Step by step
Make a copy of the damaged file
Before anything else, copy the file to another folder or drive. FileFix Ultimate never modifies the original, but keeping your own copy is always good practice.
Open File Repair and select the file
In the app, go to File Repair and select the file. Supported types are JPEG, PNG, PDF, ZIP, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX.
Read the inspection report
The app checks the file structure and explains what it found: for example a broken JPEG header, a damaged PDF cross-reference table or a ZIP central directory that is missing.
Choose where to save the repaired copy
Pick a destination folder. The repaired version is always written as a new file; the original stays exactly as it is.
Run the repair
The app rebuilds what it can: headers, indexes, archive directories and Office package structure. It reports which parts were rebuilt and which could not be.
Open and check the result
Open the new file in your usual program. Check pages, sheets or images carefully, because repaired files can still have missing sections.
Why files become corrupted
Corruption usually happens when writing is interrupted: a USB stick removed too early, a power cut, a crash during saving or an incomplete download. Recovered files can also be damaged when part of their data was already overwritten.
In many cases only the beginning or the end of the file is broken. These are exactly the parts that hold the index a program needs to open the file, which is why repair is often possible.
What can be repaired per file type
JPEG and PNG: broken headers and truncated endings can be fixed so the image opens; missing pixels stay missing. PDF: a damaged cross-reference table can be rebuilt by scanning the objects in the file.
ZIP, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX are ZIP packages. When the central directory is damaged, the app rebuilds it from the individual entries, so documents and spreadsheets can often be opened again.
Try the built-in options too
Microsoft Office has its own "Open and Repair" option in the Open dialog. Use it on a copy, and compare the result with FileFix Ultimate's version.
For Office files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, check the version history first. An earlier version is often better than a repaired one.
Repairing files you have just recovered
Files found by signature search are often the ones that need repair: the end may be cut off, or a piece in the middle may belong to another file. Recover them to a different disk first, then run File Repair on the recovered copy — never work directly on the drive you are recovering from.
If the recovery report says "Extracted · not validated", try opening the file first. If it fails, File Repair tells you whether the structure can be rebuilt or whether too much data is missing to make it usable.
Limits of file repair
Repair rebuilds structure, not content. If half of a photo's data has been overwritten, the repaired image will show the first half and a grey or garbled area. Password-protected files cannot be repaired without the password.
If the file comes from a drive that is failing, recover it from the drive first and then repair the recovered copy.
Quick checklist
- Keep a copy of the damaged file
- Read the inspection report before repairing
- Save the repaired file to a separate folder
- Check every page, sheet or image in the result
- Try earlier versions or backups if available