How to Repair Corrupted MP4 and MOV Video Files in Windows?

JohnNovember 22, 20220161 views

MP4 or MOV is one of the popular video file formats you can download and stream video files online. You can even store audio, subtitles, and still images in these formats. These file formats are mainly known for their compatibility with almost every video player including VLC media players.

To play MP4/MOV video files, you need to double-click your videos, and it will open with your default video player. However, instances may arise when your video files get corrupted. In such cases, you will be unable to access the video until you apply proper video repair methods.

At the same time, you may get an error message indicating that the file is broken and the player can’t access it. If you ever experience such a situation, do not worry; several methods can be applied to repair corrupt MP4 or MOV files. Here, this article provides how to repair corrupted MP4 and MOV video files in the Windows system.

Table of Contents

What Causes MP4 and MOV Video Files Not Playing Issues

Before you learn MP4 or .MOV repair methods, it is important to know the exact cause of the issue. There are several reasons why corruption can occur with video files. Given below are reasons for your MP4 and MOV video not playing issues:

Sudden shutdown of camera or system
Error while converting video formats
Improper internet connection
Error while writing or reading data
Malware or virus attacks
Corrupt or damaged video headers
Using a faulty or unauthorized media player
Unexpected stopping of media player or its sudden stop
Bad sectors on Hard disk
When file extension is changed to some other format

Quick Methods to Repair Corrupted MP4 and MOV Video Files

Now that you are familiar with why MP4 or MOV video files are not playing, it’s time to apply some methods to fix them. In this part of the blog, we have provided various workarounds to fix MP4 and MOV files that won’t play:

Method 01: Repair Corrupted Video Files Using VLC Player

VLC Media Player is a multi-tasker software for any Windows PC. It not only performs primary functions like playing multimedia files, but it also repairs corruption issues with them. In addition, the application offers in-built index repair options that you can use to fix the issue and repair MOV and MP4 video files:

Given below are some simple steps that you need to follow in order to repair corrupted MOV files/MP4 files using the VLC player:

Launch the VLC media player app and click on the media tab. From the list of options that appear on the screen, choose the ‘Convert/Save’ option.

From the Conversion window, upload the corrupted video and tap ‘Convert’. This option will convert the selected file into .AVI file.

Now from the settings Window, adjust the settings of the conversion. Select a codec and the export location of the converted file and tap the ‘Start’ button to begin the conversion.

After successfully completing the conversion process, navigate to the ‘Tools’ tab and choose the ‘Preferences’ option.

Next, click on Tools from the ribbon located at the top, select Preferences and go to the ‘Inputs/Codecs’ section. Choose the ‘Always fix’ option in the ‘Damaged or incomplete AVI file’ drop-down menu.
At last, click on the “Save” button.

Method 02: Try VLC Player to Replicate Video File

Replicating the corrupt video file is also one of the popular video repair methods. Go through the following simple steps to replicate MP4/MOV files using a VLC player:

Firstly, you need to create a copy of the corrupted video file and change its extension from .mp4 to .avi.

Now launch the VLC player and navigate to ‘Tools’ and choose ‘Preferences’. From the preferences window, navigate to the ‘Image/Codecs’ tab and choose ‘Always fix’ option for the ‘Damaged or incomplete AVI file’ option.

At last, close the app and try playing the corrupted video file.

By using this method, you will be able to repair corrupted MOV files or MP4 files arising mainly due to minor incompatibility issues. Then, after transcoding the video file, you can play it using VLC or other players.

Method 03: Change the Video Output Settings in VLC

Many users prefer changing the Video Output Settings in the VLC Media Player in order to repair MOV/MP4 files. You can apply the below-given steps for video repair using this method:

Open VLC Player and click on Tools.

Navigate to Preferences and tap on Video.

From the Video Settings section, change the Output settings from Automatic to DirectX (DirectDraw) video output.

Press the “Save” button and restart the VLC media player.

Method 04: Use a Professional Video Repair Tool

If the above methods fail to answer how to repair corrupted video files, then you should try professional video repair software. Among several video MOV or MP4 repair software, we recommend you use Stellar Repair for Video software. This video repair software is a versatile tool to make your videos playable again.

This software can help you to fix severe multimedia corruption issues with videos of several file formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and more. You can use this amazing software to repair your severely corrupt movie files, music videos, and other video files. Here is how you can use Stellar Repair for Video software to fix a corrupted video file:

Launch the “Stellar Repair for Video” software and click the “Add File” button to add the corrupted video file.

Now, click on the “Repair” button.

After that, the video repair process will get started. You can check the status of the whole process in the progress bar appearing on the screen. If you have to stop this repair process in between, you can tap the Stop button.
Once the files get repaired successfully, you will get the ‘Repair Process Completed’ message on the screen.
Click on “Save Repaired Files” and save your repaired videos at the desired location.

How to Prevent Video Files from Corruption?

Repairing the corrupted video file is easy, but it is good to avoid such issues. Well, if you keep certain points while using your device, you may not need to apply the MP4 Repair method. These include:

Always keep backups of video files that you are editing on multiple backup media.
Make sure your PC is updated and virus-free. For this, you need to perform regular scans.
Ensure your device has a reliable electrical connection in order to avoid unexpected shutdowns.
Avoid interruptions while playing the video file or moving/copying it to any other storage device.
Always use trusted third-party software for video editing.
Perform regular scans of your hard disk to maintain its health and avoid data corruption issues.

Conclusion

This blog discusses how to repair corrupted MP4 and MOV video files in Windows devices by applying various methods. Converting the video file format of corrupted video or transcoding it can fix the corruption issues. You can even use a professional video repair tool to bring your video again to a playable state. With an advanced approach to repairing corruption issues with video files, Stellar repair for video is a one-stop solution for all multimedia issues.

Also Read: 5 Best Free Video Editors