Video · Canon exFAT memory card
Canon XFVC: find after an import failure
Where are Canon XFVC clips and matching DAT extents after a failed import?
Short answer
First check whether the import copied both parts of each clip: an XFVC recording is only usable when the MP4 header and its matching DAT data arrive together. Look in destination, trash and project folders, keep the original order, and scan the unused card read-only if parts are missing on both sides.
The situation
Canon XFVC clips and matching DAT extents is incomplete at the destination and no longer appears reliably on the source.
An XFVC clip is only usable when both of its parts arrive, so a partial import can leave you with headers at the destination and their media data still on the card, or the reverse. Check what each side holds before you decide anything is lost.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Import routines that copy file by file can finish a small MP4 header quickly and then fail on the much larger media extent, or copy the folder structure while skipping files the software did not recognise. If the tool then cleared the card, the two halves of a clip end up on different sides of the transfer.
Move, rename, catalog and delete-after-import steps can fail at different moments and leave source and destination in different states. For Canon XFVC, this matters because the MP4 header and recorded media extent may need to be matched by size and card layout
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Stop the import and leave the card in the reader without writing to it while you take stock of both sides.
- 2
Compare the destination against the card folder by folder, and confirm that every header has its matching media extent.
- 3
Search the trash and the project media folder, then scan the untouched card read-only if parts are missing on both sides.
- 4
Recover to a third drive, keep the original folder order intact, and only then rebuild the clips in your editing software.
Do not copy the destination folder back onto the card to repair the structure, and do not reformat the card because the file count looked right. Deleting what seem to be stray headers or media files at the target is just as risky; they are halves of a clip.
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.
Scanning applies to the camera card, which is exFAT. A destination on APFS, HFS+ or ext4 is outside what File Recovery Hero reads, so recover that side from the trash, a backup or a snapshot, and reassemble Canon clips yourself.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A clip has arrived completely when its media extent matches the size on the card byte for byte and the header opens it at the expected length. Play each imported clip to the end in your editor; one that stops early is missing part of the extent.
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 Canon exFAT memory card be recovered in this situation?+
An XFVC clip is only usable when both of its parts arrive, so a partial import can leave you with headers at the destination and their media data still on the card, or the reverse. Check what each side holds before you decide anything is lost. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not copy the destination folder back onto the card to repair the structure, and do not reformat the card because the file count looked right.
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?+
A clip has arrived completely when its media extent matches the size on the card byte for byte and the header opens it at the expected length.