How to read Unreadable Files!

Hi Guys! I have trouble plotting .mat format files. The error message is "Unable to read MAT-file. Not a binary MAT-file. Try load -ASCII to read as text". Is there anyone can help why these files are unreadable and How they can be fixed? knowing, the files are Simulink outputs!

Thanks in advance,

[Walter Roberson]

Can you attach one of the files?

[Omar]

Thank you Walter for your reply. I couldn't upload the file because the file is huge and I couldn't compress it to 5MB as it the maximum size someone can upload here. Is there a way to upload the file?

[Walter Roberson]

Okay, then for now please show

fid = fopen('NameOfMatFile.mat', 'r');
first256 = fread(fid, [1 256], '*uint8');
close(fid);
first256
char(first256)

[Omar]

Walter, I ran the code you just posted and here is the output file.

[Walter Roberson]

That looks like it might be a real .mat file.

Is it possible that you are trying to load the file with a version of MATLAB older than R2006b ?

You can post the file on Google Drive or Dropbox for people to examine

[Omar]

No actually I use Matlab 2017a.

Answer 1

[Jan]

I see 2 options:

1. This is not the file you try to load. Maybe you are working in a different folder than you expect.
2. The file is really damaged. Then it will be impossible to open it. This is the definition of "unreadable". Do you have a backup of the file or can you re-create it?

What do you see if you run the code from Walter's code?

[Omar]

I am sorry Jan for getting back to you too late... I think I am working on the same folder that contains these files. I am attaching one of these files here if you would take a look. again the error message is "Unable to read MAT-file C:\Users\...\disp_20_unct_ha_la01.mat. Not a binary MAT-file. Try load -ASCII to read as text. "

[Jan]

The file is damaged. load cannot read it. The header claims, that it has a HDF5 format:

 MATLAB 7.3 MAT-file, Platform: GLNXA64, 
 Created on: Fri Dec 22 20:40:57 2017 HDF5 schema 1.00 .

But hdf5info cannot read it also. It seems like the file is damaged. How do you create these files?

[Omar]

these files are outputs of Simulink model using "TO File" block.

[Omar]

I should also point out that I ran these codes on the supercomputer in my school. when I use my own pc no problem at all. knowing that the supercomputer unit also use MatlabR2017a