Skip to content

How to Repair Corrupted User Documents and Office Files

Issue Description 

Documents may fail to open or show errors due to corruption. 

Common Causes 

  • Sudden shutdowns 
  • Disk errors 
  • Incomplete saves 

Step-by-Step Solution 

Step 1: Use Built-in Repair 

  • Open Word/Excel 
  • Click File → Open → Browse 
  • Select file → Click arrow next to Open → Open and Repair 

 

Step 2: Restore Previous Versions 

  • Right-click file → Properties → Previous Versions 
  • Restore earlier copy if available 

 

Step 3: Copy File to Another Location 

  • Copy corrupted file to Desktop 
  • Attempt to open again 

 

Step 4: Check Disk Errors 

  • Open Command Prompt (Admin) 
  • Run: 
  • chkdsk /f 

Explore Further 

  • Use cloud backups 
  • Try third-party repair tools 

Prevention & Best Practices 

Save files frequently and keep backups enabled.