Dealing With Image Corruption
Whether you are capturing the image on a digital camera or with a smartphone, most devices store images as PNG or JPEG. Not to mention, these are some of the most common image formats that are supported on almost all devices – even cross-platform ones.
Therefore, storing your images in PNG/JPEG format makes them more compatible with digital devices as you can open and view them quickly. But these files are also prone to file corruption.
Before you learn the potential ways to fix file corruption, it’s important to understand the reasons that make them inaccessible.
What Causes PNG/JPEG Corruption
PNG or JPEG are the most common file formats used by smartphones and digital cameras. There are numerous reasons that can make your image file corrupt, and identifying the real cause is important to fix it efficiently.
Although the focus of this article is more on the PNG and JPEG image file format, the reasons and resolutions apply to other image formats too.
Here are some of the reasons that maVirus infection or malware attack:
- Interruption in the file scanning process midway
- Existing bad sector in the storage media
- Encoding or editing of JPEG is not completed
- Corruption in the master boot record of OS
- Sudden power surge while the file is in process
- A mismatched version of the file
Before you move on to the ways to fix the image file, make sure you know the actual reason that is preventing the file from working properly.
Change the File to Another Format
If you are dealing with PNG corruption, make sure you know how to convert a PNG to JPG for a quick resolution. Converting PNG to JPG can make the file accessible. Not only will it reduce the size of the file but gives you access to other advantages as well.
While PNG guarantees high-quality images, the JPG files can be compressed to claim more space on the storage drive.
Restore Previous Version
Restoring the file to its previous version can save your day when you are dealing with serious file corruption. It is one of the easiest ways, yet the most ignored one, as most users are not familiar with it.
You can restore an inaccessible file to the previous version on macOS, Windows, or other devices to be able to view its content.
Repair Corrupted File With First-Aid
On macOS, you can use the First-Aid feature to repair a corrupt file. Disk Utility allows Mac users to detect and correct errors. An unorganized directory structure, inappropriate formatting, or a damaged file can contribute a lot to file corruption.
The First Aid option available in the Disk Utility enables Mac users to fix disk-related problems, no matter how complex or simple they are.
Use Time Machine to Fix Corruption
You must be wondering how a backup utility can help repair file corruption. Right? The Time Machine stores a copy of files you’ve created on your Mac in the last 24 hours, a week, or previous months. It creates automatic hourly backups and stores them on external storage.
You can find the Time Machine backup tool by clicking the menu bar displayed under System Preferences.
Run Third-Party Software
Based on the operating system you are using, you can try the file repair methods mentioned above. However, if any of the above-given built-in methods to repair files don’t help, use a third-party file repair software.
Many professional file recovery software available online allows you to repair corrupt, damaged, broken, or inaccessible files.
How to Prevent File Corruption?
Once you have repaired your PNG or JPEG files, be sure to implement standard practices to prevent further corruption. Individuals or businesses can lose access to important data due to file corruption.
Getting acquainted with the preventive measures will help you avoid file corruption. Here are the potential ways to prevent your files from being damaged.
Block Viruses and Malware
Security lapses are one of the major reasons responsible for corruption in files on computers, smartphones, and other devices.
Viruses have become more sophisticated and powerful in damaging files beyond repair. Regularly scan all the drives on the computer.
Ensure Proper Conversion
When the file conversion process is underway, avoid interrupting your computer.
To prevent file system conversion failures, make sure to prevent the occurrence of potential risks such as power outages or unavailability of free storage.
Remove Drive Safely
When removing external storage drives from your computer, make sure to use the Safe to Remove Hardware option. Ejecting the USB storage drive without using the safe option can lead to data corruption or damage to the file system.
Having learned all the potential reasons for file corruption and the preventive practices, make sure you follow them in order to protect your data.
