Can't open files ? ?

[-Chris-]

Hi all - first post, so go easy on me

Have been using Irfanview ever since it first started and am one of it's biggest fans, and have Irfanview set as the default to open up images, but when trying to open up some images recently, that were transferred from another hard drive, I get the error message file name : Can't read file header ! Unknown file format or file not found !

Have Googled it, but no-one seems to have any solutions that have worked, so on recommendation, thought I would try you lot.

Can anyone help please ?

Chris.

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

- files corrupted ?
- wrong extensions ?
- non standard header or format ?

Can you post such a file for testing?

Laurent

[-Chris-]

Thanks Laurent. Not sure what you meant by "Can you post such a file for testing?" Can you elaborate a little please ?

Chris

[-Chris-]

If you were saying to upload the image, I tried to upload one of the problem images, but get the error from this message board :
Sofa bed.jpg:
This is not a valid image file.

? ?

(It was 64Kb).

When I look at all of the images in the thumbnail mode through Windows, I can see them all previewed, but not able to open most of them ? ?

Any help much appreciated.

Chris

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

If you were saying to upload the image, I tried to upload one of the problem images,

That is what I wanted to say (I just forgot a word )

but get the error from this message board :
Sofa bed.jpg:
This is not a valid image file.

I think more and more your images are corrupted. Try to post a zipped image file.

When I look at all of the images in the thumbnail mode through Windows, I can see them all previewed, but not able to open most of them ? ?

Maybe images thumbnails are cached so that previews are still displayed correctly even if original files are corrupted.


Laurent

[-Chris-]

Thanks - have now uploaded zip file.

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

This is not a JPEG image but an HTML file (with a wrong .jpg extension instead of .htm or .html) having plenty, plenty, plenty of CR/LF, but it is nevertheless a valid HTML file. It is normal IrfanView refuses to display it as an image. Rename it as an .html file and you will be able to open it in your favourite Internet browser.

Laurent

[-Chris-]

It actually was a jpg file, as it originally came from my camera ? ?

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

Sorry to insist, but the content of this file is not and has never been the content of a JPEG image. Maybe you had a JPEG image with that name, but in this case it has been overwritten with an HTML file to which the same name was given.

The file also contains several times the same HTML comment:

<!-- Browser Detective - Protected Source Code !--> 
<!-- Your IP address is now being logged !-->

Laurent

[-Chris-]

Hi Laurent,

The file was a jpg and was the only file in a folder, that folder was copied from one hard drive to another hd and that has somehow corrupted the file.

There was no other files with the same file name.

Been using computers for about 12 years, so know my way around most of the system and the way it works.

I have many other files in the same situation.

Chris.

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

Been using computers for about 12 years, so know my way around most of the system and the way it works.

Then you know that just copying from a drive to another drive doesn't transform a JPEG image file into an HTML text file. And be sure that the file you zipped and posted is an HTML file. Did you rename it with a .htm extension and did you open it with your browser?

By the way, I have been using computers for 23 years

I have many other files in the same situation.

Then I understand you are reluctant to believe me.

Sorry

[-Chris-]

Hi Laurent,

Hi Chris,

Then you know that just copying from a drive to another drive doesn't transform a JPEG image file into an HTML text file. And be sure that the file you zipped and posted is an HTML file. Did you rename it with a .htm extension and did you open it with your browser?

Lots of things are possible, but the history of that particular jpg file, was I took a photo, d/loaded it onto my pc, then a short while later, moved that file and a few 1,000 others to another hard drive, that is it, absolutely nothing else ! !

By the way, I have been using computers for 23 years

My dad, who's been helping me with this problem, has been using computers for almost 29 years, but it's not a competition ;-)

Then I understand you are reluctant to believe me.

Yep, understandably.

No worries, I don't give up easily ;-)

Chris.

[Laurent]

Hi Chris,

The conclusion is that the problem isn't with IrfanView since the file contains HTML code and no image data.

It would be wasting one's time to try to recover an image from such a file. The only hope is to have a copy or a backup of the original file (maybe the drive you copied them from or the memory card of your camera).

Laurent

[-Chris-]

Hi Laurent,

The problems never been with IV, I've tried to open the files with PS, PSP, etc, etc, and the same problem persists.

I've got the originals on another hard drive, but it would mean going through a few 1,000 folders, as they didn't all come from the same place - but in any case, that isn't the issue here - just really curious how it changed from one format to another and it previewed in Windows with thumbnails as the correct jpg file.

Anyways, we can't go any further on this, in this forum - so best to wrap it up here.

Chris.