Recovering Corrupt CorelDRAW Files

About a year ago I wrote a comprehensive post on ways you can try to recover corrupt CorelDRAW files. I also listed some of the things you should not do if you want to avoid having corrupt files. I've been lucky and yet have to encounter a single corrupt file in my more than 20 years of using CorelDRAW. That luck is certainly helped by understanding that pushing the limits can lead to danger. I encourage everyone to re-read my Dealing With Corrupt CorelDRAW Files post carefully so you too can have a workflow without corruption.

Another alternative that wasn't listed in the original post is to try opening or importing the file in a newer version of the software. Even if you don't plan on purchasing (though I encourage you to consider it), download the trial version of CorelDRAW X6 and see if it is able to recover the file for you. This isn't a long-term solution as the trial will expire. Yet it could be a solution in an emergency.

There is also software for recovering corrupt files, though it does have a cost. Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW is a tool that claims to be open to recover as much data as possible from corrupt files. I've listed a complete product description below. Note that I have not tried it as I don't have any corrupt files to recover.

Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW is a compact, efficient, reliable and affordable recovery tool for CorelDraw *.cdr files damaged in all types of data corruption incidents. No matter how your file was damaged, the program gives you a very high chance of successful recovery thanks to its advanced recovery engine and algorithms. If you've never done anything like that and have doubts about your ability to pull it off successfully, don't worry - Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW is so simple and self-explanatory that you won't need any special skills and experience at all! This program was made with simplicity in mind, so all you have to do is to follow instructions on the screen, do what the program asks for and proceed towards the end of the recovery process by clicking Next. In fact, the entire process is very short and consists of a several simple steps described below:

1. Start the program
   Click the program shortcut on the Window desktop or locate the program in the Program menu and start it.
2. Select a damaged file you'd like to restore. The file can be located either locally or in the local network.
3. Preview the recoverable content of the file. At this stage, you can zoom in and out and move around the drawing.
4. Have the program recover the drawing and pass it to CorelDRAW for editing and saving.
5. View the recovery log.

As you see, the recovery process consists of just 5 simple steps that require a bare minimum of your involvement. Note that the program does not save recovered *.cdr files, but passes them to CorelDRAW, which must be installed on your system for the program to work correctly. The demo version of the program does not allow you to save recovered data, so you will need to purchase a valid license to remove this limitation.

Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW automatically detects the version of the *.cdr file being recovered, so you shouldn't worry about compatibility. If the program cannot restore a damaged file for some reason, you can send it to the program developers using the Actions -> Send source file command. They will attempt to recover your data manually and will get back to you as soon as they have any results.

Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW is an ultimately convenient and fast recovery tool that can potentially save you many and hour of your work and a sizeable amount of money. If you are on a budget and need an affordable recovery solution for your CorelDRAW files, don't hesitate and grab a copy of Recovery Toolbox for CorelDRAW!