How to Corrupt a File on Purpose Using Corrupt a File.Net

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: December 31, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to corrupt a file using a free online service. Corrupting a file intentionally can be useful in a handful of situations, the most common of which is sending a "completed" but corrupted document to a teacher, supervisor, or client in order to buy more time to work on the document.

Steps

1
Make sure your file is believable. If you're corrupting the file in order to send it to someone for the purpose of buying more time to work on the file, you'll want to make sure that the file is the correct size, length, and/or format.
- For example, if your document is supposed to be a 10-page Word document, you should type 10 pages' worth of text (e.g., gibberish or copied text from elsewhere) into a Word document to show that the document is actually 10 pages long.
2
Consider backing up the original file. While you won't be corrupting the original file, there's always a chance that you'll accidentally delete the original file instead of the corrupted file when you're through using it. To avoid this, it's best to create a copy of the file you want to corrupt.
- To back up a file, click the file in question, press either Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac) to copy it, go to a safe location on your computer, and paste the file there by pressing either Ctrl+V or ⌘ Command+V.
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3
Open Corrupt-a-File. Go to https://corrupt-a-file.net/ in your computer's web browser. This website can corrupt most common file types such as MP3s, Word documents, Excel sheets, and more.
4
Click FROM YOUR COMPUTER. It's a yellow button near the middle of the page. Doing so prompts a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window to appear.
5
Select your file. Go to the location of the file that you want to corrupt, then click the file once to select it.
6
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will upload your file to the Corrupt-a-File website.
7
Scroll down and click CORRUPT FILE. This button is near the bottom of the page. Corrupt-a-File will begin corrupting your file.
- This can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on your file's size.
8
Click DOWNLOAD YOUR CORRUPTED FILE when prompted. This will download the corrupted file onto your computer.
- Depending on your browser's settings, you may have to click Save or select a save location to confirm the download.

Community Q&A

Question

Can the corrupted files be recovered using data recovery software?

DANIEL MESKIN

Community Answer

No. The data is not locally stored, therefore recovery software won't have trace files to recover from. As long as you are not handing in your laptop, you should be fine.
Question

What do I do after the Malwarebytes browser extension blocked the download?

Community Answer

Disable Malwarebytes for a few minutes. It's a common occurrence, and it's nothing to worry about. Just remember to turn it back on after you're done.
Question

Is it possible for the recipient to tell that the file was deliberately corrupted?

Community Answer

If you have a Mac, yes. Clicking will get info on a file, the link the URL of the website the corrupted file is downloaded from in the "where from" section. This only applies if you used the website though.

Warnings

Since plenty of teachers, professors, employers, and people in general are aware of this strategy, sending a corrupted file to buy time isn't as viable a tactic as it used to be.^{[1]
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