Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/234499-Steps-to-repair-a-partially...

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Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

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Thread: Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header. Thread Tools Thread
17th Feb 2006 09:21

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#1

torrentcrazy
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chillin' somewhere

Are you stuck with a partially downloaded .avi file that neither AviPreview nor your favorite bad a#% media players will open? A missing header is probably the cause. Seriously sucks . The following steps may make it so that you can play the partially downloaded .avi that has a missing or corrupt header. Tools needed: AviRepair - http://www.pk3.org/Astro/Downloads/AVIRepair.zip DivFix - http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=DivFix SlideShowMovieMaker - http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=Slide_Show_Movie_Maker You need to know the specs of the video you tried to download. Resolution - It may still work if you guess a resolution that is larger than the one of your partial .avi: explanation in Step 1 below Codec - Either Divx or Xvid. I haven't tried it with other codecs. Framerate - If you don't know the framerate, you might get lucky by guessing with standard framerates e.g. NTSC(29.97fps) or PAL(25fps) depending on which Country the movie is from. Important: Before you do anything to the file, make a backup of it (copy and paste). If the .avi is a partial file from emule, make a copy of the .part file corresponding to your download. You can then change the extension on the copy from .part to .avi and perform the following steps on that file. Alright here it goes: 1) Use SlideShowMovieMaker to create a .avi with the same specs as the movie you tried to download. Other .avi creaters will work also, but SSMM is free and easy. Note: If you already have another .avi file with the same specs as your partially downloaded file, you can skip this 1st step and use that .avi in the next step -Open SSMM and go to the Wizard -You can select multiple .jpegs for your slideshow or use only one -Set the the time to show each pic so that the video will be at least 20 sec. -Choose a place to save the output -Click Finish instead of creating the file (you do want to change settings). -Go to Project -> Project Settings -For Project Settings, you only need to change the framerate & resolution -Set framerate and resolution to match your partially downloaded .avi -Making a guess of a resolution larger than the partially downloaded avi MIGHT be watchable(it would add black borders but still work). -Making a guess of a framerate for NTSC or Pal might get you a match -Outputting the slide show will not take long so you can test different values if you don't know the specs of your partially downloaded avi. -Close Project Settings and click Start Creation on the main screen. -Choose the codec to match the codec of your partially downloaded file -Choose the audio codec to match also.(I've only tried with .mp3 audio) -Click Start Creation. SSMM will create the .avi slideshow of your jpegs. 2) Use AviRepair and your slideshow .avi file to patch the missing header in your partially downloaded .avi file. -Open AviRepair and select your slideshow .avi as the source. -Be careful that you open it as the source. -Select your partially downloaded .avi as the corrupted file. -The patching is instant. But the .avi is not quite ready for viewing yet.

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18/09/2013 11:12

Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/234499-Steps-to-repair-a-partially...

3)Use DivFix to make your newly patched .avi file viewable. This is the last step. After DivFix rebuilds the index, your .avi file should work. -Open DivFix -Click Add Files to add the partially downloaded .avi that you just patched. -You could drag n drop the file instead. -Check the box for Keep original file (in case of a mishaps) -Check the box for Cut out bad parts (this is what fixes the file) -Where you see the disk icon at the top, choose a place to save the output -Click on Rebuild Index and wait for it to churn out a working .avi file. -That's it If your media player will open the .avi, but it plays garbled, then run it through DivFix to rebuild the index again. This shouldn't be neccessary though. The above steps should work for partial .avi files dowloaded from emule, bittorrent, etc. Why did I mess around with this? Cuz I'm not only torrent crazy, but also addicted to downloading "rare" files from emule. Some of those files are never gonna show up as complete. Keywords: .avi with missing header, no header in .avi
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9th Dec 2006 23:08 #2

mkumar_20xx
Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: India

Awesome technique , this steps really works for me. Thanks good work.

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10th Dec 2006 03:05 #3

guns1inger
Always Watching

If the original file source was a DVD movie then the framerate for NTSC is more likely to be 23.976

Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Miskatonic U

Read my blog here.

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13th May 2009 13:38 #4

Leo Reiss
Member
Join Date: May 2009 Location: Brazil

Thank you very much! After some trys, I did it! The video was encoded with vc-1 wmv3. The only solution that worked was to create a file with about the same duration of the original avi using the SlideShowMovieMaker. With files of diferent durations it didn't work. Luckly I had some informations about the file because it's an episode of anime and was encoded like the previous episodes (but to use the header of the other episodes didn't work) And SSMovieMaker has a bug. The time you put in the Wizard is calculated like you were using 25 fps. In my case the file was 119.880 fps, so I'd to divide 119.880 by 25 and multiplicate the result by the duration. But thanks, thanks, thanks!! *and sorry by my bad english*
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6th Aug 2009 23:58

#5

videoquestion
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States

Is there a similar process for repairing a truncated mp4 video file?

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8th Dec 2009 05:38 #6

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18/09/2013 11:12

Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/234499-Steps-to-repair-a-partially...

dtrieb
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Germany

hi, i've found out a way that's more easier and should work with all types of video files: You need 1. the corrupted file 2. a second, similar, correct working videofile which might have the same spec's as header (e.g. another episode of the same anime series encoded equal..). now take a simple file splitter/merger like 'Split Files 1.5': http://www.altarsoft.com /split_files.shtml?action=download or 'JR Split File': http://www.convertjunction.com/download/jsplit.zip (both freeware, thx!) and split both files in parts of e.g. 2 MB (even at least the lenght of the appropriated new header so not too short!). Replace the first part of the corrupted file with the first of the working file by changing the filename of this part. Merge the corrupted file parts (with the first part of the working file instead of the corrupted file's first part as new replaced header), now cut out more missing videoparts with divFix++ and that's it! (I've tried it out with 'split files 1,5' several times now and it always works fine...) Caution: You only can do it with a 'simple' file splitter/merger, a normal video splitter puts a new header at the beginning of each splitted part so it does not work... ps: recovering missing video information by opening videofiles/parts and replacing lost data in an normal editor like windows notepad also might be a procedure in case of really severe bugs without success by using previously written methods, but i have'nt tried it out yet... gr33+z ;D}-{
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14th Feb 2011 12:10

#7

bolinboy
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK

If you are unsure of the details of your corrupted AVI, then I suggest you use GSpot, as it seems to still correctly identify framerate/aspect and audio information, even when the header is missing.

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27th Jul 2011 09:25 #8

pmoreira
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011

Hello, I have an avi that I made using Speedy video capture. For some reason this video did not opened with WMP but I followed the steps here and I sort of got it to work. It works but It's very zoomed in and a bit low quality but that's ok, I can see only top 1/4 of the screen, I've tried many options with SSMM37 but to now effect. I've also tried using AVI repair with a good file created using the same program, but the image stays garbled in the diagonal. In SSMM37 if I change the size from any other than 640x480 the image stays garbled in the diagonal. I've also tried the technique of splitting the files, replacing the first 1/2 of a good file saved using also speedy and the bad one. It works but after the first few seconds of good film it goes garbled just like the in the result above. I've also tried having VirtualDub fixing the index, also garbled. I'm out of options here, the fact that I manage to get 1/4 of the screen area in a avi that I can see tells me that the damaged file has the data there, but I am unable to fix it. I would appreciate any help, as this is a very important file that I cannot replicate. Thanks
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30th Jun 2012 01:20

#9

XenonRT
Member

I FUCKING LOVE YOU, SIR. I just got done recording a 2-hour or so block of video for my Let's Plays and ended up staring at a broken file out of Hypercam 3. This guide plus a little finagling with VDubMod or whatever its called just rescued me from re-recording the last two hours of my life. You sir, are a godsend. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GUIDE. TuT

Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Connecticut, USA

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18/09/2013 11:12

Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/234499-Steps-to-repair-a-partially...

Click above to go to my YouTube channel! Thanks for checkin' it out!

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20th Jun 2013 18:25 #10

torrentcrazy
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chillin' somewhere

Originally Posted by pmoreira

Hello, I have an avi that I made using Speedy video capture. For some reason this video did not opened with WMP but I followed the steps here and I sort of got it to work. It works but It's very zoomed in and a bit low quality but that's ok, I can see only top 1/4 of the screen, I've tried many options with SSMM37 but to now effect. I've also tried using AVI repair with a good file created using the same program, but the image stays garbled in the diagonal. In SSMM37 if I change the size from any other than 640x480 the image stays garbled in the diagonal. I've also tried the technique of splitting the files, replacing the first 1/2 of a good file saved using also speedy and the bad one. It works but after the first few seconds of good film it goes garbled just like the in the result above. I've also tried having VirtualDub fixing the index, also garbled. I'm out of options here, the fact that I manage to get 1/4 of the screen area in a avi that I can see tells me that the damaged file has the data there, but I am unable to fix it. I would appreciate any help, as this is a very important file that I cannot replicate. Thanks

The fact that you get a picture but it's messed up (zoomed and/or garbled) means that either a) you must use the exact dimensions of the corrupt video when creating a file to use for repair, b) the garbled part of the video is missing or corrupt itself (not just the header) and there is nothing you can do about that (the video data isn't there to fix to begin with, or c) you might try another player besides WMP, try VLC or media player classic (mpc-hc). I've noticed that sometimes VLC will play videos that are garbled in other players. It's worth a shot. Sorry I couldn't help further.
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20th Jun 2013 18:28 #11

torrentcrazy
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chillin' somewhere

Originally Posted by XenonRT

I FUCKING LOVE YOU, SIR. I just got done recording a 2-hour or so block of video for my Let's Plays and ended up staring at a broken file out of Hypercam 3. This guide plus a little finagling with VDubMod or whatever its called just rescued me from re-recording the last two hours of my life. You sir, are a godsend. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GUIDE. TuT

Thanks for the enthusiastic feedback. I'd forgotten about this thread a long time ago, but recently ran into some more video trouble so decided to check it for reference. Glad this guide helped you and a few others!
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20th Jun 2013 18:36 #12

torrentcrazy
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chillin' somewhere

Originally Posted by dtrieb

hi, i've found out a way that's more easier and should work with all types of video files: You need 1. the corrupted file 2. a second, similar, correct working videofile which might have the same spec's as header (e.g. another episode of the same anime series encoded equal..). now take a simple file splitter/merger like 'Split Files 1.5': http://www.altarsoft.com /split_files.shtml?action=download or 'JR Split File': http://www.convertjunction.com/download /jsplit.zip (both freeware, thx!) and split both files in parts of e.g. 2 MB (even at least the

4 of 6

18/09/2013 11:12

Steps to repair a partially downloaded .avi that has a missing header.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/234499-Steps-to-repair-a-partially...

lenght of the appropriated new header so not too short!). Replace the first part of the corrupted file with the first of the working file by changing the filename of this part. Merge the corrupted file parts (with the first part of the working file instead of the corrupted file's first part as new replaced header), now cut out more missing videoparts with divFix++ and that's it! (I've tried it out with 'split files 1,5' several times now and it always works fine...) Caution: You only can do it with a 'simple' file splitter/merger, a normal video splitter puts a new header at the beginning of each splitted part so it does not work... ps: recovering missing video information by opening videofiles/parts and replacing lost data in an normal editor like windows notepad also might be a procedure in case of really severe bugs without success by using previously written methods, but i have'nt tried it out yet... gr33+z ;D}-{

This is indeed a much easier solution. Those with corrupted or missing header video files, you all should try this approach first. It's quicker, less complicated and accomplishes the same results in replacing the header and getting the video to play. Bonus is that it may work with other video formats like the dreaded corrupt .mp4 that no seems to be able to fix. I just tried it on a corrupt .mp4 that none of the freeware video repair solutions could fix. It didn't get the video to play all the way, but it at least opened up with the first working segment having replaced the first corrupted segment. I don't think both of my files were the same specs (the working video had smaller dimensions and possibly a different framerate). No time to tweak and play with it more right now, but I will continue to see if I can get the damaged .mp4 to play by using the above method. Thanks dtrieb for an easier solution to fixing .avi (and other formats) with missing or corrupted headers.

Last edited by torrentcrazy; 20th Jun 2013 at 18:51.

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