Repairing/Converting Corrupted Files

If you attempt to convert a file and receive a message that the input file contained no data, you may want to consider using the Repair File option. You may also want to consider using the Repair File option if you think there is additional data on the card that is not being converted and included in the output file. With either case, it is possible that data on the card has become corrupted. The Repair File Option will attempt to scan the card for good frames of data and output that data to a new binary file.

In some instances, data on a card can become corrupted. Corruption can occur if the card is subjected to electrostatic discharge or if it is removed when data is being written to the card (e.g., the card is removed without pressing the button to stop data storage to the card). This corruption can be at the beginning of the data file or anywhere within the stored data. Using the standard conversion option, CardConvert will stop if it encounters a corrupted frame of data because it assumes it has come to the end of the data file. If corrupted frames of data are found at the beginning of the file, CardConvert will display a message indicating that no data could be found on the card. If corrupted frames of data are found within the data file, you may get some, but not all, of the data that you expect in the converted file.

CardConvert offers a repair option, which will attempt to scan the card for good frames of data and output that data to a new binary file (the original file is unchanged). To start the repair of a file, highlight the suspected corrupt file in the list of Source Filenames and right-click to display a floating menu. Select the Repair File option from the list. The repair process will create a new TOB3 file (the default name is Repair_existingfilename), which can then be converted to an ASCII file using the standard CardConvert process.

When CardConvert comes to what it believes is the end of the data file during the repair process (the end of valid frames), it will stop and display a message. The message prompts the user either to continue searching the file for more good data frames or to stop the repair process. CardConvert displays the last time stamp for data in the repaired file. If you think there should be additional data on the card, you can continue to run the repair process. If it appears that all the data has been stored to the new file, you can stop. The option to continue processing the file allows you to recover all good data on a card with more than one corrupted frame.

Note that CardConvert can repair only TOB2 or TOB3 files. TOB1 files cannot be repaired.

NOTE: The Repair File option should be used only if a standard conversion cannot be done.