5 Common Reasons for Word File Corruption

An MS Word file can get corrupted due to myriad reasons. In this article we look at the 5 most common reasons which can lead to corruption of MS Word data files. 

In the Windows world, the MS Word application is the default word processor application that nearly everyone runs on their systems. The application is unparalleled in its class and it simply does not have a match in its desktop version.  For most of us, Word is a part of our daily lives, whether we work in a large corporate office, study in college or run a small business. Quite expectedly we end up creating numerous Word documents that contain valuable information. However, in certain cases, we may encounter a situation where a single or a batch of Word files get corrupted. While it is not possible for us to predict every possible scenario that can lead to corruption of MS Word files; we have listed below the 5 most common causes for you to be aware of. 

Incompatible Document Format or Template Use

One of the most common issues which can lead to corrupted Word file is the use of an incompatible template or document format. At times some templates are designed to work with certain versions only or have fonts which a standard Word version may not be able to process. 

Data Corruption due to Download or File Transfer

Word files are known to occasionally get corrupted when we download them from a web server or a remote file drive. Most such issues occur due to an unstable internet connection or a faulty network device. 

File Format Conversions and Introduction of Unsupported Characters

At times we need to convert an MS Word file into another format say PDF etc. Now the converted file may be worked upon by another user and shared back with us. If we try to reconvert the file back to the Word format, we may receive an error message. This occurs due to incompatible data elements like unsupported characters getting introduced into the Word file. 

Virus Attacks 

The MS Word application is a common target for numerous viruses that exploit weaknesses in the Windows system to affect Word files. Such viruses have been there for decades and Word users should always keep an antivirus tool installed in their machines to deal with them. However even after the virus infection has been removed, the underlying Word files can remain inaccessible and a specialized tool may be needed to recover them. 

Hardware Issues 

In many cases hardware issues like bad sectors in data storage drives or magnetic interference can cause the corruption of MS Word files. A disk failure due to contact of the read-write head with the rotating storage platter too would lead to corruption MS Word files present on the hard disk. 

Invest in DataNumen Word Repair Application to Keep your Data Safe

If you really wish to always keep the data present in your valuable Word files accessible after an incident of data corruption, make sure you have the DataNumen Word Repair application handy. The tool is designed to repair Word documents, extract compromised Word documents from nearly every media type and can recover multiple files in one attempt using its Batch repair option. The application can also prove useful in recovering contents from temporary word files in the event of a power failure or improper system shutdown. 

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Christophe Rude

Christophe Rude

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