How corrupted file repair works without changing the original.

Step 1: confirm that the file is the problem.

An application error, missing codec or damaged preview can look like corruption. Check the size, use another viewer and try another device. The file must exist and contain data. Missing files belong to storage recovery before repair.

Step 2: protect the only source.

Create a duplicate on a healthy drive and preserve the original. Never save a repair over the source. If a card or disk is unstable, minimise reads and make a storage image when appropriate. A repeatable workflow matters more than a fast but irreversible attempt.

Step 3: rebuild a coherent reading path.

Different formats use different headers, indexes, markers and compressed streams. The engine identifies valid regions and searches for positions where decoding can resume. In a photo this can restore row alignment and colours. In a video it can rebuild container information or reindex stream segments that still exist.

Step 4: inspect the entire output.

An opening success is only the beginning. Examine the full photo or move through the video timeline, especially around the old fault. Compare duration, sound and residual artefacts. PixMedic presents a separate copy so the decision is based on visible evidence.

The free online trial is for one photo only. Video analysis is offered separately because it requires substantially more processing time.

Why some files remain irreparable.

A truncated copy may end before the main payload. Storage errors may replace a region with zeros or unrelated data. No reconstruction can recover a faithful scene from absent bytes. PixMedic states this limit and does not charge photos classified as irreparable.