Wondering how to corrupt a file on purpose so it won’t be usable? You can corrupt any file be it Word PDF or any document by using various methods. In this article, we have outlined some of the ways you can corrupt a file. We also have a tool that can help you Corrupt any File. Click on the link below to corrupt a file on purpose now.
Making a file corrupt so that it won’t open on any computer is assumed to be an uphill task. However, in reality, it is a very simple task that can be done in no time.
In this article I have listed 3 simple ways to corrupt a file, choose any of the methods that you are comfortable with.
Caution: If you are experimenting on how to corrupt a file, it is recommended to use a dummy file or take a backup of your file just to ensure that you don’t end up losing the file.
Method 1: Change the File Extension of the File
Changing the file extension is one of the ways to make a file unreadable or unusable in some cases. Here’s why:
- File Extensions Act as Labels: The file extension is like a label on a box. It tells your computer what kind of information the file contains and which program can open it.
- Changing the Label Can Confuse the Computer: If you change the extension to something different than what the file actually is, your computer might not recognize it anymore. It won’t know what program to use to open the file, rendering it unreadable.
For instance, changing a .docx file (a Microsoft Word document) to a .jpg (image format) extension won’t magically convert the content into an image. The computer will see the .jpg extension and try to open it with an image viewer, but the data inside the file will be nonsensical for that program.
Here is how you can change file extensions to corrupt a file:
- Press the Windows button and type “Folder Options” in the search bar.
- Select and click on the “Folder Options” icon.
- In the Folder Options window, navigate to the “View” tab.
- Scroll down to the “Advanced settings” section and locate the checkbox labeled “Show file extensions.”
- Tick the checkbox to enable the display of file extensions.
- Now go to the file you want to corrupt, and it will have an extension name at the end; suppose it is a Word file with the extension name Docx.
- Right-click on the file and rename it.
- If a user attempts to execute the file, the operating system will encounter an error and will not be able to run it.
Method 2: Corrupt a File using Notepad Editor
Making a file corrupt or unreadable on Notepad is a very simple task. NotePad Editor is solely designed to handle plain text files with the .txt extension. Unlike NotePad, other file formats, such as Excel, employ distinct structures and cannot be interpreted by NotePad. Attempting to open a non-text file in NotePad will result in a display of unreadable characters. Moreover, any modifications made to such files within NotePad can lead to file corruption.
- Open any file you want to corrupt on Notepad.
- Upon opening the notepad, you will encounter many unfamiliar characters. To proceed, select a few lines of these characters from the beginning, middle, or end of the document and delete them.
- Save the file and try reopening the file.
- You can open the file using any application, but you won’t be able to open the file. Hence you have successfully corrupted a file.
Method 3: Use an Online File Corruption Tool – Corrupt any File
While the earlier-mentioned methods might help you in making a file unreadable or corrupt, it is easier to know that this file was corrupted on purpose. Don’t worry, there is an online file corruption tool that can help you corrupt any file on purpose without leaving any trail. Here is how you use it
- Click on “Choose a file” to upload a healthy file that is less than 100MB
- Once you choose a file, the corruption process starts
- Click on the “Download” button to download the corrupted/damaged file
- This way you can Corrupt any File tool can help you easily corrupt a file without any hassle.
Conclusion
Although it’s not advisable for university or college students to intentionally corrupt files, this article caters to individuals involved in testing applications and files or developers who need to test different files. Share this article with whom you feel it is useful.
