Cameras · Sony exFAT video card
Recover deleted Sony video without changing M4ROOT
How do I recover deleted Sony camera videos?
Short answer
Often yes, as long as M4ROOT stays untouched: losing Sony's management database does not erase the MP4 containers of XAVC clips. Do not let the camera repair its database, and scan the exFAT card read-only for MP4. Sony XAVC S and HS support is tested on reference files; not every camera model has been verified yet.
The situation
XAVC clips are missing from M4ROOT or no longer appear in camera playback.
On a Sony card the clips and the catalogue are two different things. MP4 containers hold the XAVC video, while M4ROOT keeps management files that only describe them. A camera showing an empty clip list has usually lost the catalogue, not the recordings underneath it.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
The usual trigger is a card pulled during writing, a battery that died mid-recording, or a clip deleted through the camera menu. Sony then offers to restore its database, which rewrites management files onto the card. The MP4 assets in M4ROOT/CLIP normally survive that, but every new write shrinks the free space a deleted clip is still lying in.
The MP4 assets and Sony management files have different roles; losing the database does not automatically erase each container.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Decline the database repair the camera offers, switch the body off, and remove the card before anything further is written to it.
- 2
Copy the remaining M4ROOT tree to a computer exactly as it stands, so folder layout and proxy files are documented before any scan.
- 3
Scan the exFAT card read-only for MP4 with the XAVC profile, keeping the directory context that links main clips to their proxies.
- 4
Export to another drive and check each clip in Catalyst Browse or your editor against the clip names you expected to find.
Do not let the camera rebuild its image database, reformat the card, or record a short test clip to see whether the slot still works. Each of those writes into M4ROOT, and an overwritten management area can bury the clip you are missing.
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.
Sony XAVC S and HS support is tested against reference files, and not every camera model has been verified yet. File Recovery Hero reads the card read-only and exports clips; it does not rebuild Sony management databases or repair a recording that was cut off.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A clip counts as good when it plays to its expected length with audio and timecode, and when frame size and codec match what the camera was set to record. Compare the recovered clip names with the last numbers in M4ROOT/CLIP to see whether a take is still absent.
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 Sony exFAT video card be recovered in this situation?+
On a Sony card the clips and the catalogue are two different things. MP4 containers hold the XAVC video, while M4ROOT keeps management files that only describe them. A camera showing an empty clip list has usually lost the catalogue, not the recordings underneath it. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let the camera rebuild its image database, reformat the card, or record a short test clip to see whether the slot still works.
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 counts as good when it plays to its expected length with audio and timecode, and when frame size and codec match what the camera was set to record.