Audio · exFAT multitrack recorder card
RF64 long recording: recover after deletion
How can I recover RF64 files beyond the classic WAV limit after deletion?
Short answer
Yes, possibly, but act fast: RF64 takes exceed the classic 4 GB WAV limit, so one file covers a long stretch of the card that any new recording can break. Stop recording and scan read-only right away. Note the expected duration and channel count to confirm the recovered file is the full length.
The situation
RF64 files beyond the classic WAV limit no longer appears in its recording folder even though the storage device is still detected.
The card still mounts and the recorder folder opens, but the long take is gone from the listing. On an exFAT card that means the directory entry was released, while the audio blocks are most likely still there, unclaimed, until the recorder writes a new take over them.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Deleting a take on the recorder removes its entry from the exFAT directory and marks its clusters free; the sample data itself is untouched at that moment. An RF64 take is unusual because it passes the 4 GB RIFF limit and stores its real sizes in the ds64 chunk, so a single file can cover a very large, contiguous stretch of the card that the next recording will claim first.
Deletion can release a directory reference before later writes reuse every block that belonged to the file. For RF64 long recording, this matters because ds64 fields describe very large data lengths and can make an intact take appear short when damaged
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 recorder immediately, power it down and eject the card; do not let it write a new file or rebuild its index.
- 2
Write down the take number, the expected running time and the channel count from the sound report before those details get confused.
- 3
Attach the card through a reader on macOS or Windows and run a read-only scan; decline every offer to check or fix the volume.
- 4
Export the found RF64 file to a different drive, then open it in software that reads ds64 and confirm the full duration.
Do not record a test file on the same card to see whether it still works, and do not let a repair tool write to it. Each new write can land inside the gigabytes the deleted take occupied, and no later scan brings back a block that has been overwritten.
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 the exFAT card read-only and can export what it finds, but it does not repair a damaged RF64 header or rebuild a take whose blocks are gone. The scan is free; an export needs the 50 EUR license and must go to another drive.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A usable result opens at the expected sample rate and channel count and plays without a gap to the last second you noted. Check the duration in an editor that understands ds64: if the length stops far short of the sound report, part of the take was already overwritten.
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 multitrack recorder card be recovered in this situation?+
The card still mounts and the recorder folder opens, but the long take is gone from the listing. On an exFAT card that means the directory entry was released, while the audio blocks are most likely still there, unclaimed, until the recorder writes a new take over them. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not record a test file on the same card to see whether it still works, and do not let a repair tool write to it.
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 usable result opens at the expected sample rate and channel count and plays without a gap to the last second you noted.