Data corruption refers to errors in computer data that occur during writing, reading, storage, transmission, or processing, which introduce unintended changes to the original data. Computer storage and transmission systems use a number of measures to provide data integrity, or lack of errors.
In general, when data corruption occurs, the file containing that data may become inaccessible, and the system or the related application will give an error. For example, if a Microsoft Word file is corrupted, when you try to open that file with MS Word, you will get an error message, and the file would not be opened. Some programs can give a suggestion to repair the file automatically (after the error), and some programs cannot repair it. It depends on the level of corruption, and the in-built functionality of the application to handle the error. There are various causes of the corruption.
Read more about Data Corruption: Transmission, Storage, Countermeasures
Famous quotes containing the words data and/or corruption:
“Mental health data from the 1950’s on middle-aged women showed them to be a particularly distressed group, vulnerable to depression and feelings of uselessness. This isn’t surprising. If society tells you that your main role is to be attractive to men and you are getting crow’s feet, and to be a mother to children and yours are leaving home, no wonder you are distressed.”
—Grace Baruch (20th century)
“That the corruption of the best things produces the worst, is grown into a maxim, and is commonly proved, among other instances, by the pernicious effects of superstition and enthusiasm, the corruptions of true religion.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)