How to fix corrupted files on Mac: 5 tested-and-tried ways

Knowing how to fix corrupted files on Mac without making things worse is pretty essential. If you've been dealing with random errors and files that won't open, you'll be pleased to hear that you're not the only one. It's actually a fairly common issue, and I've personally run into file corruption countless times.

From broken PDFs, unreadable .docx files, and videos that just freeze, I've taken some time to test the fixes on my MacBook Pro. I'll cover everything that worked for me and what you can try before giving up on that stubborn file.

What is a corrupted file on a Mac?

If you're new to Apple and macOS, you might not even realize you're dealing with corrupted file issues, because, actually, it's not always that obvious: one minute your file is working like normal, and the next it won't open, apps start crashing, or you start receiving weird warning messages.

If you've encountered any or many of these issues, then file corruption is likely the culprit:

• The file refuses to open.

• Error messages like "file is damaged" or "cannot be read" pop up.

• The file opens, but the content is missing, blank, or glitched.

• Apps crash the moment you try to access the file.

• The icon shows up as generic or blank in Finder.

So, what does "corrupted" actually mean? Basically, the file's structure has been damaged or scrambled in some way. That can happen during a system crash, an interrupted download, a power failure while saving, or just bad luck with an app that didn't handle something right.

Your Mac doesn't always tell you clearly; sometimes, it just doesn't respond at all. But if the file was fine yesterday and suddenly it's acting weird, then that's usually corruption.

How to fix corrupted files on Mac?

There are a few ways to fix corrupted files on MacBook: opening them in another app that supports the format, redownloading the file, or restoring them via Time Machine or the app's built-in functionality. We'll show you all. 

1. Try opening the corrupted file with a different app

This might seem basic and obvious, but opening the corrupted file with a different app worked more times than I can count. For instance, if you're trying to open a damaged Pages document, try Word instead; or if a video you normally open in QuickTime won't work, try VLC instead. Here's what to do:

1. Right-click the file you want to open.

2. Choose Open With from the list.

3. Select a different file-compatible app.

If this doesn't work, no worries, we've got more options.

2. Use built-in recovery tools

Some apps allow you to recover a previous file version if you had one. For instance, here's how to do it in Pages:

1. Open a new Finder window and press Shift + Command + G.
2. In the window that pops up, paste this path followed by Return: /System/Volumes/Data/.DocumentRevisions-V100
3. Find the needed document version and open it in Pages. 

If you could open the corrupted file, you can restore the previous version without digging deep into the System folder. Just click File > Revert to > Browse All Versions. Choose the needed one and click Restore. 

This way, you can restore spreadsheert in Numbers or presentations in Keynote. You can also use a similar functionality in the Microsoft suite (File > Browse Version History).

If the corrupted file is a video, video corruption can be a"container" issue that can sometimes be fixed by simple re-encoding. 

3. Restore from a Time Machine backup

Another trick to try is to restore a file from a Time Machine backup. Now, this is a great option, but the caveat is that this sadly only works if you had Time Machine running before the file got corrupted. This method has saved me a few times over the years, and more recently, I was able to restore a large Final Cut project that refused to open after a system crash; here's how it works:

1. Connect your Time Machine drive to your MacBook.

2. Open Time Machine (from your top menu bar) and select Browse Time Machine Backups.
   
   

3. Scroll back to a date before the issue started.
   
4. Select the file and click Restore.

If you don't use Time Machine to back up your files, then this is a friendly reminder. It's really simple to do and can save you a lot of heartache.

Just connect an external storage device, go to System Settings > General > Time Machine, click Add Backup Disk, and follow the steps on the screen.

4. Redownload the file

If the file that you suspect is corrupted is originally from an email, cloud service, or a download, it's actually fairly common for file corruption to happen during the download or process, especially if your Wi-Fi connection isn't stable. Here are a couple of things you can try:

• Redownload from the original source if possible.

• If it's from an email, ask the sender to reattach it.

• For a file synced via iCloud, delete and resync it.

I've also seen files get corrupted when copying from USB drives or external SSDs, when the drive is unplugged or disconnected too soon. If that's what you suspect, try downloading the file again and safely ejecting the drive.

5. Repair the drive

In some rare cases, file corruption can be caused by drive glitches, which can be easily fixed with the built-in First Aid tool. Here's how to do it: 

1. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities. 
2. Select your drive (you can do the same for an external drive).
3. Click First Aid > Run. 

Note that it might take several hours, so make sure that you save all other files first and — even better — boot your Mac into recovery mode first and then run First Aid from there. 

How to clean up files on Mac and prevent future issues

Knowing how to fix corrupted files on a Mac is one thing, but once you've managed to recover or replace them, it's a good idea to take a few minutes and clear out old, incomplete, or unused files that could lead to problems down the road.

Removing broken file versions, outdated login items, and leftover app junk that clutters up the system is a smart way to prevent future file corruption. The easiest way to do it is to use CleanMyMac — a dedicated Mac cleaner app that can clean up all kinds of junk files with just a few clicks.  

Here's how to declutter your Mac the smart way:

1. Open CleanMyMac — get your free trial here (you can test it for 7 days).

2. Select Cleanup > Scan.
    
   

3. Click the Review All Junk button and browse away.
   
4. Look for document versions, broken login items, and outdated cache files, and select them.
   
5. Click Clean Up to remove clutter.

The benefits of using CleanMyMac:

• Keeps your Mac clutter-free: on average, users find and remove 10.5 GB of junk files, 4 duplicates, and 5 similar images after the first scan 
• A quick way to remove junk: a Cleanup scan takes up 6 seconds, and you will need 6 more seconds to delete preselected junk (worry not, only safe-to-delete files are recommended for deletion)
• Not only cleans but also protects your Mac: on average, users find and remove 1 malware after the first scan 
• Comes with 25+ tools to declutter, maintain, and optimize your MacBook 

Get started with a free CleanMyMac trial — see it in action on your Mac.

Figuring out how to fix corrupted files on Mac in 2026 isn't always straightforward, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming, either. If you're lucky, a different app can open it. If you're prepared, Time Machine gives you a way out. And if a download has gone wrong, redownloading might just fix the whole thing. The real lesson here? Stay backed up. Keep things tidy. And know your options. Because corruption isn't rare, it's just one of those things that eventually happens to all Mac users.

Frequently asked questions

What causes file corruption on macOS?

Here are the main factors that cause file corruption: unexpected power loss, application crashes during saving, or faulty software/hardware. Some less frequent causes include outdated software, interrupted file transfers (e.g., improper ejection if you were copying a file to/from an external drive), and even malware. 

Can booting into safe mode fix file corruption? 

For the most part, you won't need it if it is not a vital system file that was corrupted. If you want to try, here's a guide from Apple on how to boot your Mac into safe mode. If you could open your file in safe mode, reboot normally and disable login items and background processes in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions — they may be preventing the file from opening normally. 

Can I use Terminal to fix file corruption? 

Yes, but only do it if you're a confident Terminal user. Here are a few commands you can run:
diskutil for drive repairs
fsck for file system checks (from recovery mode)
xattr to remove quarantine flags from damaged files
Key commands include diskutil repairVolume / to repair the startup disk or xattr -d com.apple.quarantine <file_path> for specific app files.