Video · professional exFAT card structure
MXF with sidecar files: find after an import failure
Where are MXF clips with XML and metadata sidecars after a failed import?
Short answer
First check whether files were copied without their card structure: an editor may refuse MXF clips whose XML or clip-list sidecars stayed behind. Search destination and trash, then copy the complete card structure rather than isolated clips. If media is missing on the card as well, scan it read-only.
The situation
MXF clips with XML and metadata sidecars is incomplete at the destination and no longer appears reliably on the source.
The clips may be at the destination and still unusable. Copying selected MXF files without the surrounding card folders leaves the editor without the XML and clip lists it uses to identify a take, which looks exactly like missing media.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
An import can fail in the middle of a multi-step job: essence copied, sidecars skipped, catalog written, source cleared. Dragging clips out of their folder tree by hand causes the same symptom without any error message. The result is a destination that holds media the project cannot link, and a card whose original layout no longer exists.
Move, rename, catalog and delete-after-import steps can fail at different moments and leave source and destination in different states. For MXF with sidecar files, this matters because some NLE workflows rely on clip lists, XML or directory context in addition to readable essence
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 ingest and leave the card untouched until the destination has been checked; a retry may clear the source.
- 2
Look for the clips at the destination, in the trash and in the project media folder, and check whether the card folder tree came along.
- 3
Copy the complete card structure from its top level rather than individual MXF files, and only scan read-only if essence is missing on the card too.
- 4
Place the copied tree on a drive of its own and let the editing system ingest it as a card volume, not as loose files.
Do not delete the card after an import you have not verified, and do not reorganize or rename recovered files into a folder of your own. Both destroy the relationship between essence and descriptor that the editing system needs to relink the take.
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 recovers files from readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 media and raw images on macOS and Windows. It cannot rebuild an editing project, regenerate XML a copy left behind, or read APFS or ext4 volumes. Scanning is free; exporting needs the 50 € license.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A good result relinks. Import the copied structure and confirm the editor shows each clip with its camera name, duration and reel rather than as an offline item. Spot-check the longest take end to end, because a truncated copy still relinks and only fails during playback.
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 professional exFAT card structure be recovered in this situation?+
The clips may be at the destination and still unusable. Copying selected MXF files without the surrounding card folders leaves the editor without the XML and clip lists it uses to identify a take, which looks exactly like missing media. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not delete the card after an import you have not verified, and do not reorganize or rename recovered files into a folder of your own.
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 good result relinks.