Quickest and Accessible: How to Repair Corrupted Photos
Photos are an important part of modern society and impact our lives and work. Time flows, and photography is the best method to keep precious memories alive. With these photos, our memories become more vivid and never fade away. In your work, you also need to use photos on your resume, signature, file, etc.
The digital photo takes the place of the film photo and allows you to click and save it on your computer. It is more convenient and easier to save. However, it is still not everlasting. There might be corruption in your digital photos; some can be fixed quickly, while some may take more steps. But don't worry; most corrupted photos are repaired with more or less effort.
This article will help you locate the reasons for your corrupted photos and provide seven simple and effective methods to restore them.
Contents:
Part 1. Photo Corruption Types and Causes
To help you find the quickest way to fix your corrupted photos, you need to figure out the precise reason why your photos are broken. Generally, there are two main categories of corruption:
1. Logical corruption (file structure issues, metadata damage, format incompatibility).
Logical corruption is mainly related to the photo file and computer software, such as the photo file structure issue and photo metadata loss. Another common problem is format incompatibility, which means your device or software does not support opening your photo.
2. Physical corruption (hardware failure, storage device damage).
Physical corruption, such as hardware failure or storage device damage, will corrupt your photos or make them unable to open. You need to replace or repair the hardware first.
Now, let's move forward and look at five common reasons for photo corruption.
• File Transfer Issues: Image files are easily damaged during transfer between devices, especially when the connection and power are unstable.
• Storage Device Failures: A broken storage device, such as an SD card or hard disk, may damage all your files, including photos.
• Virus or Malware Attacks: Image files are rather vulnerable. Any virus or malware attack on the computer can cause image corruption.
• Unsupported File Formats: You may not be able to open an image file that is in an unsupported file format.
• Unexpected System Crashes: Abrupt System break-down, lag, or slow running can lead to image damage, too.
Part 2. Repair Corrupted Photos Online for Free 🔥
If you have old, damaged, or corrupted photos, Picwand AI Photo Restoration is the ideal solution. This free, web-based tool uses advanced AI technology to automatically fix faded images, repair scratches, remove red eyes, restore old black-and-white photos, and even colorize them, all without installing any software.
Designed for simplicity and speed, Picwand requires just a few clicks to breathe new life into your memories. Whether you're restoring vintage family portraits or fixing digital image errors, Picwand delivers high-quality results with zero hassle.
Key Features of Picwand AI Photo Restoration
• Fix Various Types of Photo Damage: Repair faded colors, scratched areas, red-eye, and other common issues with AI-powered precision.
• AI-Powered Colorization: Bring black-and-white photos back to life with realistic and vibrant color enhancement.
• Image Quality Enhancement: Sharpen blurry areas and reduce noise to restore clarity and detail to any image.
• No Downloads Required: Restore photos directly from your browser with no installation or risk of viruses.
• Edit History: Instantly revisit and download your previously restored photos anytime.
After learning Picwand's sparkling features and why it stands out the best, let's see how to use it to get your things done with simple steps.
Step 1. Log in to Picwand AI with any browser on any device.
Step 2. Select Picwand AI Photo Restoration from the top menu.
Step 3. Click the central button to upload the photo you want to restore.
Step 4. Wait for the restoration process. It will only take a few minutes.
Step 5. Check the restored image and save it to your device. You can also click Colorize or upload a new image to restore.
Part 3. Other Ways to Repair Corrupted Photo Files
Online photo restoration can fix photos with blur, red eyes, color problems, and other content problems. However, in some cases of corrupted photos, you need to use the following 6 methods.
Change the Format of the Photo
Some images do not tend to open correctly in their format, which happens frequently to JPEG/JPG images. Luckily, one can repair a corrupt JPG file online for free by converting the photo to a different format. Some online tools may even allow you to convert multiple files in a batch. Here are simple steps to convert the image format.
Step 1. Open a safe online image format converter.
Step 2. Convert your corrupted image to another file format.
Step 3. Save and open it to see if it is fixed.
Rename the Corrupted Photo
Sometimes, the photos are not actually corrupted. It's the file name that makes you unable to open it because of conflicting metadata, system locks, or file indexing issues. You can fix these problems by renaming the file without changing the file extension. Simple, quick, and non-destructive is this method. You should always try it first before more invasive techniques.
Step 1. Right-click the photo you want to repair, then click Rename.
Step 2. Enter the new name and save. Reopen the photo with the new name to see if this works.
Restore from Backup
It is very necessary to take a backup of your important files, including photos. Therefore, when you have corrupted photos, you can restore them from the backup file. In addition, you can use automated backup solutions like iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc. to make sure you always have you file backed up in time.
Step 1. Open the backup software you use and find the original version of the corrupted photos.
Step 2. Restore it to the old correct version.
Open Photo in Paint (Windows Only)
Microsoft Paint is built in painting software on Windows, it can sometimes open images that other programs cannot, allowing for a simple repair.However, this method is basic and may not work for severely corrupted files.
Step 1. Right-click the corrupted photo and choose Open with Paint.
If you can correctly open the image with no corruption, then it is not broken.
Run CHKDSK (Windows Only)
Check Disk(CHKDSK) is an integrated Windows tool that scans corrupted files, fixes system bugs, and errors. It may help to resolve issues causing photo corruption, and repair your photos.
Tips: Back up your data before running disk repair utilities in case of data loss.
Step 1. Search for CMD in the Start Menu and open the Command Prompt.
Step 2. To check and fix the error on the D driver, type chkdsk D: /F /R.
Step 3. Click Enter to start.
Use Photo Repair Software
If you come accross the worst situation: file broken and none of the methods above works. You need to turn to professional software to repair corrupted photo files effectively.
Step 1. Open specialized photo repair software such as JPG.Repair.
Step 2. Upload your corrupted photo and wait for the processing.
Step 3. Download the new fixed image.
Part 4. Prevent Your Photos from Getting Corrupted
Though there are several ways to fix the error and repair corrupted photos, it is better to prevent your photos from damage in the first place. Here are five practical methods:
Regularly Back Up Important Photos: Back up all your files, at least important photos and files, once a week with external storage or an online driver like iCould. If possible, you'd better activate the automatic backup function.
Use Reliable Storage Devices and Monitor Their Health: Keep all your storage devices authorized, official, and high-quality. Remember to check their health situation once in a while.
Avoid Interruptions During Photo Transfers or Saves: Build a stable and safe environment when you transfer or save photos. Make sure about the stable internet, full power, tight cable connection, etc.
Install and Regularly Update Antivirus Software: To keep your computer and devices away from virus, turn on the built-in firewall or intall one. You should always update the latest version so it can work.
Scan and Repair Storage Devices Regularly: Scan the storage devices regularly and repair the problem in time.
Part 5. FAQs About Repairing Corrupted Photos
Can AI repair severely corrupted photos?
Yes, but AI has some limitation. AI tools like Picwand AI Photo Restoration can fix moderate corruption and restore the old photos. For severe cases like corrupt file struction, you can use professional photo repair software and do it manually.
How do I fix corrupted photos on an SD card?
To fix corrupted photos on an Android SD card. You can connect the SD card to the computer and use the HKDSK prompt to repair storage errors. If this doesn't work, you can use photo recovery software like EaseUS or Stellar to repair the corrupted photos on your SD card.
Conclusion
In conclusion, repairing corrupted photos starts with identifying the type of issue. You can try several methods, starting with simpler ones like renaming the photo, restoring from a backup, or using Windows Paint. If those don't work, you can try changing the file format or running CHKDSK. If all else fails, photo repair software can help.
For cases where you see visible damage like blurriness or color issues, Picwand AI Photo Restoration is your go-to solution for quick and effective fixes. Lastly, to prevent future photo corruption, make sure to back up your images regularly.
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