How to Recover Deleted Videos From a Sony Handycam – A Guide

Since its launch in 1985, the Sony Handycam has been a fan-favorite handheld camera. With such a long history, it's to be expected that things haven't always gone according to plan.

Throughout the years, forum posts like "Help, I accidentally deleted videos from my Handycam" have been all too common. Despite the popularity of Sony Handycam cameras, users constantly encountered data loss issues and kept asking for a reliable method to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam.

With so many free Sony Handycam video recovery software available today, finding the right tool can be tricky. Therefore, today's guide will show you how to find the right software and handle Sony camcorder recovery, so let's dig in.

Causes of Sony Handycam Video Loss

Although Sony Handycam recorders have played a pivotal role in creating video memories, many users have also struggled with data loss on these devices, and there are various reasons behind these issues:

Whatever the reason behind the Sony Handycam video loss, it's best to cease all actions and assess the situation, as you'll need to take care of a few Sony camcorder recovery preparation steps.

Things to Do Before Recovering Deleted Videos From Sony Handycam

If you've been one of the unlucky few who've experienced data loss, there are a few steps you'll have to complete to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam effectively. These steps include:

• ❗ Stop Using the Device – When data loss happens on any device, including the Sony Handycam, it's crucial to stop using it to prevent the lost files from being overwritten, as that significantly decreases your chances of a successful Sony camcorder recovery.
• 🔧 Remove the SD Card – Most Sony Handycam users save their videos on SD cards, not the device's internal storage. That makes the Sony camcorder recovery process more manageable, as you can connect it to a PC effortlessly. However, you must remove that SD card immediately to prevent lost videos from being overwritten and be careful with its removal to avoid damage.
• 🙆 Prepare a Data Recovery Tool – Your computer's File Explorer won't be able to see videos lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, interrupted transfers, etc. To access these files, you'll need a dedicated data recovery tool, and we'll discuss your options in this category quickly.

After completing the steps, you're ready to explore the Sony camcorder recovery process, so let's begin.

Recover Sony Camcorder Videos With Free Recovery Software

Professional data recovery tools are the top choice for those seeking a highly effective method to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam. Wondershare Recoverit falls in this category, as this robust tool has over 20 years of data recovery experience and 35 patented recovery technologies.

The app's effortless user interface and beginner-friendly data recovery process make it a fantastic choice for beginners and professionals.

Its support for hundreds of data loss situations and thousands of file types, systems, and storage devices also makes it one of the top free Sony Handycam video recovery software you can use today.

Let's see how you'd use Wondershare Recoverit to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam:

1. Launch the tap, tap Hard Drives and Locations, and select your Sony Handycam or its SD card.

   

2. The app will automatically start a deep scan of the selected device. Its technology digs deep through storage devices and can find even long-lost videos.

   

3. Adjust the file filters to point the search toward video files.

   

4. Use keywords to look for specific videos.

   

5. Hit the Preview button to open the discovered videos and ensure those are the ones you want to recover.

   

6. Lastly, press Recover to save the videos to your PC, and ensure you're saving to a PC and not the SD card.

   

If the abovementioned steps do not yield results due to severe video corruption, Wondershare Recoverit has another trick up its sleeve: Enhanced Video Recovery.

Thanks to its Enhanced Video Recovery feature, this app combines video repair and recovery techniques, providing an all-in-one tool for those who've encountered video loss. It can seamlessly find and stitch fragments of lost or fragmented video data, restoring your files to their original quality.

Here's how to use it:

1. On the Wondershare Recoverit home page, click the Enhanced Recovery option and select your Sony Handycam device or its SD card.

   

2. Select which formats you want Recoverit to look for, and tap Start to initiate the deep scan.

   

3. The app will simultaneously perform a Quick Scan and a Deep Scan. It'll immediately show you the results of the first scan type, while you can track the Deep Scan's progress in the bottom left corner.

   

4. Tap the Play button on a discovered video file to preview it. If you're satisfied with the preview, hit Recover to save it to your PC.

   

With support for 2,000+ storage devices, Wondershare Recoverit is compatible with almost all Sony Handycam camcorders. Its ability to work with 1,000+ file systems and formats makes it great for Sony camcorder recovery, as many of these cameras use proprietary XAVC S and AVCHD formats.

The app's support for 500+ data loss situations makes it indispensable for far more than Sony camcorder recovery. Its thousands of satisfied customers also make it reliable and trustworthy and a tool with which you won't have to worry about your data's security and privacy.

Recover Sony Camcorder Deleted Videos via Windows File Recovery

Wondershare Recoverit isn't the only Sony camcorder recovery tool; you can try various other options to regain your data. The Windows File Recovery app from the Microsoft Store is a perfect example of a Recoverit alternative and a decent tool to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam.

Note: While it does a decent job explaining its various commands when you launch it, Windows File Recovery is not a beginner-friendly tool. Its command line interface is geared toward advanced users, and unless you know what you're doing, it might be better to skip this option.

Here's how to use it:

1. Launch the Microsoft Store, look for Windows File Recovery, and click on Get to install it.

   

2. Once installed, tap the Open button, and Windows File Recovery will launch in a Command Prompt window showcasing examples of its usage.

   

3. Enter the following command to instruct Windows File Recovery to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam: winfr X: E:\RecoveredVideoFiles /extensive /n sony

   This command uses the app's extensive mode on the storage device with the letter "X," applies a filter to search for Sony videos, and recovers data to disk drive "E" in a folder called "RecoveredVideoFiles." Therefore, you should change the letters X and E in the command to fit your disk drive and SD card letters. You can also use a different filter instead of "sony."

Restore Sony Camcorder Videos Using an Open-Source Tool

Besides Wondershare Recoverit and Windows File Recovery, users who've lost their data and are trying to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam can also use open-source tools.

PhotoRec is among the top choices in this category, albeit not a particularly beginner-friendly one, as it exclusively comes bundled with TestDisk and a CLI interface.

Initially created as a free data recovery tool focused on recovering partitions and making unbootable disks bootable again, TestDisk is now a fully-fledged recovery software equipped with PhotoRec, a dedicated photo and video recovery tool. That makes it a decent alternative solution for efficient Sony camcorder recovery.

Here are the steps you'll need to follow to use it:

1. Connect your Sony Handycam camcorder or insert its SD card into the PC.
2. Download TestDisk from the official website. Then, extract the folder and launch "photorec_win" from the TestDisk folder.
3. Using the Up and Down Arrow keys, select your Sony Handycam's disk or SD card to scan. Knowing the SD card's size helps you choose the correct media, as PhotoRec doesn't display partition or drive names.

   

4. Choose the "No partition" option to scan the entire device instead of only one of its partitions.

   

5. To continue, pick the correct partition file system. You can see what file system the SD card is using by navigating to File Explorer > Right-click on the SD card > Properties.

   

6. On the following screen, you'll need to select a destination folder where you want to recover deleted videos from a Sony Handycam. Remember to pick a different media from the one being recovered from.

   

7. Give PhotoRec time to scan and recover data. You'll be met with the following screen when PhotoRec finishes.

   

Note: While often a more effective alternative to Windows File Recovery, TestDisk also uses a command-line interface (CLI). As a result, it's not a particularly beginner-friendly tool, and you'll most likely have to follow dedicated tutorials to use it, especially if you have no experience with CLI.

Bonus: Expert Knowledge to Prevent Accidental Sony Video Loss

While Sony Handycam camcorders have been one of the most reliable devices and a top choice for those wanting to create long-lasting video memories, data loss surrounding these recorders has been far too common. That's why we're including a few tips that can reduce the number of data loss situations.

If you'd like to avoid having to rely on the abovementioned software and getting frustrated about losing videos, it's highly recommended that you follow these tips:

• Regular Backups – Saving your precious video memories in multiple locations is an excellent strategy for preventing data loss. Even if something happens to the camera, the SD card, or an external HDD, you have your video memories in another location. Cloud services and offline backup apps like Wondershare UBackit are fantastic choices in this category.
• Frequent Formatting – Constant SD card formatting decreases the chances of malware infection and file corruption. It also helps resolve issues with the file system and formats. Thus, you should regularly format the SD card on the Sony Handycam itself.
• High-Quality SD Cards – While it might seem like an unnecessary expense, the price and quality of the SD card matter a lot. Not all SD cards were made to hold video files, and investing in a high-quality one explicitly made for this can prevent corruption and file loss.
• SD Card Exclusivity – Sharing SD cards between multiple recording devices and computers is never good. Using one SD card exclusively on one device significantly decreases the risk of infecting the SD card with a virus or malware or causing its corruption.
• Protective Gear – Physical damage is a common culprit behind data loss issues on Sony Handycam recorders, and it's often one you can't restore videos from. Therefore, preventing it is crucial, and you can do that by investing in a protective case for your Sony Handycam camcorder is a must, especially if you travel a lot.

By following these tips, users with Sony Handycam camcorders will significantly decrease their chances of encountering data loss, essentially safeguarding their precious files and video memories.

Conclusion

Sony Handycam camcorders have been among the most widely used cameras since their invention in 1985. But like all electronic devices, these popular cameras are also prone to data loss, often leaving users posting on online forums and asking for reliable and free Sony Handycam video recovery software.

Fortunately, data recovery technology has also caught up to these data loss cases, and users who've been unfortunate to experience it can choose between CLI interface apps like Windows File Recovery and open-source tools like PhotoRec (CLI-based TestDisk software) for Sony camcorder recovery.

Alternatively, Wondershare Recoverit can also be a terrific option, as its graphical user interface (GUI), beginner-friendly process, and dedicated Enhanced Video Recovery feature make it a far better choice for recovering deleted videos from a Sony Handycam.