How can I repair a broken ZIP file after an incomplete download?

Mystic-Kiwi

Hey everyone!
I was downloading a ZIP archive using File Download Manager, but suddenly the download froze at around 93%. Now, I’m left with an .fdmdownload file. I tried to open it with an archiver, but it said the file was corrupted. I lost access to the original download link, so resuming isn’t an option.

Inside this archive are some important documents and images that I urgently need. I realize the archive is probably corrupted due to incomplete downloading, but I still want to recover as much data as possible.

Has anyone here successfully recovered data from partially downloaded or damaged ZIP archives? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

SocialImpactCoder

Mystic-Kiwi
Hey! Had this issue before - if your ZIP file’s corrupted try WinRAR first. It has a “Repair archive” option that can legit save your life sometimes. Just open the file, hit that option under the Tools menu and wait it out. Worked for me about half the time, give it a shot - maybe you’ll get lucky.

Nonprofitech

If WinRAR doesn’t cut it, definitely give 7-Zip a shot. It doesn’t have a dedicated recovery mode, but sometimes it manages to pull stuff out of messed-up archives when nothing else can. One time, it literally saved a bunch of my photos after the archive totally refused to open the normal way. Lifesaver, seriously!

KindnessCatalyst

Another solid option is DiskInternals ZIP Repair. It’s a free utility that does the job quite well. I’ve personally turned to it a couple of times when other tools failed. It restores the ZIP archive structure effectively, so it’s definitely worth a try.

HopeInSleep

Yeah, I’m a big fan of DiskInternals ZIP Repair too. That thing’s saved my butt more times than I care to admit when I needed to recover something important. Like, I don’t know how it does its magic, but it works.

Also heard some chatter about DataNumen ZIP Repair - haven’t used it myself, but supposedly it does a solid job with recovery as well. Might be worth checking out if DiskInternals ever decides to randomly stop working (because why wouldn’t it, right?) [Content removed by administrator]

DanyOrtega89

Hey if it’s a CRC issue, you can try scanning for errors with some specialized programs. Sometimes archives get messed up during download, so you might still save part of the data. It’s a good idea to copy the damaged file first so you don’t make things worse. I learned that the hard way once - better safe than sorry, right?

Mystic-Kiwi

DanyOrtega89 Hey, thanks for mentioning the CRC issue! Could you explain a bit more about these CRC errors? What exactly are they, and how do they affect archives? Also, do you know of any specific programs that handle archives with CRC issues effectively?

DanyOrtega89

Mystic-Kiwi
Totally! CRC is basically a checksum that checks if your data’s still good. If you see a CRC error while unzipping, it usually means something went wrong during download or saving, so some data got messed up. That can happen if the download didn’t finish properly, there was a glitch while transferring, or even because of hardware issues.

In that case, specialized apps like Object Fix Zip might help. They try to repair damaged ZIP archives by analyzing their structure and recovering whatever’s still intact, even if parts of the file are broken. How much they can save depends on how badly the file’s damaged, but sometimes you can at least rescue some of your stuff. Give it a shot - might just bring that archive back to life! ️

KindnessCatalyst

DanyOrtega89 Have you ever tried 7-Zip on archives with CRC errors? I’ve heard that sometimes it manages to extract at least some files even if the archive itself is corrupted. Still, your best bet is probably DiskInternals ZIP Repair, as previously mentioned - it specializes in repairing ZIP archives and usually gives better results.

DanyOrtega89

KindnessCatalyst Yeah I tried it but honestly 7-Zip doesn’t always cut it for stuff like that. sometimes it helps but usually I have to switch to more specialized apps like DiskInternals ZIP Repair or DataNumen ZIP Repair They’re just better at handling these issues

HopeInSleep

Object Fix Zip is a decent pick, but totally agree - it’s not always one-and-done. Sometimes you gotta run the recovery a few times before it actually pulls anything useful out of that corrupted mess. So yeah, don’t rage-quit if it doesn’t work on the first try.

Mystic-Kiwi

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all the suggestions! I’m going to give Object Fix Zip and the other tools you mentioned a shot. I’ll update you on how it goes.

Really hoping I can recover at least some of the files.

KindnessCatalyst

Mystic-Kiwi You’re right - it often takes a few attempts with different tools to get results. Another program worth mentioning is Zip2Fix. It works a bit differently: instead of repairing the archive structure, it simply extracts whatever uncorrupted data it can find. If the other methods don’t work, this one might help recover at least part of the files

Mystic-Kiwi

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the advice - it really helped me out!
In the end, I had to use a couple of different programs. I started with Object Fix Zip, but it didn’t quite do the job. Then I tried Zip2Fix, and that one actually managed to extract almost all of the undamaged files. So yeah, I was able to save most of the data, and your suggestions definitely made a difference.

oleksandr-lukashyn

Alright, everyone - time to wrap up the discussion around @Mystic-Kiwi ’s issue with the corrupted ZIP archive. Here’s a summary of what happened and what worked:

@Mystic-Kiwi ran into a case of incomplete archive download and lost access to the original download link. Throughout the thread, several recovery options were suggested:

WinRAR’s “Repair Archive” feature was the first suggestion. It’s basic, but in many cases, it does the job.
7-Zip also made the list, known for handling partial extractions from damaged archives.
For more complex cases, tools like DiskInternals ZIP Repair and DataNumen ZIP Repair were recommended.
When the archive fails with CRC errors, Object Fix Zip was brought up as a solid choice.
Zip2Fix was also mentioned as a last-resort option—it’s good for pulling out undamaged files from otherwise unreadable ZIPs.

@Mystic-Kiwi eventually succeeded using a combination of Object Fix Zip and Zip2Fix, recovering most of the data in the process. 🫡

I’ll also throw in another method that wasn’t mentioned earlier but might help others in similar situations: try online archive recovery services, such as Repair Toolbox Online. These platforms sometimes handle corrupted files better than local apps, especially when the damage occurred during a download.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion. Hopefully, this will serve as a useful reference for anyone dealing with broken ZIP archives in the future. And if any new questions come up - feel free to start a new thread.