How to open mystery JPEG file?

Question

I have a folder that contains JPEG files that I cannot open. Here is one example mystery file. Can anyone help me to open the file or suggest a way of recovering the data if it is corrupted?

[update] I found the files on an old external hard drive. The linux file command failed to identify the file type (output was like this: mysteryfile.jpg: data). Viewing the files in a text editor, I don't see any obvious file headers or anything in common within several files.

[update] I have tried and failed to open the files with Windows Photo Viewer, GIMP, Infraview, Paint and Picasa on Windows 7. Also, the default viewer on Ubuntu 11.04.

If @MaxMackie's solution doesn't work for you, maybe you can tell us which operating system you have and which programs you try to open the file with. — slhck, Jul 06 '11 at 14:26
Try opening it with Irfanview. It will sometimes find the correct format if it is still an image file. — music2myear, Jul 06 '11 at 14:46
If you have Ubuntu, from a Terminal, run file mysteryfile.jpeg and tell us the output. — slhck, Jul 06 '11 at 14:54
the output you posted means that the file program can't recognize the format or that it is just ... data. — nopcorn, Jul 06 '11 at 15:21
Do you have a file named CML 0531852.jpeg? If you do I may have an answer for you. — Tyler Faile, Jul 06 '11 at 16:53

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 06 '11 at 14:14

It's probably NOT a JPEG image. Chances are somebody changed the extension of the file, so your OS thinks it's an image. I would check the headers of the file in a text editor, that might give you an idea of the true extension. Once you know it, rename the file correctly and view your mysterious content.... (dum dum dum)

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 06 '11 at 15:12

1

Looking at the file size of your sample image (1.44MB) it seems very likely that these are floppy disk sized chunks of a compressed file.

See if you can open one with winrar or 7zip. You may need to rename them.

answered Jul 06 '11 at 15:12

Tyler Faile

2,882

Good spot. Will be interested to find out if that's true. – Jasarien Jul 06 '11 at 15:16
The files all have different sizes and some of them are over 1.44MB, so I don't think this can be correct. I tried renaming some and using 7zip but it doesn't recognise them. – Liam Jul 06 '11 at 15:29

How to open mystery JPEG file?

2 Answers2