Video · exFAT video card
MP4 mdat without moov: recover after deletion
How can I recover video payload with missing MP4 metadata after deletion?
Short answer
Often only partly: a scan can find the large mdat block with the video frames, but without the moov index the clip will not play. Stop recording and remove the card. After a read-only recovery, rebuild the index on a copy, using an intact reference clip recorded with identical settings.
The situation
video payload with missing MP4 metadata no longer appears in its recording folder even though the storage device is still detected.
Two problems overlap on this card. The file was deleted, so its directory entry is gone, and the recording itself never received the moov index that tells a player where each frame sits inside the large mdat block. Recovery addresses the first problem only.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Deletion on exFAT releases the reference and nothing more; the mdat payload stays in place until new footage claims those blocks. Because the clip already lacked its index, a scanner finds a long run of video data rather than a complete MP4. Files in that state are usually reported with an approximate size and will not open after export.
Deletion can release a directory reference before later writes reuse every block that belonged to the file. For MP4 mdat without moov, this matters because a large mdat can contain frames while the moov structure needed for playback is missing
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 recording on the card at once and remove it, because an mdat block is large and new footage overwrites it quickly.
- 2
Find an intact clip recorded with the same camera, resolution, codec and frame rate, and keep it aside as a reference.
- 3
Scan the exFAT card read-only with File Recovery Hero and export the raw video data to a separate drive.
- 4
Work on a duplicate of the export and let a container repair tool rebuild the index from the reference clip.
Do not try to make the file playable by renaming it or changing its extension, and do not run a repair directly on the card. The recovered payload is the only remaining copy of those frames, and an in-place rewrite can destroy it.
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.
File Recovery Hero exports the data it finds on readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT media read-only and does not build a moov atom or repair an MP4 container. Blocks already reused by new recordings return incomplete. Scanning is free, export needs the 50 € license.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Judge the export by size first: a recovered mdat should be roughly as large as a complete recording of that length. After the index rebuild, the clip must open, show a plausible duration, and play past the halfway point. A file that opens but reports a few seconds still lacks a correct index.
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 video card be recovered in this situation?+
Two problems overlap on this card. The file was deleted, so its directory entry is gone, and the recording itself never received the moov index that tells a player where each frame sits inside the large mdat block. Recovery addresses the first problem only. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not try to make the file playable by renaming it or changing its extension, and do not run a repair directly on the card.
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?+
Judge the export by size first: a recovered mdat should be roughly as large as a complete recording of that length.