I recorded a special event, but the video file got corrupted. Can’t open or play it now. Looking for ways to repair the file and recover the footage. Any software or methods that have worked for you? Appreciate any help.
Corrupted video files can be such a pain! I had a similar issue last year and found a few methods that worked for me. First, try using VLC Media Player. Sometimes, it can play files that other players cannot. Go to ‘Media’ → ‘Convert/Save’ → ‘Add’ your corrupted file, then use the convert option to try and save it in a different format.
If that doesn’t work, there’s a product called Clever Online Video Repair that you might find useful. It’s gotten me out of a jam before. It works directly in your browser and supports various video file formats. They often have a trial so you can see if it works before committing.
For more advanced solutions, there are desktop software options like Stellar Repair for Video, but these often come with a price. Also, don’t overlook trying to play the video on another device or another operating system—sometimes the corruption isn’t as bad as it seems.
Check out this detailed step-by-step guide that I found, which dives into different ways you can: fix MP4 files. It covers multiple methods and tools that might do the trick for you.
Hope you get your video back!
Fixed your event video yet? Just went through the same ordeal! 
I recommend trying VLC first—it can sometimes repair index issues when you open the file. Also, the Clever Online Video Repair service saved a big project for me. It’s pretty intuitive and does a good job with different formats. Don’t forget to back up your stuff next time! 
Have you tried using FFmpeg? It’s a powerful command-line tool for handling video files. FFmpeg can sometimes rescue corrupted video files by re-encoding them or copying streams without re-encoding, which fixes minor file structure issues. Try this command if you’re comfortable using the terminal:
ffmpeg -i corrupted.mp4 -c copy output.mp4
If that doesn’t work, another solid option is a software called Wondershare Repairit. While @sterrenkijker mentioned Stellar Repair for Video, I found Wondershare Repairit to be a bit more user-friendly and effective in my experience. It’s worth checking out.
@sterrenkijker suggested VLC Media Player, which is a fantastic starting point. But let’s discuss another option: Handbrake. This open-source video transcoder can sometimes fix corrupted files by re-encoding them. Just load your file in Handbrake and export it to a different format.
One last trick: upload your corrupted video to a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox and try playing it there. Sometimes these services can handle files that your local player struggles with.
For those interested in more detailed steps, I found this comprehensive guide quite helpful: ‘Learn how to repair and fix corrupted videos on Reddit’. It offers various methods and tools you can use to tackle the issue.
Good luck, and don’t forget to back up your files next time to avoid this hassle!
FFmpeg is pretty powerful but can be complicated for some users. I’d suggest it as a last resort if you’re comfortable with command-line interfaces. As for Clever Online Video Repair, while it’s super convenient coz it’s browser-based, the downside is you need a stable internet connection and it’s less effective for severely corrupted files IMO.
On a different note, I had success with Disk Drill’s data recovery features. It has a free trial, so you don’t need to commit right away. Plus, it can recover video files from different storage media, which might be handy if your file corruption started there.
Quick shout-out to @sterrenwanderer and @sterrenkijker: VLC is a great initial step and Handbrake can handle redoing simpler tasks.
Remember, always back up! Good luck, hope this helps!