# Corrupt Quicktime-files after crash



## arri (Nov 20, 2003)

Does anyone know of a way to fix quicktime-files that are broken because during the recording-phase the recording application did quit?

i encountered this problem several times with different apps..
recording the output of a live-performance app, or grabbbing live input from a video-camera, and then the app. crashes,
then i'm stuck with quicktimes of gigabytes,
but useless because they're missing headers or something.

there must be a way to fix this

anyone?


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## Trip (Nov 20, 2003)

I'm not 100% sure on this, so don't go on my word alone: but I think you may be runninng out of disk space? From the sounds of it. But I'm not sure, I don't work with things like this, sorry.


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## arri (Nov 20, 2003)

plenty of disk space, just a crashing application.

what i need to know:
is there a way to fix those broken files?
a way to fix headers or something i guess


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## videoamp (Nov 28, 2008)

Hey -
I have the same problem.  Scoured the net looking for answers.
Found a pay site, I think from barcelona, cant really afford that.
let me know if you find a solution!
thanks
sk


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Nov 29, 2008)

They've been waiting 5 years for an answer (look at the post dates).  I think they either found a solution, or didn't -- either way, I don't think expecting them to answer you back after 5 years is reasonable.

If a process crashes in the middle of creating a Quicktime video, and the resulting Quicktime video is corrupt, I don't think there's much you can do about that -- much like picking up a half-finished letter that someone was writing and expecting to be able to figure out, word-for-word, the other half of the letter they didn't write.  It's just impossible -- you can't "make up" the missing data.

If you application crashing mid-way through the creating process, or does the process completely finish, and then the application quits?


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## arri (Nov 29, 2008)

5 years and indeed no (definite) solution.

as a programmer i've gained alot of knowledge on this subject, and in the mean time i've been able to fix some corrupt files.
generally, IF a fix is possible, it's still alot of work to get it done. and already trying to find-out if it's worth the trouble takes a considerable amount of time.

it all comes down to manually (re)constructing the missing file headers that describe the data contained in the file. this can be more or less difficult depending on several things, such as the codecs used, or if/what you alreay know about the data in the file.
in any case it's a lot of work, which justifies the high price commercial companies ask for recovery of such files.

those 'headers' are usually referred to as movie 'atoms'.
they only get written at the end of the file, and personally, i'm wondering if this is not just a major flaw in the design of the qtmovie-file format, but i lack the knowledge to solidly motivate this.

in short, anyone who manages to develop one solid solution for recovery of all such corrupt files, is probably a very good programmer, but definitely will be able to make good money out of it


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## Doctor X (Dec 29, 2008)

[Idiot posted here.--Ed.]


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## AeroQ (Feb 14, 2009)

Hello,

There's a solution for this now.

http://aeroquartet.com/movierepair/

Just download the free app called Treasured.

Regards, BJ


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