Cameras · Canon XFVC exFAT card
Recover Canon XFVC clips when MP4 metadata and media differ
How can deleted Canon XFVC clips be reconstructed?
Short answer
Only by matching two parts: on some Canon cameras the MP4 entry holds the header while the video data sits in a separate DAT mdat extent. Recovery pairs them using size and placement evidence with a Canon-specific profile. Accept a clip only after exact size, container, stream and full-demux checks all pass.
The situation
An MP4 entry remains but its logically related video data cannot be copied as one ordinary file.
This is not an ordinary deleted-file case. On these Canon cards one MP4 entry holds the header while the picture data lives in a separate DAT extent, so copying the visible file leaves you with metadata and almost no video behind it.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
XFVC splits a recording across two places on the card. The MP4 side carries the box structure that describes the clip, and the mdat payload sits in a DAT file that the file system treats as unrelated. Once the directory entries are gone, nothing ties the halves together. Reconstruction therefore works from evidence: the declared size, the placement of the extent, and whether the joined result decodes.
Some Canon structures require matching the MP4 header with a corresponding DAT mdat extent using size and placement evidence.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Leave the card exactly as it is, including folders that still look intact, because their layout is evidence for pairing header and data.
- 2
Copy nothing by hand yet: a manual copy of the MP4 entry produces a file that looks valid and carries no usable picture.
- 3
Run the read-only scan with the Canon XFVC profile, so header and DAT extent are matched by size and position instead of by name.
- 4
Export the paired result to another disk and demux it completely, checking that video and audio run the whole declared duration.
Do not reformat or reinitialise the card in the camera to make it readable again, and do not move or rename the remaining clip folders. Avoid accepting a clip because its first seconds play, since a mismatched pairing often starts cleanly and then breaks.
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.
Pairing works where the DAT extent is still present and contiguous; when part of it has been overwritten, the clip stays incomplete and no remux changes that. File Recovery Hero reads the exFAT card read-only and exports the result, and it repairs no damaged video file.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Accept a reconstructed clip only when four things agree: the file size matches what the header declares, the container parses without errors, every expected stream is present, and a full demux runs from the first frame to the last without dropping out.
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 XFVC exFAT card be recovered in this situation?+
This is not an ordinary deleted-file case. On these Canon cards one MP4 entry holds the header while the picture data lives in a separate DAT extent, so copying the visible file leaves you with metadata and almost no video behind it. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not reformat or reinitialise the card in the camera to make it readable again, and do not move or rename the remaining clip folders.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.