Cameras · Sony XAVC card with SUB proxies
Sony proxy files remain but main XAVC clips are missing
Can Sony main clips be recovered from proxy references?
Short answer
Not from the proxies themselves: the files in M4ROOT/SUB are small, low-quality copies without the full main payload. They are still useful as a map of names and recording times. Keep the card unchanged, recover the main MP4 containers from the card independently, and check each one at full resolution before relying on it.
The situation
Small proxy files remain under M4ROOT/SUB while main files in CLIP are absent.
The files under M4ROOT/SUB are small recording-time copies, not a compressed version of the original that something could expand. What they do give you is an exact map, because each proxy shares its name and timestamp with the main take that belonged in CLIP.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
The camera writes proxy and main file in one operation but as two separate objects, so anything that removes the large files can spare the small ones entirely: an ingest tool set to move instead of copy, a partial delete, a damaged directory. The main MP4 data usually still occupies its freed clusters, and the proxy tells you which clip name and running time a complete result must show.
Proxies help identify names and times but do not contain the full-quality main payload.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Secure the SUB folder first by copying the proxies to a computer; they are small and saving them takes moments.
- 2
Build a list of proxy names with their durations so you can see afterwards which main take is still unaccounted for.
- 3
Put the untouched card in a reader and scan it read-only for the main MP4 files across the entire volume.
- 4
Export what comes back to a separate drive and match each take to its proxy by name and length before relinking the edit.
Do not relink the timeline to the proxies and treat the matter as settled, and do not clear them off the card to make room. Above all, stop recording on that card while main takes are still missing, because one new clip claims a large stretch of free space.
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.
Full quality exists only in the main file, and nothing can be reconstructed out of a proxy. File Recovery Hero reads exFAT and FAT media read-only and scans for supported containers; it cannot bring back a take whose clusters were reused, nor repair an MP4 that returned incomplete.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A main file is back when it opens at full recording resolution rather than proxy resolution and runs for the duration its proxy shows. Check bitrate and audio channels too: a real main take is far larger per minute, and a result matching the proxy in size is simply another proxy.
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 XAVC card with SUB proxies be recovered in this situation?+
The files under M4ROOT/SUB are small recording-time copies, not a compressed version of the original that something could expand. What they do give you is an exact map, because each proxy shares its name and timestamp with the main take that belonged in CLIP. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not relink the timeline to the proxies and treat the matter as settled, and do not clear them off the card to make room.
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 main file is back when it opens at full recording resolution rather than proxy resolution and runs for the duration its proxy shows.