Audio · exFAT recorder card
PCM WAV: find after an import failure
Where are PCM WAV recordings after a failed import?
Short answer
First compare file sizes: a WAV cut off during import keeps a header promising the full length, so the copy may look complete but stop early. Search the destination, trash and DAW project folders, then copy again from the card. Scan the unused card read-only only if the takes are no longer on it.
The situation
PCM WAV recordings is incomplete at the destination and no longer appears reliably on the source.
A WAV cut off during transfer is deceptive: its header still promises the full length, so file listings and session displays show the original duration while playback stops early. Compare byte sizes with the card, because the header on its own tells you nothing about what actually arrived.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Import routines copy, verify and sometimes move the takes, and a break between those steps leaves a partial file behind. With PCM the header is written first, carrying the size fields taken from the source, so the truncated copy claims a duration it cannot deliver. The card itself is untouched unless the ingest deleted sources.
Move, rename, catalog and delete-after-import steps can fail at different moments and leave source and destination in different states. For PCM WAV, this matters because RIFF, fmt and data chunks describe channels, sample rate and payload length
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, disconnect the card and make sure no delete-after-import step runs across the session again.
- 2
Compare the takes on the card with the destination folder, the trash and the DAW project folder by byte size.
- 3
Copy the short or missing takes again in the file manager, onto a drive with enough free space.
- 4
Play every new copy to its final second and relink the session to the complete files.
Do not edit, normalise or convert the truncated copies: once processed they look like proper takes, and the card may be wiped afterwards. Do not reformat the card to give the import a clean start while any take is still incomplete.
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 reads exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 media read-only and recovers takes that are gone from the card; it does not extend a copy that stopped mid-transfer and does not correct its header. While the takes remain on the card, copying again is the reliable route.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Card and destination have to agree byte for byte, and the copy must play right to the end instead of stopping where the transfer did. Compare the audible length with the header duration: if playback ends early while the player still shows the full time, the file is truncated.
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 recorder card be recovered in this situation?+
A WAV cut off during transfer is deceptive: its header still promises the full length, so file listings and session displays show the original duration while playback stops early. Compare byte sizes with the card, because the header on its own tells you nothing about what actually arrived. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not edit, normalise or convert the truncated copies: once processed they look like proper takes, and the card may be wiped afterwards.
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?+
Card and destination have to agree byte for byte, and the copy must play right to the end instead of stopping where the transfer did.