Virus attack on computers is not an unheard of hiccup. When it comes to MS Word files, they too are prone to such infections. Data loss, software damage, and crashed computers are the aftermath of compromised security features in the PC. In the event, if you have to repair MS Word files corrupted by viruses, this short guide aims to equip you with steps to fix the issue.
In this article
Part 1: How Do Word Files Get Viruses?
Many times the user doesn't even remember or notice that a casual click on a pop-up or any link will open a can of worms. The malicious virus attack on Word files can happen for several reasons. We have made a list of common causes to highlight how Word files get infected.
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Downloading infected software like programs, utilities, updates, etc.
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Opening email attachments from untrusted sources
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Following suspicious links and opening them on home browsers
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Inserting the infected disc, drive, or thumb drives
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No anti-virus is installed on the computer.
Part 2: What to Do Before Repairing A Virus-infected Word File?
If there is a problem, there is a solution available too. Before repairing virus-infected Word files, it is vital to perform a few steps to make the repair process run smoothly. It is not a cakewalk, but with the right set of techniques and procedures, repairing and recovering a file can become a painless task. We will walk you through the pre-set steps before fixing word documents corrupted by the virus.
Running an antivirus scan on your computer is one of the wisest things to do on your computer. Windows 10 comes with built-in antivirus protection in the form of Windows Security. Let's understand the steps to run the scan:
Step 1: Go to the Windows Security settings.
Step 2: The anti-virus pane will open. Select Virus & threat protection tab and click the "Quick scan" button under "Current threats" to run a scan of your device.
Step 3: The anti-virus scan will meticulously scan the computer and show the progress percentage.
Step 4: The antivirus will notify during the scan or after the process, detect the threats, and suggest steps/actions to address each issue.
Tip: If an antivirus scan fails to remove the threat, don't ignore the warning. Seek Tech support.
Part 3: How to Fix the Virus-infected Word Files?
Method 1: Use the Open and Repair feature in Word
Open and Repair is an inbuilt feature in MS Word. It can rectify minor corruption and damages. Let's understand the steps to run this utility:
Step 1: Open MS Word and click on the "Files" menu.
Step 2: Go to the "Open" option and then click on the "Browse" tab.
Step 3: Scroll and select the corrupted file you have identified.
Step 4: Next, click on the drop-down tab and select the "Open and Repair" option.
The damaged file gets fixed after this process completes. If the error persists, then read through the next method to resolve the annoying error.
Method 2: Change the File Extension
Changing the file extension can also cure the Word-file problem. You may be breaking your head on complicated technical troubleshooting for all you may need to do to change the file format. The easy steps are marked below:
Step 1: Go to the File location, then right-click on it and select the "Rename" option.
Step 2: Rename the file location to TXT or RTF.
Step 3: Next, open the changed file and copy the contents to the new Word file you created.
Step 4: Finally, save the MS Word file to a new location.
Step 5: Check the MS Word file as these steps will resolve the issue.
Method 3. Repair Virus Infected Word File with Microsoft Word Repair Tool
If a virus is behind the corruption of an MS Word file then you will have to look to repair it quickly. This is necessary because otherwise, the data is going to be lost forever.
Now, to repair virus infected Word files, you will have to invest in a Microsoft Word repair tool for Word file repair. There are various such tools available on the internet. However, they aren't reliable at all. Most of these tools are just for show and can't repair virus-infected Word files. The Wondershare Repairit is one of the best tools indicated for Word file repair that can restore Word files within a short period.
Features of Wondershare Repairit
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Repair damaged files with all levels of corruption, including files corrupted by virus attack, files not opening, unrecognizable format, unreadable content, garbled files, files layout changed, etc.
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Repair damaged or corrupted Word, Excel, PDF, and PowerPoint files, support all file formats and versions.
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Repair damaged or corrupted files caused by any reason, such as system crash, file format change, virus attack, etc.
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Perfectly repair corrupted files with a very high success rate, without modifying the original file style and format.
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Compatible with Windows PC, Mac OS, and supports PC to mobile transferring/sharing.
To give you a better idea of how to use the Wondershare Repairit for Word Repair, a tutorial has been prepared. This tutorial outlines simple steps that will show you how to repair virus infected Word files.
Step 1: Load your files
The first step is to search for the virus-infected word file present on the system. Get this done by utilizing either the File Repair' and 'Add' buttons.
Step 2: Start the file repairing process
The list of files in local drive, choose to repair the virus-infected word file that has been added to the software. Get this done by hitting the 'Repair' button.
Step 3: Preview and save
Previewing the repaired Word files from the left of the screen. Saving the virus-infected word file. Get this done by utilizing the 'Save' buttons.
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Part 4: What Kind of Virus Mainly Infects Word Files?
Virus infections are one of the biggest reasons for the corruption of MS Word files. They are responsible for damaging the data contained in the MS Word file. If the system on which the MS Word is running does not have the proper anti-virus software program installed, malicious software and viruses can roam freely and easily corrupt any MS Word file. Several kinds of malicious software can prove to be dangerous for Word files like malware, spyware, and adware. Bugs and macro viruses are also quite damaging for the Word files too.
Macro viruses are very hard to detect for even the best anti-virus programs. They are very fast-spreading and can embed themselves into Word documents and corrupt them. These viruses can damage the data of the Word files and make unwanted changes to them.
Some use tips:
Word files can get infected with viruses pretty easily. If you want to avoid this from happening too often then you would have to follow a few simple tips.
1. Make sure that you have a powerful anti-virus program that has been updated running on your system all the time.
2. Schedule regular scans of your PC to ensure that no virus or bug is allowed to remain on the system for long.
3. Always have backups of your Word files stored on another PC or external hard disks.
The Bottom Line
Virus attacks have become quite commonplace. Resolving such issues needs anti-virus protection and professional intervention. This article focused on effective methods to repair infected Word files and illustrated steps to perform the repair.
