Recovered files won't play.. please help

[Poppsickle1101]

Hello,

Firstly let me start by saying I'm not very computer-wise. I have no idea how to read codecs or anything so please feel free to speak to me like I am thick (in this sense I definitely am)

Basically I deleted some files, thinking I'd transferred them onto a computer. Then recorded over the top. I managed to find and recover them using Wondershare Data Recovery and they have come back in this format '_VI_0144.MOV'. They have differing sizes and date/time recorded which correlate to the correct time in which I shot the footage, but no details in the dimensions or duration part. I can't upload them into final cut or open them with quicktime as it says the file isn't supported.

Would any lovely person out there be able to help? I feel I'm so close yet so far from recovering them and I really need the files (my fault, I know!)

Thank you so much in advance,

Anja x

[DB83]

I'll keep it simple.

Once you delete some data from any storage, as long as you do not record anything to that same media you can recover the data intact.

Once you re-use the media you run the risk of over-writing where the original recording.

You can try other recovery/un-delete software but the likely-hood is that these recordings are lost. That being said, the full recording is lost. There are data recovery firms that can extract the residue of the data and rebuild the recording or atleast that part that was not over-recorded.

[Poppsickle1101]

Hi,

Thanks so much for getting back to me. So it says I have the files, but I just can't open them. Does that not necessarily mean they're there then? I'm pretty sure it won't have recorded over the top of them as they were the last files on the memory card and the bit that I recorded after was only short. The recovery software said some files weren't recoverable but said these ones were?

Thanks for you help.

[DB83]

The way that operating systems work is that they use the most recently available free space which can mean some of the sectors that you made free by deleting the recordings.

Like I said, try other recovery software - search the forums for file recovery/un-delete utilities. A few that immediately come to mind are GetDataBack and Zero Assumption Recovery.

If you had recovered them then you would be able to play them. I assume that you attempted to recover them on a different drive to what they originally were on.

[Hoser Rob]

Unfortunately file recovery software (esp for windows it seems) uses the word 'recovery' rather loosely. I've seen this sort of thing in lots of threads here. The file header can be recovered (which is why the file name appears) but the data is not where the header thinks it is. It's been overwritten. It's nowhere.

As mentioned, if a video file is really recovered, you can play it.

[redwudz]

If you are able to open one of the recovered files in a hex editor like the one in VirtualDub (Under the 'Tools' header), and there is nothing but zeros for data, the file is usually lost. But I would try one of the recovery programs suggested before you give up completely.

And welcome to our forums.