Video files recorded on completely different media can be damaged due to their limited life, quality decreases and many more problems arise along the way. Even films stored on computer hard drives are subject to this phenomenon, not to mention the fact that they can be completely accidentally deleted. Let's consider how video files are restored and what tools are best used for this.
Key actions for restoring video files
As already understood, at the moment two problems are clearly identified: deterioration in the quality of the source material and accidental deletion or disappearance of files due to formatting of the hard drive.
Based on this, we can offer several basic techniques that will help restore video files with a probability of their subsequent viewing at about 50-100%, depending on the type of actions selected.
Why is there so much variation? Yes, only because the first indicator is applicable to the restoration of video material in terms of restoring quality, and the second corresponds to the ability to recover deleted files on a computer.
Recover Deleted Video Files Using Recuva
Let's start with the situation when the files were deleted from the hard drive of the computer, since this procedure looks much easier than restoring quality. One of the most versatile and simple is considered the Recuva application. This is not only a program for recovering deleted video files, it can be used to search for potentially recoverable data of any type. Nevertheless, it has its own interesting aspects.
So, after installation and the first launch, the application independently opens a special “Wizard”, in which you should select the type of information data. As already clear, you need to use the line with the video, and then in a new window select the location of the removed material. If the user does not remember exactly where the source file was located, you can indicate that the location is not known. Further, it is desirable to use the deep analysis mode and activate the start of the scanning process. The results will display all found objects. Files that can be restored to 100% are marked in green, files that can be partially restored are yellow, objects that cannot be restored are red. The results of the recovery and the ability to view the video after this will be discussed separately.
Using R.Saver
Recovery of deleted video files can also be done using the unique utility R.Saver. According to many experts, it is a much more powerful tool than the previous program, because it is able to recover information even on formatted media, including even damaged memory cards.
Of course, it is impossible to say that this is a program for recovering video files. However, the scanning algorithms in it are such that you can not be surprised if the program detects files on the hard drive or removable device that you have long forgotten about. And, of course, the list of programs designed specifically for such purposes can be continued indefinitely.
The program for recovering damaged video files All Media Fixer Pro and the like
Now let's look at the restoration of video material. Recovery of damaged video files is performed using special utilities. The simplest, fastest and quite functional, you can call the program All Media Fixer Pro.
This application, unlike many similar ones, can work with any type of multimedia, including graphics and sound, although you can argue about audio here. Nevertheless, this program performs recovery of damaged video files based on its own algorithms and involves the use of an automated restoration system, so there is no need to change global settings. It is enough to select the desired file and press the special analysis button.
At the end of the process, you can do two things: either try to repair the damaged fragments (Fix button), or simply remove them from the file (Remove button). No action - Ignore button.
In principle, other applications allow you to restore video files in approximately the same way, although they differ slightly in the number of perceived formats. Among the most popular and powerful are the following:
- VirtualDubMod;
- DivFix ++;
- VideoFixer
- Video Repair Tool;
- ASF-AVI-RM-WMV Repair;
- HD Video Repair Utility et al.
Test result of recovered files
Finally, the restoration of the video files is completed. What do the test results show? In most cases, no program has been able to completely restore quality while maintaining the original format (this applies to deleted and damaged files). Windows Media Player does not play most files.
Restoring deleted objects is best done by R.Saver (Recuva is not good for it). As for the restoration, it is quite difficult to select the best program here, besides, not all of them work with damaged media, and some hang even during the work. Nevertheless, the parallel use of both types of utilities may become a solution.
What to use to restore audio tracks?
And one more point that many simply forget. None of the above programs can boast of sound quality. Therefore, for audio processing it is better to turn to professional and semi-professional packages.
Well-known software products such as Adobe Audition of all versions (the former Cool Edit Pro program), Sony Sound Forge, ACID Pro and many others are perfect for this. Only in them you can achieve the perfect sound quality of the tracks. To open almost all applications, use the import function or load the contents of video files through the Open As ... line.
Instead of an afterword
It remains to add that, despite the use of the most advanced technologies for video recovery, the conclusion is disappointing. If the recovery of deleted files is still a problem, then the restoration is much worse. This is understandable, because it is sometimes almost impossible to improve a video digitized from a regular VHS tape or copied from a scratched optical disc, and it is too primitive to deal with the removal of problem fragments. So, you will have to choose the tools to perform certain actions yourself, or better - combine several utilities.