How to Recover Corrupted MP4 Files for Free

One of the most widely utilised formats for video files is MP4. But MP4 files can get damaged for a number of reasons, including incomplete downloads, virus infections, software bugs, and device malfunctions. If this occurs, you might have trouble playing or opening the file. Fortunately, there are a number of free techniques to recover damaged MP4 files. In this post, we’ll look at a few of these techniques and talk about the causes of MP4 file corruption.

What could be the Reasons behind MP4 Video File Corruption?

MP4 Video file corruption can occur due to various reasons, some of which include:

Incomplete Downloads: A video file may become corrupted and become unplayable if it is not completely downloaded.

Virus Infections: The corruption and unavailability of MP4 files can be brought on by virus infections.

Hardware Failures: MP4 files may become corrupted due to hard disc difficulties such as faulty sectors, file system errors, and physical damage.

Software Errors: MP4 files may become corrupted if there is a software problem during the encoding or decoding process.

Here are 7 DIY methods that you can use to fix corrupted MP4 files for free:

Method 1 – Use VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is a popular media player which is capable of fixing MP4 files that have been corrupted. To use VLC Media Player to fix a damaged MP4 file, follow these instructions:

·       Open VLC Media Player and click on “Media” in the top left corner of the window.

·       From the drop-down menu, choose “Convert/Save”.

·       Click on the “Add” button to add the corrupted MP4 file that you want to repair.

·       The “Convert/Save” button is located at the window’s bottom. Just click on it.

·       In the “Convert” window that appears, select the “Convert” option and choose “H.264 + MP3 (MP4)” as the destination format.

·       Choose a destination folder where you want to save the repaired file and click on “Start” to begin the conversion process.

Method 2 – Change the MP4 file extension

Sometimes, simply changing the MP4 file extension can help you fix a corrupted MP4 file. To do this, you need to:

·       Right-click on the corrupted MP4 file and select “Rename”.

·       Change the file extension from “.mp4” to “.avi” or “.wmv”.

·       Try to play the repaired file in a media player to see if it works.

Method 3 – Copy the corrupted MP4 file to another device

·       Copying the corrupted MP4 file to another device can sometimes help you repair the file. To do this, you need to:

·       Copy the corrupted MP4 file from your computer to a USB drive or another device.

·       Try playing the file on the new device to see if it works.

Method 4 – Use Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player can also be used to repair corrupted MP4 files. To use this method, follow these steps:

·       Open Windows Media Player and click on “Organize” in the top left corner of the window.

·       Select “Options” from the drop-down menu that appears.

·       Click on the “Devices” tab and select your portable device from the list of devices.

·       Click on the “Sync” tab and select the corrupted MP4 file that you want to repair.

·       Click on “Start Sync” to transfer the file to your portable device.

·       Try playing the repaired file on your portable device to see if it works.

Method 5 – Repair the MP4 file using Command Prompt

You can also use Command Prompt to repair a corrupted MP4 file. To do this, you need to:

·       Open Command Prompt on your computer.

·       Type “ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy output.mp4” (without quotes) and press Enter.

·       Replace “input.mp4” with the name of the corrupted MP4 file that you want to repair.

·       Replace “output.mp4” with the name that you want to give to the repaired file.

·       Wait for the repair process to complete and try playing the repaired file to see if it works.

Method 6 – Change the File Extension

Sometimes changing the file extension of the corrupted MP4 file can fix the issue. To do this, right-click on the file, select Rename, and change the file extension from .mp4 to .avi or .wmv.

Method 7 – Use Command Prompt

You can use Command Prompt to repair corrupted MP4 files. To do this, open Command Prompt, navigate to the folder where the corrupted MP4 file is located, type in “ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy output.mp4”, and press Enter.

How Stellar Repair for Video Can Repair Corrupted MP4 Files

A specialized tool called Stellar Repair for Video can restore severely damaged MP4 files. Although it is a commercial program, you can preview the repaired file using the free trial version. To use this application, download and install the program, then add the MP4 file that needs to be repaired, click Repair, wait while the repair is being done, and then preview the repaired file.

Conclusion

In conclusion, corrupt MP4 files can occur for a variety of reasons, including incomplete downloads, virus infestations, software issues, and hardware malfunctions. However, you can repair corrupted MP4 files for nothing using the do-it-yourself techniques mentioned above. You can recover the file in cases of serious corruption by using expert tools like Stellar Repair for Video.