Disk drill recovered videos corrupted​

​Why Videos Get Corrupted After Recovery

You can also choose other tools, such as Panda Assistant to recover the video again. This data recovery software can be tried for free, so there is no need to worry about the cost.

1. What Is Corruption in Video Files?

Video file corruption refers to the state in which a video file cannot be played, opened, or processed properly due to issues in its data structure. Corruption can manifest in various ways:

The video may not play at all.

The video may show only partial playback or stutter.

The video may show pixelated or distorted visuals.

Audio may be out of sync with the video or completely missing.

When videos are recovered using software like Disk Drill, the files might not always recover in their entirety or correctly if the underlying data is damaged or the recovery process encounters errors.

2. Why Do Video Files Get Corrupted During Recovery?

Several factors can contribute to video corruption during the recovery process:

Bad sectors on the drive: If the storage medium (e.g., a hard drive, SD card, USB stick) where the video files were originally stored has bad sectors, parts of the video file could be irreparably damaged during the recovery process.

Partial recovery: Sometimes, only portions of the video file are successfully recovered. If the recovered data is incomplete or the file header is damaged, it may result in a corrupted file.

File system issues: Filesystem corruption (such as FAT, NTFS, or exFAT) can prevent Disk Drill or other recovery tools from fully retrieving the correct structure of the video file, leaving it partially or fully corrupted.

Improper ejection of the drive: If a storage device was removed improperly from a computer or camera (e.g., during the read/write process), this could lead to file corruption that is not recoverable.

Overwritten data: When new data is written over the lost or deleted files, it can overwrite parts of the video files that you wish to recover, causing corruption.

3. Other Software Interference

Some video files may get corrupted due to interference by other software during the recovery process. This can happen when multiple recovery tools or programs access the same storage device at the same time, potentially causing conflicting actions that corrupt files.

Steps to Recover Corrupted Videos with Disk Drill

Disk Drill is generally effective at recovering lost videos, but when files are corrupted, the recovery process needs to be handled more delicately. Here’s how you can approach the problem:

1. Assess the Storage Device

Before diving into recovery, assess the state of the storage device. Are there bad sectors, or is it physically damaged? If the storage medium is physically damaged, data recovery software may not be able to help, and you might need professional services to extract the data.

To check for bad sectors:

Windows: Right-click the drive > Properties > Tools tab > Check (under Error Checking).

Mac: Use Disk Utility to verify the disk and check for any problems.

If the drive has significant issues, it’s best to seek professional help from a data recovery specialist.

2. Select the Right Recovery Mode in Disk Drill

Disk Drill offers different recovery modes for retrieving data:

Quick Scan: A fast scan that is useful for recently deleted files. It doesn’t check deep structures but works well when files are not severely corrupted.

Deep Scan: A more thorough scan that attempts to recover files from raw data. This method is useful when quick scans fail to find the files or when the files are severely corrupted.

For video recovery, you’ll want to use the Deep Scan feature. While this process may take longer, it scans more deeply and often results in more successful recoveries.

3. Preview the Recovered Videos

Once the scan is complete, Disk Drill will list the files it’s found. Videos that have been recovered but might be corrupted will typically not have a preview available. For those that are previewable, try to play them within the software.

Pro tip: If Disk Drill can preview the video, it indicates that the file structure is mostly intact, and recovery might succeed.

4. Manually Repair Videos Using Other Tools

If Panda Assistant’s video repair tool doesn’t succeed, you can try using third-party tools like VLC Media Player or Stellar Video Repair. These tools can sometimes salvage a corrupted video by repairing missing frames or other minor issues.

VLC Media Player: It has a built-in feature to attempt repairs on AVI files (for those formats).

Open VLC and navigate to Tools > Preferences.

Under Input/Codecs, find the “Damaged or incomplete AVI file” setting and set it to “Always fix.”

Then, try playing the video.

Stellar Video Repair: A specialized tool for repairing severely corrupted video files. It supports a variety of formats and provides detailed error reports about what is wrong with the video.

How to Prevent Video Corruption in the Future

Preventing video corruption involves good practices during video storage, backup, and file recovery. Here are a few tips to reduce the likelihood of encountering corrupted video files in the future:

1. Use Reliable Storage Devices

Always use high-quality, reliable storage devices for saving your videos. Low-quality SD cards, hard drives, or USB sticks are more prone to data corruption. Invest in trusted brands and models that offer a longer lifespan and better read/write performance.

2. Properly Eject Storage Devices

Ensure that you safely eject your storage devices before removing them from your computer, camera, or other devices. Unplugging a drive or card before it finishes writing data can cause corruption. Always use the “eject” or “safely remove hardware” options.

3. Create Regular Backups

The best way to avoid losing videos is to back them up regularly. Cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud can be used for automatic backups. For larger files, external hard drives or network-attached storage (NAS) devices provide a reliable alternative.

4. Avoid Writing New Data to the Affected Storage Device

If you notice that files have been lost or corrupted, stop using the affected storage device immediately. Writing new data over the old files can overwrite the parts of the video files that are recoverable, making it harder or even impossible to restore the videos.

5. Check Your Storage Regularly for Errors

Run regular diagnostics on your storage devices. Use tools like Windows Check Disk or Mac Disk Utility to check for bad sectors or other problems. Early detection of disk problems can help prevent data loss.

6. Update Recovery Software

Ensure that you are using the latest version of Disk Drill or any other data recovery software. New versions often come with improvements to the scanning and recovery processes, which can increase your chances of successful video file recovery.

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