Can't read file header.

[stamper]

I have a folder of images with the TIF file format. When I try to open any of the images I get the message.....Can't read file header. Unknown file format, empty/damaged file or file not found.

Tried different viewers including Irfan View to no avail. I am on windows 7 Professional. Properties/security permissions seem OK. I have full permission. How can I change the TIF extension for one that isn't corrupted? TIA

[degrub]

Can you copy the files to another folder ?
Make a copy of one file and try to open with wordpad txt editor. If that works, the header may be corrupted.
Frank

[stamper]

It didn't work unfortunately but I found a back folder on another hard drive so no harm done.

[degrub]

Better check the SMART statistics for that drive and run a chkdisk or equivalent. More important, get everything else on that drive backed up if it isn't already.

Frank

[stamper]

Thanks I ran chkdisk and defrag. The drive is an external and rarely turned on.

[E.J. Peiker]

Thanks I ran chkdisk and defrag. The drive is an external and rarely turned on.

It likely means then at some point the drive was shut down (powered off) or disconnected from the computer without being properly ejected first and as such some delayed writes never completed which ended up corrupting some part of the File Allocation Table or FAT.  Always, always, always make sure you Eject the drive before disconnecting it.  the easiest way to do that is to click on My Computer and then right click on the drive in question and click on Eject.  This forces the OS to complete any delayed writes and then disconnect the drive.  If it says it failed, try it again.  If it still fails, shut down all running programs as some program has that drive's attention.  Then do the eject.  If it still won't eject, shut down the system, disconnect the drive and then restart the system.

[stamper]

Thanks for that post. I try to do that, but don't always remember.

[mlewis]

I have a folder of images with the TIF file format. When I try to open any of the images I get the message.....Can't read file header. Unknown file format, empty/damaged file or file not found.

Tried different viewers including Irfan View to no avail. I am on windows 7 Professional. Properties/security permissions seem OK. I have full permission. How can I change the TIF extension for one that isn't corrupted? TIA

You could try Photoshop and use the open as command - select tif as the open as filetype.