The “Unrecognized Format” Nightmare

You receive a file from a client, colleague, or old hard drive—and your computer says: “Can’t open this.” No app recognizes it. The filename might even be corrupted (e.g., document_final_v3(1).??? ). Don’t panic. Here’s how to recover it.

Step 1: Identify the Real Format

Filenames can lie. A file named image.jpg might actually be a PNG or even a ZIP archive. Use these tricks:

Check the file extension: Is it missing or weird (e.g., .dwg, .sk1)? Search the extension online.
Use a file inspector: On macOS, use “Get Info.” On Windows, enable “File name extensions” in Explorer.
Look at the first few bytes (advanced): Tools like file (Linux/macOS) reveal true format via “magic numbers.”

Step 2: Try Universal Viewers

Some apps open dozens of formats:

Images: IrfanView (Windows), Preview (macOS), GIMP (cross-platform)
Documents: LibreOffice (opens .doc, .odt, .rtf, etc.)
Vector/CAD: Inkscape (SVG, EPS), LibreCAD (DWG, DXF)

Step 3: Convert to a Known Format

If you can open it in one app but need it elsewhere, convert it:

Open the file in a compatible viewer
Export or “Save As” a standard format (e.g., PDF, PNG, JPG)
Or—faster—use Convertipic to convert it directly, even if you’re unsure of the input type

Convertipic supports over 50 input formats, including obscure ones like SK1 (Sketch), CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile), and DDS (DirectDraw Surface).

Step 4: Recover from Corruption

If the file is truly damaged:

Try online recovery tools (use cautiously—upload only non-sensitive files)
For images: GIMP or Photoshop may open partial data
For documents: LibreOffice often recovers text from broken files

Prevention is Best

Going forward:

Standardize on widely supported formats (PDF, PNG, JPG, DOCX)
Always include the correct file extension
Back up originals—and convert copies

And when you need to bridge format gaps instantly? Convertipic is ready.

The “Unrecognized Format” Nightmare