Word document unreadable content error

Question

I have a resume that was done a few years ago that was used for an application, I have come to require this again and the original copy, along with an emailed copy to a friend & the uploaded copy to my company are all experiencing this issue.

I have run the file through several document recovery programs which have recovered the file but I can't see any of the original content it's all jumbled up text, I have attached a text file of the output.

I have also followed around 10 different ways to try and fix this from online searches and none have worked.

Any ideas if this can be fixed? It was a personalised resume for a specific job pool so it look some time to write.

Thanks

Answer 1

Dear @Ty Hartwig,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how frustrating it can be to lose access to a personalized resume that took time to prepare. This issue typically indicates file corruption, before giving you the best solution, could you please confirm these questions below to help me diagnose the issue more effectively: 

• Is the original file .docx or .doc?
• Where does the problem file live now? (local disk, USB, OneDrive/SharePoint, email attachment downloaded from Outlook)
• If it’s on OneDrive/SharePoint, have you checked Version History and tried restoring an earlier version?
• What message do you see? Is there any error message? If possible, please kindly share the screenshot to me for better assist
• What is your Microsoft 365 version (You can check in File > Account > About Word)
• Any third‑party Word add‑ins installed (PDF tools, citation managers, mail merge, etc.)?
• You mentioned a text output from recovery tools, does it show recognizable words (name, headings) or only random glyphs?
• Which recovery programs did you use (names), and did any report specific corrupt parts (e.g., document.xml, header/footer, styles)?
• If possible, could you please share the screenshot of original file and the recovered text output?

In the meantime, her are some steps I recommend you try again:

Step 1: Open and Repair

Sometimes a file can be damaged in such a way that Word can't open it normally. But all is not lost. The Open and Repair command might be able to recover your file.

In Word, go to File > Open, select the file, click the dropdown next to Open, and choose Open and Repair. For more information, please refer to Open a document after a file corruption error

Moreover, If a Microsoft 365 application such as Word isn't working correctly, sometimes restarting it will fix the problem. If that doesn't work, you can try repairing it. When you're done, you might need to restart your computer. For more information: Repair an Office application

Step 2: Check Version History

If the AutoRecover option is turned on, you can automatically save versions of your file while you’re working on it. How you recover something depends on when you saved it. Moreover, If the file was uploaded to OneDrive or SharePoint, right-click the file and select Version History to restore an earlier version.

For more information, please refer to Recover an earlier version of a Word file

Step 3: Troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word

To help determine the root cause of your problem in Word, here are some troubleshoot steps I recommend you try, refer to the Microsoft Official Document here: Troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word

Step 4: How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word

To identify a damaged document in Word 2007 and later versions, this article includes steps that explain how to recover the text and data that is contained in a document after you have identified the document as damaged: How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward for your reply.

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Answer 2

It sounds like you're dealing with a corrupted Word document. Here are some steps you can try to recover the content from your unreadable resume:

1. Open and Repair: When opening the document in Word, you can use the "Open and Repair" feature. Go to File > Open, select the document, click the drop-down arrow next to the Open button, and choose Open and Repair.
2. Recover Text from Any File: You can use the "Recover Text from Any File" converter to attempt to salvage any text. Go to File > Open, select the file type as "Recover Text from Any File (.)", and then select your document.
3. Change File Format: If you can open the document but it appears corrupted, try saving it in a different format. Open the document, go to File > Save As, and choose Rich Text Format (*.rtf). Then, reopen the .rtf file and save it back as a Word document.
4. Copy Undamaged Parts: If you can open the document, try copying the readable parts into a new blank document. Create a new document via File > New > Blank document, and paste the content there.
5. Check for Backups: If you have backups enabled, check for any previous versions of the document. Look in the Recycle Bin or any backup folders you might have.

If these methods do not work, it may be difficult to recover the original content, especially if the document is severely corrupted. However, these steps are worth trying to see if you can retrieve any usable text.

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References:

• How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word
• How to recover unsaved Word documents