Why Photos Get Corrupted and What You Can Do About It?
'I'm having trouble with some of my photos being corrupted after download (gray bar or gray box at the bottom of the photos). The preview looks good, but it has a bar/box after opening the photo. It will also change the photo and copy one that is already in the pictures folder. Can someone help understand how to repair these images?' ~ Windows User
If some of your digital photos have gray boxes, appear blank or blurry, become unreadable, or are damaged, these signs indicate photo corruption.
There can be many reasons why photos get corrupted, such as human error, system crashing unexpectedly, improper ejection, power loss, incomplete file transfer, or file system errors. Moreover, an interruption during the read or write process or while transferring data can corrupt your memory card.
In this post, we have explained the signs and causes of corrupted photos and how to fix them. We will also dive into some tips to prevent photo corruption. Are Your Photos Corrupted? Look for the Common Signs of Corrupt Images
Your photos are deemed corrupt if you notice the following signs: Images won't open in any photo viewer application.
While trying to open the image, you may get error messages like 'File format not supported,' etc.
The file size of the photos is unexpectedly small.
A thumbnail of the photos is missing or not showing up.
Some corrupt photos may open as black or blank screens. Missing or distorted images.
Fragmented data within the photo files makes the image pixelated or shows artifacts
Let's now understand what causes photo corruption. What Causes Photo Corruption?
There can be several reasons why your photos get corrupted, such as – Interruption during the photo transfer process.
Virus and malware attacks can make your images unreadable
Bad sectors on the storage media make photos inaccessible.
The photo viewer app does not support the photo file format.
Clicking photographs when the digital camera battery is low.
Improper insertion or removal of external drive from the digital camera or computer.
Storage media carrying the photo files is physically damaged or corrupted.
Using the same camera SD card on multiple devices. Workaround to Repair Corrupt Photos
Try some basic workarounds, such as viewing photos in another image viewer or transferring photo files again, to see if the corrupted photo can be opened or viewed. 1. Transfer the Photo files again.
If the file transfer process is interrupted, your photo might be corrupted. So, try transferring the photos again, and do not interrupt the process this time. 2. Open the photo files in another image viewer app.
If your regular image-viewing application does not open the photos, try opening them on another image-viewing app, such as Windows Photo Viewer, Preview app, Photo Viewer X, Movavi Photo Editor, etc. 3. Make Sure Your Photo Viewer App is Up-to-Date
If you can't open images in Adobe Photoshop or another image-viewing app, ensure the program is updated to open the photo files. If not, update the photo viewer app first and then try opening the file again.
If you cannot open your photo in Windows Photo Viewer or any other photo viewing application, try converting the file format to a different one. Open the image in Paint or any photo editing software.
in Paint or any photo editing software. Click File , and to change the file extension, click Save As .
, and to change the file extension, click . Select any image file format, such as .jpg or .png, from the drop-down menu next to Save as type, and click Save to store it at any desired location.
How to Fix Corrupted Photos?
If the manual method doesn't help you view or open corrupted photos, you need to fix it by using various methods: Get professional Stellar Repair for Photo Use CHKDSK command
We highly recommend using a professional image repair tool like Stellar Repair for Photo, a secure and safe way to fix corrupt photos. Method 1: Repair Corrupt Photos with Stellar Repair for Photo
Use Stellar Repair for Photos to repair corrupt or damaged photos captured and stored in HDDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and other storage media. This advanced tool fixes corruption in the image file header and data, unknown or invalid markers, and invalid image file structure.
The software simultaneously repairs multiple photos in the same or different file formats, such as JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and RAW. Stellar Repair for Photo lets you preview the repaired images before saving them, ensuring that the details of the original photo remain intact.
Steps to repair corrupt photos using Stellar Repair for Photo: Download, install, and launch the Stellar Repair for Photo s software on your Windows and Mac.
s software on your Windows and Mac. Click the 'AddFile' icon on the home screen to insert corrupted photos.
Next, click the 'Repair'button to start the repair process.
Once the repair process is completed, click OK when you see the prompt saying, 'Repair process completed.'
Next, select the photos you want to preview to see how repaired image files look.
Once satisfied with the repair result, click Save Repaired Files and browse the location to save the repaired photos to a desired location. Method 2: Use CHKDSK Command
Bad sectors on your storage media can often make your images inaccessible. This is why try running the CHKDSK command, as it fixes bad sectors present in the storage device. Here's how to run the chkdsk command: Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run
keys together to open the Type cmd . exe and click Enter to open Command Prompt .
. and click to open . Type chkdsk (drive letter): /r in the command window. Please wait for some time; the process takes time to check for errors and repair them.
Once the scan is completed, restart your system and check if you can open the images. Tips to Prevent Photo Corruption
Here are some best practices you must follow to prevent photo corruption in the future: Ensure the photo transfer process is not interrupted.
Maintain regular backups of your photos to avoid data loss
Don't change the image file format manually.
Don't try to save any data on the storage device when it is full.
Handle your external drives, such as SD cards, pen drives, and USB drives, carefully so they are not exposed to physical damage. To Sum Up
This blog explains why photos become corrupted and ways to fix them. You can easily fix corrupt images with the help of an advanced photo repair tool – Stellar Repair for Photo. The efficient algorithms of this tool fix corrupt or broken file headers and data that make them unreadable, inaccessible, or damaged in the first place. You can repair photos captured from all cameras, including DSLRs, SLRs, and camcorders of popular brands like Fuji, Sony, Canon, and Nikon.
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