Video · Sony exFAT memory card
Sony XAVC S/HS: recover after an interrupted recording
What can I do with XAVC clips from M4ROOT after a recording interruption?
Short answer
First keep an untouched copy of the card: a take cut off by a dead battery usually has its XAVC video data but lacks the closing MP4 index, and the M4ROOT database may be out of step. Repair only a duplicate, using an intact clip recorded in the same XAVC mode as reference.
The situation
XAVC clips from M4ROOT is missing, too short or unreadable after power loss, a card error or an unsafe stop.
A take that ends with a dead battery or a card error leaves the camera no chance to close the clip or update its database. The XAVC picture data written up to that second is on the card; the finishing structures are not.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Two things are out of step after an unsafe stop. The MP4 itself lacks the closing index that maps samples to time, and the M4ROOT management files still describe a recording that never ended. That is why the camera may show an error, offer to repair the card, or simply hide the clip altogether.
The payload may have been written before duration fields, indexes, directory entries or closing structures were committed. For Sony XAVC S/HS, this matters because originals, proxies and management files may occupy different M4ROOT locations
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 camera's repair prompt, switch it off and remove the card before anything is written back into M4ROOT.
- 2
Make a full copy or an image of the card, and use that duplicate for every repair attempt that follows.
- 3
Film a short reference clip in exactly the same XAVC mode on a spare card, so a repair tool has matching parameters.
- 4
Rebuild the interrupted clip on the copy, then store the result and the untouched original on separate drives.
Do not let the camera restore the recording database, and do not open the broken clip in an editor that offers to fix it in place. A reference clip in a different XAVC mode or frame rate will produce a repaired file with the wrong timing.
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 repair is not part of what File Recovery Hero does; it recovers lost files from exFAT, NTFS and FAT cards and raw images, always read-only. An interrupted take needs a repair tool on a copy, and material the camera never wrote is gone for good.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A repaired take reports a duration matching how long you were actually rolling, opens in Catalyst Browse or your editor without complaint, and plays through without freezing near the end. Check that the frame rate and resolution match the mode you set, not the reference clip by accident.
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 memory card be recovered in this situation?+
A take that ends with a dead battery or a card error leaves the camera no chance to close the clip or update its database. The XAVC picture data written up to that second is on the card; the finishing structures are not. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let the camera restore the recording database, and do not open the broken clip in an editor that offers to fix it in place.
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 repaired take reports a duration matching how long you were actually rolling, opens in Catalyst Browse or your editor without complaint, and plays through without freezing near the end.