11 Best Corrupted File Repair Software for Windows
A list of the best software to fix different files on your PC
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Key notes
- Corrupted files can lead to system errors, so you must use the best file repair software.
- You don’t have native tools to repair corrupted files in Windows 10, but the ones from our list will help you.
- The solutions below also find corrupt archives and repair them before you can install any damaged programs.
- Repair all corrupted Windows files and keep all programs running optimally.
Corrupted files can be a big problem, especially if one of those files is your work or school project. Windows has built-in repair tools that help you keep your PC in top shape.
While these tools are excellent, they can’t be compared to dedicated Windows 10/11 repair tools that fix issues on your PC. These tools carry out deeper scans and resolve any problem on your PC.
This guide has curated the best software to repair files on your Windows PC. Some of these tools are specialized for a specific purpose, such as corrupt file finder, while others are general repair tools.
Also, corrupted files can get you one of the following potential errors:
➡️ File header mismatched with its type.
➡️ The file is corrupt and cannot be opened.
➡️ The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.
➡️ There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged.
If you already encountered any of them, use any of the software below to solve any corrupt archive.
How do I fix corrupted files on Windows 10 for free?
- Press the Windows key + R and type cmd.
- Click the OK button to launch Command Prompt.
- Type the command below and hit Enter.
sfc/scannow
You can run an SFC scan to repair corrupted files on Windows 10 for free. If this tool fails, you can use the built-in DISM to improve the SFC tool and the broken files. Lastly, there is free dedicated software that you can install for this purpose.
How can I choose the best file repair software?
There are many excellent PC repair software that can repair files, and some of the applications are available for free.
Depending on the file type, you need to use specialized software. We already wrote about the best software to repair ZIP files, so you might want to check them out.
Sometimes system recovery doesn’t go well, leaving you with damaged files, but there are ways to recover corrupted files after recovery.
That being said, a good repair tool for Windows will always provide you with the following elements:
- Capability to repair system files
- Can recover deleted items
- High quality of the recovered files
Picking the best tool isn’t a simple task, but hopefully, one of these applications will be able to help you. We’ve included various software options, with multiple apps offering paid services, others providing a free trial, and others free.
Reading this list will provide you with the best applications available to ensure the smooth operation of your PC, whether it’s an older model or some of the latest gaming rigs.
How do I fix corrupted OS files in Windows 10?
To fix corrupted OS files, at first glance, you can use the System File Checker tool to scan Windows and safely restore your files.
If somehow this process looks complicated, you can always use dedicated applications specially created to automate this procedure and repair your OS files by finding healthy parts from its repository.
What is the best file repair software?
Fortect – Multiskilled program
Fortect is an excellent repair tool and you can definitely rely on using it if you encounter multiple system errors.
You can let Fortect scan your PC in-depth to search for every issue that is currently occurring which will soon be repaired and you should keep in mind that this process will take you no more than roughly five minutes.
Once the scan is complete, this program helps you repair and replace all the corrupted or missing OS files including DLL files and registry keys with healthy elements.
Fortect uses an advanced repair technology that differentiates your system condition from a healthy one which means it is able to correct all the deficiencies and irregularities that your device is experiencing.
Furthermore, you can opt for a cleanup procedure to achieve more free space by removing junk files that usually build up with time. Plus, Fortect helps you identify faulty or incompatible software.
Take a peak at what other key features Fortect includes:
- Browser Cleanup
- Prevention of blue screen of death
- Operating system restoration
- PC scan and assessment
Fortect
Great repair app that promises an effortless PC speed up and optimization with just a few clicks.Stellar software – File repair software with various tools
Having access to valuable software can make a massive difference in the way you’ll be able to identify and resolve issues on your PC, and Stellar has some fantastic products to offer:
➡ Stellar Repair for Outlook
In case you didn’t know, Outlook files are also stored locally on your hard drive so that you can read and compose messages when your Internet connection is down.
Once you are online, Outlook will send all pending messages and update the inbox with new entries.
These can get corrupted too, and no better software can fix an Outlook PST file than Stellar Repair for Outlook.
This tool repairs severely corrupt and encrypted PST files and recovers deleted emails, attachments, notes, journals, tasks, contacts, and calendars.
Once the messages are recovered, you get an enhanced preview of all recoverable Outlook mailbox items. For example, it highlights the deleted emails, with the option to filter items while saving the repaired PST.
More so, the repaired file can be saved in multiple formats such as PST, MSG, EML, RTF, HTML, and PDF
Stellar Repair for Outlook
All your Outlook files will be completely recovered if you use this dedicated tool from Stellar!➡ Stellar Repair for PowerPoint
If you want to repair a corrupt Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx/.pptm) file and recover all PowerPoint data, only a few software can compare to Stellar Repair for PowerPoint.
It doesn’t matter what and how many elements the presentation has, be it Tables, Headers and Footer, Charts, WordArt objects, and more, Stellar Repair for PowerPoint recovers them all.
The files are recovered lossless, so you don’t need to worry about their integrity.
Additionally, you can preview the damaged files before repairing them to know the result before making irreparable changes.
The UI is simple and guided by a wizard setup, so no experience with similar software is required.
Stellar Repair for PowerPoint
Your PowerPoint presentations will be fully restored and functional after using this handy tool!➡ Stellar Repair for Access
Stellar Repair for Access is a complete file repair software for repairing and recovering your Access databases. It can solve any corruption error and remove redundant data with effective linking between the database elements.
Regarding recovery, you can use this tool to get back Macros, Modules, and Relational Databases. More so, it also retrieves password-protected forms and modules.
Stellar Repair for Access Software is a secure application for repairing corrupt MS Access (.mdb, .accdb) files.
The software recovers Access database objects, including tables, queries, forms, reports, linked tables, calculated data types, etc.
Stellar Repair for Access works by scanning for corrupt Access files and then saving them at default or a user-specified location. In addition, a log of all repairs is saved if you need it for future reference.
Stellar Repair for Access
Ensure that all your Access files work perfectly with Stellar’s great tool.➡ Stellar Toolkit for File Repair
This is another file repair tool; you can repair Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and ZIP files using this software. The tool will allow you to preview your files before restoring them, which is always a valuable option.
We have to mention that this tool supports three different repair levels, and it should fix your files without any modifications.
This file repair tool can also bypass password-protected ZIP files, so you’ll be able to repair them even if they are protected.
When you start Stellar Toolkit for File Repair for the first time, you’ll be asked to choose what type of file you wish to repair.
We must mention that to repair Office files, you must have the appropriate Office tool installed.
As for ZIP files, you can fix them without any special applications installed. After selecting the type of file, you want to improve, locate it on your hard drive and start the repair process.
Stellar Toolkit for File Repair
Quickly fix and restore any file on your PC that became corrupted with this excellent toolkit!Recoverit – Best media repair file
Recoverit is yet another exciting software entry on our list primarily because it does not only repair a file, but it can also perform the recovery process that usually precedes the repairs.
With its ability to restore from pretty much any type of media and its support for over 1000 file formats, Recoverit is a top contender in the file repair market.
It can also handle data that was previously on lost partitions, and you can even recover data even if the PC doesn’t boot or if it constantly crashes.
Recoverit
Use this versatile tool to recover from your PC even if it doesn’t boot or if it constantly crashes. Get the best deal now!Hetman File Repair – Dynamic file repair software
Unlike most of the other entries on our list explicitly targeted just one category of files, the Hetman File Repair software was created to solve issues with JPEG, TIFF, PSD, and ZIP files.
The tool can repair file headers and rebuild the internal structures of many types of files.
With no more structural errors, these files can now finally be viewed and edited at will.
The most common scenario to use Hetman File Repair is after a data recovery session when many files tend to come back damaged or incomplete.
Hetman File Repair
It can repair damaged or incomplete files, or repair damaged files after a data recovery session.File Repair – Simple interface
File Repair is a simple and free software that can repair your corrupted files. The application has a corrupted file finder and will try to extract data from it to a new file.
According to the developer, this application can help you fix several problems with corrupted files, such as the inability to read or access the file.
In addition, File Repair can also help if the file is not in a recognizable format or if the application can’t open that type of file.
Lastly, the application can help if you have a problem with low system resources and memory errors.
The developer claims that File Repair can help repair problems caused by unexpected power failure, network interruption, or virus infection.
In addition, this application can fix problems caused by network sharing or application errors.
Regarding the supported file formats, this application works with a wide range of formats. File Repair can repair corrupted Word, Excel, Zip, or RAR files.
The application also supports image files such as JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and RAW, PDF files, corrupted Access database files, and PowerPoint files. Lastly, you can also use this software to repair corrupted audio files like .mp3 and .wav.
File Repair offers a wide array of features and a large number of supported file formats. The application has a simple user interface, which will be perfect for basic users.
As we already mentioned, this is a freeware application, so you can download it and use it without any limitations completely free.
CCleaner – Best file registry cleaner
CCleaner is another good file repair software to have on your Windows PC. It is a popular optimization utility because it provides a robust set of features while being very easy to use.
This application can scan your whole PC and detect corrupt files. Once the scan is complete, it displays a list of everything found, and users can select which files they want to be removed and which they wish to keep.
CCleaner can help you optimize your browser by detecting and allowing you to remove unnecessary junk files.
It also includes a registry cleaner that detects problems with your DLL files, file extensions, and more.
The premium version of the software also includes a driver updater that can automatically detect any new driver releases for your hardware and install them on your machine. This can significantly increase overall PC performance.
It is also important to note that CCleaner includes startup optimization features that disable unnecessary apps that run in the background.
CCleaner is a reliable tool that contributes to improving overall PC performance. The software has a free version that includes the basic PC cleaning and optimization tools and a premium version with additional benefits such as an app updater and anti-tracking feature.
CCleaner
Use this professional tool to repair and restore Access databases without losing data.PowerPoint Repair Toolbox – Task-specific tool
Unlike the previous entry on our list, PowerPoint Repair Toolbox will repair only damaged PowerPoint files.
According to the developers, this tool can fix problems with data corruption on Windows 7 and newer operating systems.
In addition, the tool offers a simple user interface, so you’ll be able to repair your files quickly and easily.
The tool can recover text, objects, and other items stored in any PowerPoint file while keeping the structure of the input file unchanged. For this tool, you must have PowerPoint installed on your PC.
We must mention that media files and images from .ppt files will be saved separately on your hard drive. Therefore, you’ll need to add them to the presentation again.
The tool has some limitations and can’t repair password-protected files, so keep that in mind.
PowerPoint Repair Toolbox is available as a free demo, but if you want to continue using it, you’ll need to get a license.
We also have to mention that developer has many other tools for file repair on the website, so if you have problems with any other file type, you might want to consider one of those tools.
Cimaware OfficeFix – Office file repair tool
This is another file repair tool designed to fix Office files’ problems. According to the developer, this tool can repair Access, Excel, Word, and Outlook files.
The tool comes with a simple user interface, and as soon as you start the software, you need to choose what type of file you wish to recover.
Regarding file recovery, you can repair one or multiple files. We have to mention that this tool comes with a slightly outdated interface which can be a flaw for some users.
This is a decent tool if you wish to recover your Office files, but the application seems a bit outdated, and if that’s a problem for you, you might want to consider a different tool.
This isn’t a free application, but you can download and try the free demo without restrictions.
Zip Repair – Zip file fixer
You might want to consider the Zip Repair software if you can’t open a .zip archive file due to corruption. This is a simple tool, and it will allow you to repair corrupted Zip files with ease.
Select the damaged file and choose the save location for the new file. In addition to file repair, this tool allows you to extract files and repair spanned Zip files.
Lastly, you can also perform a batch Zip repair and repair multiple .zip files simultaneously.
According to the developer, this application will repair CRC errors in a .zip file, thus allowing you to extract from the corrupt archive.
The application supports Zip64 format and can work with archives larger than 2GB.
Zip Repair is a decent application with an outdated interface that some users might not like.
We must mention that this isn’t a free application, but you can download and use the evaluation version for free.
DiskInternals ZIP Repair – Multiple files repair tool
Zip files are handy if you want to transfer multiple files at once, but if your ZIP archive is corrupted, you can repair it using this tool.
Zip archives are prone to corruption, and if a minor breakdown occurs, you won’t be able to extract your files.
This is because ZIP archives check the CRC values of the original files, and if any corruption occurs, the CRC value will change, thus making you unable to extract your files.
Repairing files is simple; you must select the corrupt archive you want to repair. After that, set the filename you want to use for the repaired file and start the repair process.
After the scan is complete, the tool will extract partially damaged and restored files.
DiskInternals ZIP Repair is a simple tool that will repair all your corrupted zip files without any problems. In addition to being simple to use, this application is also free, so that you can use it without any restrictions.
Recovery Toolbox for RAR – Dedicated RAR file fixer
Besides ZIP files, many users use RAR files to create file archives. RAR files can also become corrupted, and to repair a corrupted RAR file, you might need a tool such as Recovery Toolbox for RAR.
According to the developer, this tool can help you if the corrupt archive is in an unknown format or damaged. In addition, these tools are helpful if you’re getting a CRC check failure message due to file corruption.
The tool can also help if the RAR file header is corrupted or the RAR archive is improperly compressed.
To fix a RAR file, select the damaged file and follow the instruction wizard. We have to mention that this tool can work with files up to 4GB.
Regarding compatibility, this tool should work on all versions of Windows, including Windows 10. The device is available as a free demo, but if you want to continue using this tool, you’ll need to purchase a license.
⇒ Get Recovery Toolbox for RAR
Can a corrupted file be repaired?
Corrupted files can be fixed on Windows PC. You can use one of the two built-in tools to repair the files.
Also, you can use a dedicated tool to fix the corrupted files. You can confidently choose any of the software recommended in this guide for this purpose.
As you can see, there are many different tools that you can use to repair your files, and depending on the type of file that you want to improve, you might have to use other tools.
We must mention that sometimes your files can’t be repaired, so you should keep that in mind before trying these tools.
Feel free to let us know the tool you enjoy using on our list in the comments below.
