Video · spanned exFAT camera card
split MP4 recording: recover after deletion
How can I recover spanned or split MP4 clip segments after deletion?
Short answer
Yes, often, but only as a complete set: cameras split long recordings into chapters of at most 4 GB, and each chapter is its own MP4. Stop recording, take out the card and list the sequential filenames you expect before scanning read-only. A missing middle chapter leaves a gap that no joining tool can fill.
The situation
spanned or split MP4 clip segments no longer appears in its recording folder even though the storage device is still detected.
One recording, several files. Cameras close a chapter and open the next when a size limit is reached, so deleting a take removed a numbered series of MP4 files, and the take is only usable again when every number in the series comes back.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Long recordings are divided because file systems and camera firmware set an upper size per file, commonly 4 GB, which is also the hard limit on FAT32 volumes. Each chapter is a self-contained MP4 with its own index. Deleting frees all of them at once on exFAT, and the blocks stay readable until new footage lands on top.
Deletion can release a directory reference before later writes reuse every block that belonged to the file. For split MP4 recording, this matters because long recordings may be divided by device rules and require every segment in the right order
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 recording on the card straight away; a new take is written in the same chapter sizes and covers the deleted series fast.
- 2
Write down the expected filenames or numbers from the camera display or the shot list, so gaps become visible later.
- 3
Scan the exFAT card read-only with File Recovery Hero and export all chapters of the take to one folder on another drive.
- 4
Sort the exports by name and size, then join them in numerical order with a tool that concatenates without re-encoding.
Do not join chapters before the full set is exported, and do not delete a recovered file because it looks like a duplicate of another. Chapters of one take are similar in size by design, and discarding one leaves a gap nothing can fill.
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 recovers files from readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 media read-only; it does not join chapters or rebuild a missing segment. A chapter whose blocks were already reused returns incomplete, and the take stays interrupted at that point.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Count the chapters against the list you wrote down. Each full chapter should sit close to the split size, with only the last one shorter. After joining, the total duration must match the recorded take, and the seams between chapters should play without a freeze or a jump in audio.
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 spanned exFAT camera card be recovered in this situation?+
One recording, several files. Cameras close a chapter and open the next when a size limit is reached, so deleting a take removed a numbered series of MP4 files, and the take is only usable again when every number in the series comes back. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not join chapters before the full set is exported, and do not delete a recovered file because it looks like a duplicate of another.
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?+
Count the chapters against the list you wrote down.