How to Repair an RTF File

Rich text formats can be opened with almost any word processing program.

RTF is an acronym for "Rich Text Format." Documents saved with the RTF extension give you the flexibility to open the file in most versions of any word processing program and any operating system.



RTF files allow you to make changes to a document in Word or other word processing programs after it has been saved. In some cases you will be prompted to update your software to a particular version, and once that is done you can make changes to the document.



Windows may occasionally give you an error message saying that it "Cannot open RTF files," which means you need to identify a program that can open the file or your registry may be damaged.

Instructions

1. Close the RTF file and if prompted, save the document. Restart your computer and see if this eliminates the error message. Cold boot your computer by clicking on "Start" and selecting "Shut Down" if the restart is not successful.

2. Run a RTF scan by clicking on the resource link, Free RTF Scan. The scan will check your system's registry for invalid file associations and corrupted software settings.

   Click on the "Free RTF Scan" button and click on Save File when the "registrybooster" executable (.exe) window opens. Once saved, run the application from your desktop. The scan takes about 2 minutes to complete.

3. Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools, and run the Disk Defragmenter program. This will defrag your hard drive, correct missing or invalid clusters, and fix associated RTF errors.

References

• File Extension RTF
• Repair RTF Files

Resources

• Free RTF Scan