Microsoft Word is one of the most frequently used word processing tools in the daily office processes of front-line law enforcement, government, and businesses. However, due to various reasons (such as unexpected shutdowns, virus attacks, file storage errors, or internal structural damage), Word documents may suffer from corruption and cannot be opened or edited properly.
This tutorial will guide you through a series of steps to try and repair corrupted Word file and maximize the recovery of data in it.
Common Causes of Corrupted Word Document
Corrupted Microsoft Word documents can be caused by various reasons that are equally applicable to front-line law enforcement, government, and corporate offices daily. Below are some of the common factors that can lead to Word document corruption:
Software Errors or Malfunctions
Microsoft Word itself may have program vulnerabilities or bugs that may trigger file corruption when processing documents under certain conditions.
Hardware Failure
Storage devices such as hard disk drives, flash drives, etc. may be physically damaged or logically incorrect, resulting in corruption of data saved in them, including Word documents.
Accidental Power Failure or Forced Shutdown
If there is a power interruption or a sudden computer shutdown while a Word document is being written or saved, write operations that are not completed correctly may result in damage to the file structure.
Virus Infection or Malware
Some viruses, Trojans, or other malware are specifically designed to infect or damage Office documents, which can directly result in the file not being opened properly.
File System Errors
Problems with the file system (e.g. NTFS or FAT) in the operating system, such as corrupted directory entries, excessive disk fragmentation, etc., may also cause abnormal file reading.
To prevent Word document corruption, it is recommended to back up important files regularly, keep your software updated to the latest version, use antivirus software to protect your system, avoid performing other operations that may cause system instability when saving documents, and manage network sharing and collaborative editing wisely.
Method 1: Use Word’s Built-in Repair Function
For Microsoft Word 2016 and Later Versions
You can try the steps below to repair corrupted Word file for Word 2016 and later versions:
- Open the Microsoft Word application.
- Click the “File” option on the top menu bar.
- Select “Open” in the drop-down menu.
- Browse to the corrupted Word file and instead of clicking on the “Open” button when hovering over it, click on the drop-down arrow on the right and select the “Open and Repair” option. Word will automatically try to repair the document structure.
For Earlier Versions of Word
- Use a similar method to open the File menu and then select the Open option.
- After selecting the corrupted file, click on the drop-down arrow next to the Open button at the bottom of the dialog box to locate and select the Open and Repair option.
Method 2: With Backup Files to Repair Corrupted Word File
If Word enables automatic saving and backup features, the system will generate temporary backup files in the document editing process. These backups are usually stored in the same directory with a .wbk extension:
- Search your computer for a file with the same name as the corrupted file and with the .wbk extension.
- Use Word to try to open this backup file to see if it contains newer data.
Method 3: Use Third-party Repair Tool
If Word’s built-in repair function is ineffective, you can consider using third-party software that specializes in repairing damaged documents. For example, MTM File Recovery is an easy-to-use tool that can help you repair corrupted Word files. It supports multiple versions of Word and can recover text, images, and tables.
Step 1: Download and install MTM File Recovery. After downloading, follow the installation wizard to complete the installation process.
Step 2: Launch MTM File Recovery, click the “Add” button on the top of the main interface of the software, and select the damaged Word documents that need to be recovered. You can select multiple different Word files for recovery at the same time.
Step 3: Wait for the scanning and recovery of corrupted files. The scanning time varies according to the file size and number of files.
Step 4: After scanning is completed, you can preview the recovered Word document content in the software area.
Step 5: Click on the “Export” button on the top of the main interface of the software to export the recovered Word documents. If you have recovered multiple documents at the same time, you can first select all or individually check the files you need to export on the left side of the software.
Method 4: Recover from Mail Merge or Auto Recovery List
If you have used a document as the main document in a mail merge when writing it, or Word has automatically created recovery information for unsaved documents:
In Word, go to File > Options > Save (in Word 2010 and above) or Tools > Options > Save (in older versions of Word) to see if there is a list of related auto-recovery files.
If so, try to recover the most recent file version from the list.
Method 5: Utilize File Format Conversion
In some cases, converting a corrupted Word document to another format and then converting it back may help repair the file. For example, you can convert a DOC or DOCX file to PDF format and then convert it back to Word format. There is no guarantee that this method will work, but it is worth attempting.
Method 6: Try to Extract the Text
If all of the above methods are unsuccessful in repairing the file, but the text in the document is very important to you, you can try to use a text extraction tool or service to extract the plain text content from the corrupted .doc or .docx file. Please note that formatting, images, and other non-text elements may not be preserved by this method.
Conclusion
These are the 6 common approaches on how to repair corrupted Word file, following the above steps can significantly increase the success rate of the repair. A good habit of regularly backing up important documents, as well as keeping your system stable and secure, is the best strategy to prevent document corruption. In the event of a problem, make sure you remain calm and try different solutions step by step.