickly find damaged images and restore them to their original quality, even after serious damage.

The algorithm of the Starus File Repair program makes it possible to restore damaged files in two ways:

• Using the “File Fix Wizard” allows you to work with many files located in different folders. All damage will be corrected and the files will be saved to the folder you specified.
• The process of recovering damaged files without using a wizard - allows you to view the contents of the file before saving.

How to recover damaged files using the wizard

Using a convenient step-by-step wizard, you will see detailed step-by-step instructions in each new window that will help you easily fix the files you need. To use the wizard to recover and save damaged files, you just need to select “Wizard” from the “File” menu.

In the “Select Files” window, you must specify the damaged files that you want to recover and save. Here you can add any number of files from different folders to the recovery list, delete files, or clear the list completely. Here you can choose your usual way of displaying files (“Icons”, “List”, “Table”) and use file sorting.

The next step is to select the type of analysis of the recovered data.

For quick recovery, we use the “Analysis” function - in most cases, this process is enough to eliminate damage to the logical structure of files.

For deeper processing of damaged files, use the “Explore” function. A more detailed analysis will take longer, but it is guaranteed to extract all the useful information from the structure of a severely damaged file.

Having previously enabled it, you can use the following options during the recovery process:

• Overwrite files if names match
• Save directory structure
• Open the folder after the operation is complete

How to recover damaged files with preview

Restoring manually, without using a wizard, involves performing three simple steps:

First, select the folder in which the files you need are located on the left side of the main program window. On the right, the entire contents of the directory will be displayed, in which we will find the damaged file - the contents of such a file are not displayed in the program.

Next, we restore the structure of the damaged file. In the main menu of the “File” program, select the “Analysis” or “Research” option depending on the degree of damage to the file. Once the analysis process is complete, the files will be available for preview.

The last and most pleasant step is to save the repaired files.

When you open a workbook that has been damaged, Excel automatically starts file recovery mode and tries to reopen and repair it at the same time.

File recovery mode in Excel does not always start automatically. If you can't open a workbook due to corruption, you can try to fix it manually.

If this fails, you can try to recover her data in other ways. As a preventative measure, it is recommended that you save your workbook more often and create a backup copy each time you save it. You can also configure Excel to automatically create a recovery file at certain intervals. At the same time, you will always have access to a working copy of the book if the original is accidentally deleted or damaged.

On the tab File click the button Open.

Review.

In the dialog box Opening select the damaged book to open.

Click the arrow next to the button Open and select a team Open and restore.

Do one of the following:

• To recover as much book data as possible, click the button Restore.

  To extract values ​​and formulas from the workbook if it was not possible to restore it, click the button Extract data.

Important:

• Return to the last saved version of the book. If you were editing a worksheet and the workbook was damaged before your changes were saved, you can restore the original worksheet by reverting to the last saved version.

  To return to the last saved version of a workbook, follow these steps:

  1. On the tab File click the button Open.

     Double-click the name of the workbook you want to open in Excel.

     Click the button Yes to open the book again.

     Note: This will restore the last saved version of the book. Any changes that may have caused the file to become corrupted will be removed. For more information about restoring earlier versions of a workbook, see Automatically save and restore Office files.

Saving a book in SYLK (symbolic link) format. By saving the workbook in SYLK format, you can filter out corrupted items. The SYLK format is commonly used to troubleshoot printer errors.

To save a book in SYLK format, do the following.

1. Open the tab File and select a team Save as.

   On the list File type select item SYLK (Symbolic Link) and then click the button Save.

   Note: When using the SYLK format, only the active worksheet is saved.

   If you see a message that the selected file type does not support books that contain multiple pages, click OK to save only the active sheet.

   If a message appears indicating that the workbook may contain features that are not compatible with the SYLK format, click Yes.

   On the tab File click the button Open.

   Select the saved .slk file and then click the button Open.

   Note: To see the SLK file, you may need to select the option All files or SYLK files on the list File type.

   On the tab File select team Save as.

   In field File type select Excel workbook.

   In field File name enter a new name for the workbook to create a copy of it without deleting the original, and then click Save.

   Note: Since this format allows you to save only the active worksheet, you must open the damaged workbook several times and save each sheet separately.

• 1. Make sure you have a new, blank workbook open in Excel. Otherwise, follow the steps below.

On the tab File click the button Create.

In chapter Available templates select an option Blank book.

1. On the tab File click the button Options.

   Click the button OK.

   On the tab File click the button Open.

   Select the damaged book and click the button Open.

Using external links to link to a damaged book. If you only want to extract data from a workbook, rather than formulas or calculated values, you can use external links to link to the damaged workbook.

To do this, follow the steps below.

1. On the tab File select team Open.

   Select the folder containing the damaged workbook, copy the file name, and then click Cancel.

   Open the tab File and select Create.

   In chapter Available templates select an option Blank book.

   In cell A1 of the new workbook, enter =filename!A1 where filename is the name of the damaged workbook that you copied in step 2, and then press Enter.

   Advice: It is enough to enter only the name of the book without the file extension.

   Update values, select the damaged book and click the button OK.

   If a dialog box appears Sheet selection, select the sheet you want, and then click OK.

   Select cell A1.

   On the tab home in Group Clipboard select Copy.

   Select an area approximately the same size (starting in cell A1) as the range of cells containing data in the damaged workbook.

   On the tab home in Group Clipboard click the button Insert.

   While a range of cells is selected, on the tab home in Group Clipboard press the button again Copy.

   On the tab home in Group Clipboard click the arrow below the button Insert, then in the group Paste values select Values.

   Note: Inserting values ​​removes references to the damaged workbook and leaves only the data.

1. Note: It can be embedded in a sheet or placed on a separate chart sheet.

   Run the GetChartValues ​​macro.

The automatic save feature creates a backup copy of the book in case the original is accidentally deleted or damaged.

On the tab File select team Save as.

In Excel 2013 or Excel 2016, click where your spreadsheet is located and click Review.

Click the down arrow next to the item Service, which is located near the button Save, and select Common parameters.

Check the box Always back up.

Recovering Office files.

The periodic recovery file feature creates a backup copy of the book in case the original is accidentally deleted or damaged.

On the tab File click the button Options.

In field Data directory for autorecovery Enter the location where you want to save the recovery file.

Make sure the checkbox Disable autorecovery for this workbook only removed.

For more information about saving and restoring earlier versions of a workbook, and about restoring new workbooks (that haven't yet been saved), see Recover Office files.

Manually recovering a damaged book

Recovering data from a damaged workbook

The following methods will help you save data that might otherwise be lost. If one method doesn't work, you can try another. If all these steps fail, try using third-party solutions to recover workbook data.

Important: If a disk or network error prevents you from opening a workbook, move it to another hard drive or save it to a local drive from a network before attempting to recover it using the following methods.

To restore data while the workbook is open in Excel, do one of the following:

To recover data if the workbook cannot be opened in Excel, do one of the following:

• Setting up manual recalculation in Excel. To open the workbook, try disabling automatic recalculation. The book will not be counted and can therefore be opened.

  To set up manual recalculation in Excel, follow these steps:

  Using external links to link to a damaged book If you only need to extract data from a workbook, rather than formulas or values, you can use external links to link to the damaged workbook.

  Opening a damaged book in Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft WordPad. If you have the Microsoft Office Excel converter installed, you may be able to open the workbook in Word. If the file is opened in Word, you can recover the data. This method cannot be used for module sheets, dialogs, charts and macros, or embedded charts. You will not be able to restore formulas in cells. It will be possible to restore only the results of formulas that are displayed in the cells of the damaged workbook.

  You can also open an Excel workbook in WordPad. If the workbook opens, you can restore the Microsoft Visual Basic code in modules and class modules. To find the code, search for Sub or Function.

  Retrieving data from a damaged workbook using a macro. If the corrupted workbook references a chart, try extracting the original chart data using a macro.

  To use a macro, follow these steps:

  1. Enter the following macro code on the module sheet:

     Enter the following macro code on the module sheet:

     Sub GetChartValues() Dim NumberOfRows As Integer Dim X As Object Counter = 2 " Calculate the number of rows of data. NumberOfRows = UBound(ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).Values) Worksheets("ChartData").Cells(1, 1) = "X Values" " Write x-axis values ​​to worksheet. With Worksheets("ChartData") .Range(.Cells(2, 1), _ .Cells(NumberOfRows + 1, 1)) = _ Application.Transpose(ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).XValues) End With " Loop through all series in the chart and write their values ​​to " the worksheet. For Each X In ActiveChart.SeriesCollection Worksheets("ChartData").Cells(1, Counter) = X.Name With Worksheets("ChartData") .Range(.Cells(2, Counter), _ .Cells(NumberOfRows + 1, Counter)) = _ Application.Transpose(X.Values) End With Counter = Counter + 1 Next End Sub

     Insert a new sheet into the workbook and rename it ChartData.

     Select the chart from which you want to extract data values.

     Note: This chart can be embedded in a worksheet or placed on a separate chart sheet.

     Run the GetChartValues97 macro.

     The data from the chart will be placed on the ChartData sheet.

Automatically save a book backup

Automatic creation of a recovery file at certain intervals

additional information

You can always ask a question from the Excel Tech Community, ask for help in the Answers community, or suggest a new feature or improvement to the website

If, when you try to open a Microsoft Word document, you receive an error message that the file is damaged or that the file cannot be opened, there are several ways to troubleshoot the problem.

To store Microsoft Word documents, files with the extensions are used .DOC And .DOCX. Older versions of Microsoft Word prior to Office 2007 only use the format .DOC.

The latest versions of Microsoft Word by default use files with the extension .DOCX. This format is compatible with Open Office.

1. Recovery using Microsoft Word

If the file is only partially damaged, then it is more convenient to restore the data it contains using the following algorithm:

1. Launch Microsoft Word
2. Open a blank document
3. Click on the “FILE” button in the upper left corner.
4. In the menu that appears, select the “Open” option.
5. Select damaged file on disk
6. In the drop-down menu of the “Open” button, you must select “Open and Repair”.

Microsoft Word may take a long time to process a damaged file and, as a result, may open a document with recovered data or report that it is impossible to fix the file.

If Microsoft Word is not able to fix a doc/docx file, then you can use special programs or services.

2. Recovery using online services

The most convenient, simple and affordable online service is Online File Repair Service.

This online service can recover more than 10 different file types, including damaged Microsoft Word files. The online service works on all platforms (PC, tablets, phones, etc.) and all operating systems (Windows, iOS, MacOS).

How to recover a Word file online

Restoring a Word file with an online service is a very simple operation, divided into several steps. The user needs:

1. Select a file on the disk/device;
2. Type captcha characters;
3. Enter email;
4. Click the “Upload file for recovery” button;
5. If the service was able to recover a Word file, then you can view the contents of the document, pay for file recovery ($5) and download the recovered file.

3. Recovery using programs

If you have a lot of damaged files or if the file contains confidential information, then an online service will not be the best solution. In these cases it is preferable to use a special program, for example Recovery Toolbox for Word. Advantages Recovery Toolbox for Word:

• Ease of use
• Small program size
• Recovery efficiency

How to recover a damaged Word file

To recover a damaged Word file you need to:

1. Select damaged Word file
2. Click the “Analyze” button
3. If the file was successfully recovered, then click the “Start recovery” button and select a method for saving the recovered text:

   — export recovered data to Microsoft Word
   — save the recovered text to a regular text file

Despite all the apparent simplicity, Recovery Toolbox for Word is an effective document recovery tool that can cope with the most serious damage.

4. Conclusion

Using one of the above methods will most likely give a positive result and allow you to recover data from a damaged Microsoft Word file. You must first use the simplest method (recovery using Microsoft Word), since in most cases this is sufficient.