How to Recover and Repair ISO Files

"I’ve saved my ISO files on a USB drive but accidentally formatted it this morning. I tried to find the same files online but with no luck. Now, my files appear to be corrupted. Can anyone suggest a reliable ISO file repair solution to help me restore the formatted ISO image files?"

Yes, we can!

If your ISO files got corrupted, don’t lose your hopes just yet. You have several ISO file repair tools to fix and restore your files. Today, we’ll discuss the most common ISO file corruption causes and give you the best solutions to solve your ISO file loss problems. Keep reading to learn more about the best corrupted ISO file repair methods.

Quick Check: ISO File Corruption Causes & Solutions

If you keep receiving error prompts and messages such as "file has been corrupted" and "the disk image file is corrupted", your ISO files have become corrupt.

ISO data can become corrupt due to several different reasons and causes, including:

• ISO file virus or malware infection – malware attacks and virus infections are among the most common causes of ISO file corruption.
• File system corruption – if system files become corrupt, they could also corrupt your ISO files.
• Incomplete file transfer – interrupted data transfers can cause all sorts of data issues, including file corruption, unreadable file structures, etc.
• Accidental deletion – ISO files contain all sorts of data. Deleting this data by mistake can lead to ISO data corruption and inaccessible or unreadable ISO files.
• File modification – modifying ISO files can cause file corruption as you could unintentionally delete a critical file that could cause the entire ISO file to become unstable.
• Power outage – abrupt power outages and unexpected system shutdowns can cause file corruption by interrupting the file writing process, leaving the file incomplete and corrupted.
• Hardware/software failure – software bugs and issues can corrupt, damage, or overwrite ISO files. A failing hard disk can also cause file corruption.
• ISO mounting problems – faulty or virus-infected ISO mounting software can cause ISO file corruption.
• Incomplete Windows download – if your Windows update file download got interrupted or incomplete, it may cause ISO data corruption.

How to Repair Corrupted ISO Files

Below are the top four methods to repair corrupted ISO files and restore your data.

Solution 1: Use ISO File Repair Tool

The most effective method to repair corrupted ISO files is by using a reliable, effective, specialized recovery tool like Wondershare Repairit. It uses advanced scanning, analyzing, and recovery techniques to detect, repair, and recover files from ISO images, memory cards, USB drives, HDDs/SSDsm CDs/DVDs, etc.

Whether your files were corrupted due to an incomplete file transfer, file system corruption, power outage, virus/malware infection, unscheduled formatting, or accidental deletion, Wondershare Repairit can fix and restore them.

Wondershare Repairit comes in two versions – desktop and online. You can use Repairit online to repair your files using your web browser. Simply open your web browser, visit the Repairit Online File Repair website, upload your corrupted data, and fix your files. The online version allows you to repair up to 3 files for free.

If you prefer going with the desktop version, keep reading to learn how to fix corrupted files on your computer. Download and install Repairit on your computer, then follow the steps below to repair corrupted ISO files.

1. Launch the app on your computer;
2. Navigate to More Types Repair > File Repair;

   

3. Click Add to upload the corrupted ISO files you wish to fix;

   

4. Wait until Repairit uploads your ISO files;
5. Select the files you want to fix and click Repair;

   

6. Preview the repaired ISO files and click Save to save them in a safe location.

   

Solution 2: Repair ISO Files With the Dism Command

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a built-in Windows feature that can help repair and fix corrupted ISO files. It allows Windows users to fix system problems using the local recovery image. The tool can modify and restore system images, including Windows PE, Windows Setup, and Windows Recovery Environment.

DISM function has several critical repair features to fix a system image, including:

• CheckHealth – detects corruption in your ISO image files;
• ScanHealth – advanced scan determines the level of ISO corruption;
• RestoreHealth – automatically scans and repairs corrupted ISO files.

Follow the steps below to repair your ISO files using the DISM command.

1. Navigate to the Search menu and type CMD;
2. Click Run as administrator;
3. Type the following command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth;
4. Hit Enter;

   

5. Wait for the DISM tool to run and verify ISO data corruption;
6. Next, type the ScanHealth command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth;
7. Hit Enter;

   

8. Once DISM completes the scanning process, the tool will list all the corrupted files for the target destination;
9. Next, type the RestoreHealth command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth;
10. Hit Enter to scan and repair the corruption issues automatically.

    

Solution 3: Repair Corrupted ISO Files With System File Checker

If an ISO file got corrupted due to a file system corruption issue, you can fix it using the System File Checker (SFC). SFC uses advanced scanning techniques to detect and repair corrupted ISO file system data that may cause corruption problems.

Here’s how to use SFC to scan and repair your ISO files on Windows:

1. Press Windows+R to launch the Run box;
2. Type CMD and select Run as administrator;
3. Type the following command: sfc /scannow;

   

4. Hit Enter and wait until SFC scans your ISO files for corruption and integrity issues;

   

5. If SFC detects the corrupted ISO files, the utility will repair them automatically;
6. Reboot your PC and try to open your ISO files to see if the problem has been resolved.

Last Resort: Redownload an ISO File

If none of the abovementioned methods help you repair ISO file corruption, the last resort is to redownload your file from the original source. Simply visit the same source, find your file, and redownload it to your computer. Once the download process is complete, locate your ISO in the Downloads folder.

How to Recover ISO Files

ISO file repair solutions fix corrupted data on a functioning storage media or device. In case data or file corruption renders your files inaccessible or unreadable, an ISO file repair can remove the corruption and restore access to your files.

ISO file recovery, on the other hand, can help when you accidentally delete or format a file and want to get it back. Accidentally losing, deleting, or formatting ISO files can be problematic, requiring time, effort, and resources.

Thankfully, you can use the top 4 ISO file recovery methods outlined below to get your precious data back.

Use an ISO Data Recovery Software

If you’ve lost your ISO files due to accidental deletion or unintentional formatting, you can get them back using an ISO data recovery solution like Wondershare Recoverit. It’s an ISO file recovery tool that can restore all sorts of files across computer HDD and SSD hard drives and external storage devices, including memory cards, SD cards, USB drives, etc.

In addition to retrieving ISO files, the app can also restore other file types with 99, such as music files, videos, photos, documents, Excel sheets, archive files, etc.

Download and install Recoverit on your computer, then follow the steps below to recover the lost ISO files.

1. Launch the app and navigate to the main File Recover menu;
2. Click Hard Drives and Locations;
3. Select the internal or external drive containing your ISO files;

   

4. Click Start to initiate the scanning process and scan the selected drive;

   

5. Use the File Type filter to search for recoverable ISO files during the scanning;

   

6. When the scanning process is complete, the app will list all the recoverable files;
7. Preview ISO files before recovery; If everything is in order, select the files you wish to restore and click Recover > Save to save them to a new location on your computer.

   

Recover From Recycle Bin

ISO data recovery can become more complicated if you delete files using Shift+Delete instead of the Delete function, so you won’t be able to retrieve the deleted and missing ISO files from the Recycle Bin.

If you’ve deleted your files using the Delete option (right-click the file > Delete), you can restore them from the Recycle Bin.

Here’s how:

1. Navigate your Desktop to the Recycle Bin;
2. Find the deleted ISO file (s);
3. Select one or several files, right-click the selection, and click Restore.

   

Recover ISO Files From Backup

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of backing up all your data and files. If you’ve accidentally deleted or lost your ISO files due to unintentional formatting, use a backup to get your data back with a few clicks.

Here’s how:

1. Navigate your PC to the Search menu > Control Panel > Open > System and Security;

   

2. Select Backup and Restore (Windows 7.Restore my files;

   

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process of recovering your ISO files from a backup.

Note: Backup and Restore (Windows 7) works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

Recover ISO Files From File History

File History enables you to recover specific versions of ISO files. However, the function must be turned on to create periodic backups of your files. In addition, your ISO files must be located in one of the designated folders to make ISO data recovery possible.

If you’ve turned on File History, you can use this Windows utility to roll back ISO files to their previous versions.

Here’s how:

1. Go to the Search bar and type Control Panel;
2. Click Open;

   

3. Navigate to System and Security > File History;

   

4. Select Restore personal files;

   

5. Navigate to the folder containing your ISO files;
6. Select the files you wish to recover and click the green Restore to original location button to retrieve your files to their original location.

   

Bonus: How to Open ISO Files

The best way to open ISO files on your Windows computer is using the WinRAR archiving tool. Here’s how:

1. Launch WinRAR and navigate to File > Open archive;

   

2. Locate the folder containing your ISO files, open it, and select the ISO file you wish to open;
3. Click Open;

   

4. WinRAR will list the data inside the ISO file;
5. Click the Extract To icon to extract the files;

   

6. Select a new destination to save the extracted ISO files and click OK.

   

Conclusion

In summary, you have multiple ways to repair and restore lost, deleted, formatted, and corrupted ISO files. If your ISO files become corrupted due to an abrupt power outage, software/hardware failure, interrupted file transfer, system crash, or sudden Windows shutdown, use a corrupted ISO file repair tool like Wondershare Repairit to fix and restore the corrupted files.

If you’ve accidentally deleted your files or formatted a storage device containing your ISO files, Wondershare Recoverit ISO file recovery tool is the perfect solution for solving the problem.

If nothing seems to work, either redownload the ISO file from the original location or use a backup to get your files back. If you don’t want to install software on your computer, use SFC and DISM tools to repair and restore the corrupted ISO files.