Audio · exFAT audio media
AIFF/AIFC: recover after an interrupted recording
What can I do with AIFF or AIFC recordings after a recording interruption?
Short answer
Often yes, on a copy: an interrupted AIFF usually lacks correct sizes in its FORM and SSND chunks and a correct frame count in COMM, while the samples are present. Copy the file first, then fix those values on the copy, or import the audio as big-endian raw data with the noted sample rate and channels.
The situation
AIFF or AIFC recordings is missing, too short or unreadable after power loss, a card error or an unsafe stop.
The take is present on the card but behaves as if it were empty: zero length, an error message, or only the first moments playing back. AIFF stores its sizes in the FORM header, in COMM and in SSND, and those fields are written when a recording closes normally.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
The recorder streams samples into the SSND chunk while it records and writes the final byte counts and the frame count in COMM only at the end of a take. An interruption leaves the payload on the card with a header that still says zero or an old value, so players stop at once although the samples are complete up to the moment of the failure.
The payload may have been written before duration fields, indexes, directory entries or closing structures were committed. For AIFF/AIFC, this matters because FORM, COMM and SSND chunks hold format parameters and audio payload
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Shut the recorder down, take the card out and do not start another take on it until the damaged file has been copied.
- 2
Copy the affected AIFF or AIFC to a computer drive and keep the card version as the reference you never modify.
- 3
Record the sample rate, bit depth and channel count from the recorder menu, since a raw import needs them plus big-endian byte order.
- 4
Fix the FORM, COMM and SSND sizes on the copy with a wave repair tool, or import the copy as big-endian raw audio.
Do not run a repair function against the file that is still on the card, and do not let the recorder format or check the card after the failure. Either action can shorten the take to the length the broken header claims, and the discarded samples do not come back.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
This is a repair job on a copy, not a recovery from the card, so a wave editor does the work. File Recovery Hero reads exFAT cards and exports the files it finds; it does not correct a truncated AIFF header or reconstruct AIFC compression settings.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
The repaired copy should play continuously up to the moment the recording broke off and then end cleanly, without clicks, doubled channels or a sudden change in speed. A wrong speed or swapped channels means the sample rate or the channel count in COMM does not match what the recorder wrote.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can exFAT audio media be recovered in this situation?+
The take is present on the card but behaves as if it were empty: zero length, an error message, or only the first moments playing back. AIFF stores its sizes in the FORM header, in COMM and in SSND, and those fields are written when a recording closes normally. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not run a repair function against the file that is still on the card, and do not let the recorder format or check the card after the failure.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
The repaired copy should play continuously up to the moment the recording broke off and then end cleanly, without clicks, doubled channels or a sudden change in speed.