Unable to play MPEG-4 files

[rama_m]

Hi,

I have a senario, where currently my WD hard drive's data(most of them were multimedia) was corrupted. I had searched various recovery tools , as per one of the suggestion I have done data recovery through "Photorec" software.

This software had recovered most of my multimedia data. I am unable to play any file, when I check with Gspot Software it says
"Codec=NULL" Name=MPEG-4 Status:Codec Status Undetermined".

I have tried downloading many softwares , Windows media palyer classic, Divx Player, KM Player , Nero Showtime, 3ivx , Vlc...But none of them were of any help.

and also I have downloaded some codec softwares like ffdshow,xvid... but nothing is working..

I have most of my data appeares to be recovered, but nothign is working... Can someone kindly advise me

Attached the screen shot of Gspot Image...

Regards,
Rama

gspotimage.bmp

[rama_m]

Can I request someone to reply this please!!!!!!!!!

[Ethlred]

Uhm, you say you downloaded stuff. Did you actually install any of them?

Gspot says you DON'T have required codec so it can't process the video at all. You MUST have the code INSTALLED first. However VLC and KMP should be able to play most videos without anything else after they are installed.

Two recommendations. Download and INSTALL Mediainfo. A new version has just been posted. Download some new videos. All you really know at the moment is that you can't view some video you have tried to recover. Just because a program CLAIMS it recovered video doesn't mean that it really found anything but a header and maybe some random crap from other files. In all probability you haven't recovered much of anything. However to be sure download something or find something that you KNOW isn't broken and see if you can play it.

If you can't play anything new then you don't have a player installed or your system is just plain buggered up. If you CAN play new files then the recovered files are likely a mess.

Ethelred

[minidv2dvd]

"re-covered" files from a corrupted hard drive don't always work. most of the time they are just partially recovered and unusable.

try installing xvid, divx and x264, but that file in gspot looks like it has random data in it.

[rama_m]

Hi,

Thanks for the information.

Could you suggest what is the best data recovery tool that I can use to retrieve data without any loss. and also advise me if there is any free software available to do the same.

[guns1inger]

When you recovered the files, did you recover them "in place", or to a different drive ?

Have you written to the WD drive since the corruption ?

[rama_m]

I have recovered the files to a different drive on my laptop. and I havent written any data to WD drive since corruption.

30% of my movie files are fine and I am able to play using VLC and KMP. rest of them I am not sure whether they are recovered properly or not.

apart from "Photorec" is there any best tool????

[guns1inger]

I am not sure who anointed photorec as being worth using for anything other than photographs on memory cards (which is what it is designed for anyway). There are plenty of recovery tools out there, many free, and anecdotally (as I have never seen any sort of scientific test or comparison) they all their fans and detractors - as does most software.

PC Inspector File Recovery is free and has worked for me in the past, but then again, it has also failed to recover files at other times. The same is true for most paid and free tools I and others have used.

The most reliable data recovery is done by specialist services who charge by the MB recovered. They aren't cheap, but if these are precious home movies that you need to get back, it may well be worth the money.

On the otherhand, if these are just downloaded materials, the monetary equation makes a lot less sense.

[Nelson37]

I have used GetDataBack about four or five times now, it has never failed. The program absolutely will not write to the damaged drive, and requires a secondary for storage. It does, however, cost $69.95, which I made back the very first time I used it. Actually about three times that.

If you search for data recovery here, you will find several progs mentioned, along with several positive reviews of this particular one. I do not recall seeing the prog you used discussed at all.

Did you mean to say that 30% of the recovered files do in fact play correctly? Had the other files been tested and determined valid BEFORE the hard drive crash? Are the currently playable recovered files of the same format as the recovered files which fail to play?

Sounds like the playback problem is not at all software-related, but due to an incomplete recovery. There are some players designed to play partially-downloaded incomplete files, perhaps one of these might be worth a try.

[rama_m]

Hi,

Thanks for your Great Help!!!!

"PC Inspector" was awesome. I could manage to recover all my movie files and official Data except few JPEGs. I am very happy with the solution provided in this Forum.

Once Again Thanks Everyone !!

Shall I format the Hard Disk which is corrupted and store the recovered data again?? OR is there any special devices to format such cases , for hard disk to be re-utilised??

[Nelson37]

Unless you can nail the corruption down to some other cause, I would "utilize" that hard drive for landfill.

Or perhaps you greatly enjoyed the recovery process and are anxious to do it again?