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File-opening guide

A DICOM ZIP is incomplete or stops extracting: what to do

An incomplete DICOM archive needs a complete download or a fresh copy from the sender; images recovered from a broken ZIP may represent only part of the scan. Keep the partial copy for comparison, then download the original again and wait for it to finish.

By the Ossidex team · How we write and check these pages · Updated

Download on the App StoreFree to download · iPhone & iPad · iOS 17+

Find the failure before retrying

What you haveWhat it means
Archive ends early or extraction stopsThe download or copy may be truncated. A new complete transfer is the first check.
Only part1.rar from a split setOther parts may be missing. Save every part with its original name in the same folder.
A format or encryption errorNot necessarily truncation. The app may need an extracted image folder or a different archive format.

How to open the images

  1. Compare with the sender’s copy. Check the filename, size and whether the download completed. Matching size is a useful check, not proof that the image set is complete.
  2. Download or copy again. Use the original link or disc. Avoid interrupting the transfer; save the new copy separately so you can distinguish it from the partial one.
  3. Import the replacement. In Ossidex choose + → Files / ZIP. For split archives, choose Folder with all parts together. If that archive layout is unsupported, ask for one standard ZIP.
  4. Check the series and incomplete notices. The app may report recovered files while warning that some images are missing. Compare against the clinic’s complete examination before discarding the source.

What to check if it still does not open

Ossidex can preserve readable content from an interrupted archive, but recovery does not reconstruct missing slices. An image count greater than zero is not a successful completeness check. If a fresh download produces the same failure, ask the sender to recreate the export from the original examination.

The Mac browser viewer accepts supported ZIPs, but encrypted and split archives need extraction elsewhere or the native app. Extraction also needs storage; an out-of-space error is different from an unexpected end of file.

Viewer options and format limits

On a Mac, open the browser viewer and choose Open folder for the complete DICOM folder or Open files for a ZIP. Browser format and memory limits differ from the iPhone/iPad app; a successful import does not establish that the examination is complete.

See the matching format or export guide and tested samples and compatibility limits. Ossidex is a viewer and planning aid, not a diagnostic device.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the slices that were recovered?

They may be viewable, but the examination can be incomplete. Obtain the full export and compare its series before using it as the complete record.

Will changing RAR to ZIP fix it?

No. The suffix does not change the archive structure. Repack the extracted files as ZIP on a computer, or ask the sender to do so.

Sources

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