How to Fix Corrupted Files on Mac?

Mac is a reliable device, so everything typically runs smoothly for anyone using it. However, there are those occasions when things can be broken, like your files suddenly getting corrupted. You usually have no clue how or why it happened, but it’s enough to make you panic because it could be a sign that your Mac has a virus.

Corrupted files are common on all devices, but corrupt file recovery on Mac is possible. Continue reading this article to learn the effective methods to uncorrupt files on Mac.

A note from our experts:

 

Corrupted files may be an indication of viruses on your Mac. To ensure proper protection for your device, use a trustworthy Antivirus. MacKeeper’s Antivirus can detect and remove threats in real-time.

 

Here's how to use MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool:

1. Download MacKeeper on your Mac and install the app.
2. Select Antivirus in the left pane
3. Click the Start Scan button at the bottom of the window
4. Once MacKeeper has finished scanning your Mac, you can select and delete any malware found or move it to quarantine until you’re ready to act.

Reasons why files corrupt on Mac

There are several reasons why your files can become corrupted. Below are a few examples or scenarios that could lead to this happening.

1. Power outage

Experiencing a power outage or power surge while using a Mac could lead to your files becoming corrupted.

2. Using data recovery software

While data recovery software can help recover lost files and external drives (including USB flash drives, memory cards, and more), cheap data recovery software can sometimes cause your files to become corrupted. Learn what to do when Mac recovery mode is not working.

3. File system issues

File systems (where your files are stored) tend to get damaged from time to time, which can result in your files being corrupted.

4. File formatting issues

Anytime you format your files (for example, converting videos from MP4 to MOV, or photos from PNG to JPEG), you put them at risk of becoming corrupted or unreadable.  

5. Viruses

This is probably the most common cause of corrupted files. Viruses can wreak havoc on your device, and your files are no exception. Consider checking your Mac for viruses and malware.  

Viruses can show up on your Mac unannounced and sometimes without you noticing (Mac Finder not responding can be a clue). Keeping up with viruses manually can be a challenge and is time-consuming. Not to mention that you might not be able to find and weed out all viruses on your Mac, as they can be sneaky and easy to miss with the human eye.  

That’s why using antivirus software is non-negotiable. It searches for viruses in places you wouldn’t think to look and finds viruses you’d have otherwise missed.

MacKeeper is a comprehensive cybersecurity app geared toward protecting your personal information and the integrity of your Mac through a suite of key solutions. The latter includes MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool, which sweeps your Mac for viruses and malware, and removes them at the click of a button.  

But it doesn’t stop there. Antivirus continues to look out for viruses and malware in the background as you use your computer without interrupting you. This ensures that you can take action immediately when any viruses are found. And as you may know, time is of the essence when your privacy is compromised.

As we’ve seen in the list above, the causes of corrupted files are typically common everyday problems or occurrences. But this also means you can recover corrupted files on Mac OS X or any MacBook Pro M1, or other, as the causes aren’t deeply rooted.

Can a corrupt file be fixed on Mac?

Yes, you can often uncorrupt a file using various tools, some of which are built into macOS, such as Disk Utility and Time Machine. If you can’t open a damaged file on Mac, we recommend performing First Aid on the drive that contains the file to fix errors. However, the easiest way to perform file repair on Mac is usually to replace the damaged data with a backup if you have one.

How to repair corrupted files on Mac?

When we need to restore corrupted files on Mac, there are several methods we can try. We always recommend replacing the corrupted file with a backup if possible as this reduces the risk you’ll run into further issues with the file later. However, if you don’t have a backup, try these fixes:

• Open the corrupt file with another app.
• Run First Aid in Disk Utility.
• Boot in Safe Mode.
• Redownload the file from the original source.
• Change file format.
• Use third-party tools to uncorrupt the file.

Open the corrupt file with another app

We’ve found that in many cases, it’s not actually the file that’s corrupt, but rather an issue with the software we’re using to open it. When you need to open a damaged file on Mac, try using another app that supports its file format. For instance, if you can’t open a PDF in Preview, see if it will open with Google Chrome. If you have a .docx that won’t open in Word, try Pages. Here’s how:

1. Right click the file you want to open, then go to Open With.
2. Select the app you want to use, or click Other and then find and choose the app manually.

Run First Aid in Disk Utility

Files sometimes become corrupt as a result of issues or errors with the drive that they’re stored on, especially if it’s an older drive that hasn’t been formatted in a long time. In our experience, this can often be fixed by running First Aid in Disk Utility, like so:

1. In Finder, go to Applications > Utilities and open Disk Utility.
2. Select the drive that holds your file in the sidebar, then click the First Aid button.
3. Click Run to proceed.

Disk Utility will attempt to repair any errors that it finds on your drive. Once this process is complete, restart your Mac, then try opening your file again.

Boot in Safe Mode

We sometimes have problems opening files because of software incompatibilities. This occurs when a third-party app interferes with or prevents another piece of software from operating correctly. To check if a file is corrupted on Mac or if it’s just a software clash, boot into Safe Mode and open it there. Here’s how:

Boot into Safe Mode on an Apple silicon Mac:

1. Shut down the Mac.
2. Hold the power button until you see startup options.
3. Select the Mac’s startup disk, then click Continue in Safe Mode.

Boot into Safe Mode on an Intel Mac:

1. Shut down the Mac.
2. Turn on your Mac, then press and hold Shift.
3. Log in when prompted to continue to Safe Mode.

Once inside Safe Mode, try opening the file again. If it opens successfully, this tells you a third-party app is causing issues and needs to be reinstalled. If the file still won’t open, it is indeed corrupted—try out one of the solutions below for file repair on Mac.

Repair corrupted files on Mac using Time Machine backup

The best and most effective way to restore corrupted files on Mac is to replace them with an uncorrupted version from your Time Machine backup. Time Machine is a system software on Mac that backs up your files. It allows you to set the frequency of your backups and deletes the oldest backups when your backup disk is full.

Warning: Please note that it’s only possible to restore files using Time Machine if a backup is available (for example, an automatic backup was enabled on your MacBook).

Follow the steps below to repair corrupted files using Time Machine backup:

1. Click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Time Machine.
2. Check the box next to Show Time Machine in menu bar.
3. Now click the Time Machine icon in the top menu (it’s the one that looks like a clock), then select Enter Time Machine. This will bring up the folders or files you’ve backed up in Time Machine.
4. Find the file you want to repair by clicking on the relevant folder first.
5. Next, open the file and click the Restore button at the bottom of the screen to start the process of fixing it in Time Machine backup.

Redownload file from the original source

The next best thing to restoring a file from a backup is to redownload it from its original source. This obviously isn’t possible if it’s a document you created yourself from scratch, but if it’s a file you previously obtained from the internet, you should be able to download it again to replace the corrupted copy.

Change file format

Files sometimes become corrupt because their format is inadvertently changed. For instance, if you have a Word document that was somehow changed to a JPEG, it simply won’t open. However, we can fix this by simply reverting the file format back to the original one. Try this:

1. Right-click the corrupted file, then choose Rename.
2. At the end of the file name, change the file format to the original one.
3. macOS will ask you to confirm this change—click the Use button to continue.
4. Try opening the file again.

We’ve also had success with converting corrupt files to other formats. In some cases, you can do this using the method outlined above, however, with some file types, you’ll need a proper conversion tool. Fortunately, many file types can be converted for free online—just search for the converter you require.

Use third-party tools to uncorrupt the file

If you have a file that’s corrupt due to a larger data issue, you may need more than built-in tools to recover it. We suggest that you try using third-party file repair tools such as Disk Drill or Stellar Data Recovery instead to see if they can successfully restore the corrupted files using more advanced processes.

How to find corrupted files on Mac?

Unfortunately, there is no easy way we can find all our corrupted files on Mac. It would certainly be helpful to be able to gather them all in one place so we can set about fixing them one by one, but it’s just not possible, so we usually don’t know a file is corrupt until we try to use it. However, some telltale signs that a file is corrupt are when its icon stops displaying properly, and when the file cannot be backed up.

Tips on how to prevent file damage on Mac

As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. So, let’s look at the ways Mac users can prevent their files from being corrupted in the first place.  

• Back up your files using Time Machine
• Ensure your Mac is up-to-date to avoid errors by upgrading to the latest macOS regularly
• Keep viruses at bay using MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool.

Fixing corrupted files can be easy and quick on Mac

You shouldn’t be alarmed when you encounter corrupted files on your Mac. Technology does tend to glitch occasionally, after all. If you come across a corrupted file on your Mac, try the solutions mentioned in this article.

The most important thing to remember is to use an effective antivirus software like MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool. This is a great option because it scans your Mac for viruses and malware in real-time, which is the key to protecting your personal information.

The second critical factor in fixing corrupted files is using Mac’s Time Machine feature, which is a straightforward process that even novices should be able to navigate through. Good luck to you!