If you are reading this article online, you definitely know how to use the internet. And for anyone who uses the internet, zip files are nothing new. You see these files all the time. Whenever you download something form the internet or you have to email a set of files in a folder. Once the file is downloaded, you can extract it through software that converts it back to its original form, but not always.
Zip files often get corrupt or broken. In such cases, you are unable to retrieve the data in its original form. So, is it the end of the world? Not really, highly efficient Zip recovery software are now easily available for repair and retrieval of files in Zip, Rar or Self Extracting File format. Yet, most people, with lack of technical understanding, might insist that it is better to avoid the problem altogether.
Factors that Corrupt the Compressed File
So, is it possible to avoid a corrupt zip file in the first place? The answer depends on the reason that has actually caused the problem. So, let’s take a look at some of the major causes behind a corrupt compressed file.
- Most of the compressed file formats specially Zip are open source formats. The information is recorded in two file headers. Yet, since it is an open source format a header issue is often unavoidable. The program used to extract the file might treat the header as inaccurate or inconsistent and the Zip file appears to be corrupt.
- Another common reason behind a corrupt compressed file involves transfer errors during download or upload of the file to and from the internet. In this case, an invalid data might get added to the Zip file making it impossible to retrieve through usual extracting software.
- Sometimes you might notice that a previously working Zip file in your removable drive eventually gets damaged and corrupt. This may be because of a malfunctioning removable drive or previously existing malicious/corrupted data on the drive.
Can You Recover the Corrupt Data
A corrupt or damaged Zip file does not mean it’s the end of the world. Depending on the reason, there are several simple solutions that include downloading the data again or transferring it to another removable disk. Yet, the simplest and sure shot solution is to use recovery software that may retrieve the data in most cases.
Alan Chen is President and Chairman of DataNumen, Inc., which is the world leader in data recovery technologies, including word recovery, excel repair, outlook repair and sql recovery software products. For more information visit www.datanumen.com.