How to Recover Media Files?

Eleanor Reed

Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

I deleted some videos and pictures from my Windows computer by mistake. I have searched everywhere to restore my media files but don't see them. What can I do to restore my videos? Please help! There is a high demand for digital media files required for encoding video and audio. Unfortunately, this trend also brings some unwelcome complex problems. When a media file is deleted from your device, it can be tricky to recover the data.

But if you act pretty fast before the deleted file on your drive is overwritten by another file or data, you can recover it. This is why you should stop using your device immediately after losing your data to avoid overwriting it and look for the best media file recovery solutions.

Part 1. How to Recover Media Files from SD Card/PC

The importance of digital storage devices, such as SD cards, cannot be emphasized enough. You can store your precious videos, photos, music files, etc. But this storage device, just like a hard drive on your computer, is prone to accidental formatting, corruption, or damage, causing your precious media files to be lost. When this happens, you can find yourself in trouble. Therefore, you need to act quickly and use the right recovery solutions to prevent losing your media files permanently.

1. Ultimate Method of Recovering Media Files from SD Card/PC

SD cards are a great way to store your media files, like photos, audio files, videos, and other document files. But if you mishandle this card, it can cause data loss. Besides, SD cards have a limited lifespan, meaning they tend to get corrupted or damaged after a certain period.

Therefore, if media files are lost from your SD card or computer, you can recover photos, music, videos with the help of Recoverit Data Recovery software. This is possible as long as the storage devices are not physically damaged.

This software supports and repairs various media file formats, including MOV, M2TS, MP4, and AVI. Recoverit repairs corrupt data files caused by various scenarios, such as memory card error, improper system shutdown, file transfer error, virus attacks, and computer system crash. So, without further ado, take the following three steps to recover media files from sd card:

Step 1: Connect the SD card

Firstly, download and install Recoverit Data Recovery software on your Windows or Mac computer. Then connect the corrupted or damaged SD card to your computer and wait until it's detected.

You can now launch Recoverit and choose the location where the software can do the scanning and recovery process.

Step 2: Select the SD card

Choose the SD card detected by your computer, and click the Recover button at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

Once the scanning process begins, wait for the process to complete.

Step 3: Preview and Restore Recovered Media Files

Here is the best part, when the software completes scanning and restoring the media files, you can preview your media files. For instance, the tool allows you to preview the recovered photos, videos, documents, etc.

If you are pleased with the outcome of the recovered media files, click the Recover button. You can save the restored media files to another location of your desire. But it would be safe to save them in another location recovered files. In this way, you can prevent any more future loss of your media files.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted or Lost Video on Different Devices

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2. Workarounds of Retrieving Deleted Files on Computer

Command Prompt is useful for retrieving deleted files on your computer. This is perhaps one of the most powerful inbuilt tools that can help you retrieve deleted or lost media files from your SD card, hard drive, and many more. Hence, to directly use Command Prompt to regain your deleted files on your computer, do the following:

1. Connect the SD card to your computer and look for My Computer.
2. Wait until your computer detects the SD card.
3. Go to the start menu and type cmd. When a window comes out, write chkdsk X: /r.
4. Now, with this chkdsk command, it will scan your SD card and repair the damaged or deleted files.

3. Recover Media File from File History

File History is a data backup feature in Windows 10 or 11 that you can use to recover media files on your computer.

1. Open the Start Menu->File History.
2. In the File History window, you can find all the backed-up files.
3. To restore a file, simply click on it, then click Restore to recover the deleted files.

4. Restore Media File from Previous Version

Another feature on Windows computer that you can use to recover media files is the Previous Version.

1. Go to File Explorer, locate the specific file you want to restore.
2. Right-click on the file->Properties->Previous Versions.
3. Select the version of the file, and click Restore.
4. You also can restore one entire folder to its previous version by right-clicking on the folder->Properties->Previous Versions.

Part 2. What Are Media Files

Media files have become an important element in many people's lives. However, if you accidentally delete or lose your media file, you will be forgiven for thinking it's impossible to recover it. The truth is that regardless of the circumstances, you can recover your files.

1. What Are Digital Media Files

So what are media files? Well, digital media file meaning is broad. It generally refers to your videos, music, pictures, audio, and even documents. Whether Windows or Mac, your apps or computer can read and work with a media file after encoding during the saving process. For example, word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word can read and edit media files in document format, while photo editing apps such as Photoshop can read photo formats.

Now, all that said, video formats are plenty, such as DVD files, camcorder, Windows videos, Quicktime files, and many more. These formats need to be converted into a specific format before you can play them, and they don't play in the stored or original created format. Therefore, you need to convert these formats so that the programs can play them. These file formats are referred to as codecs.

2. Different Types & Formats of Media Files

When you save a digital media file, it's encoded to enable your computer program or app to read and work with it. Music, photos, and videos usually have different formats. However, there is some variation within these broad categories, though there is no standardization.

You can find saved formats like JPEG, RAW, or TIFF for photos. You can get the best quality for a saved photo with the TIFF format, but it's a large file. Therefore, if your photos are in the TIFF format, they will fill up your storage device with fewer photos than using a format such as JPEG.

Video formats can be encoded in high-definition or standard format. They are not only created in various formats, but you also need to convert them so that you can play on different apps, from mobile devices to TVs. Similarly, digital audio files can be encoded in hi-res or low-res formats, which can impact their performance. Below are detailed digital media file formats you are likely going to come across:

• Music file formats include MP3, AAC, WAV, DOLBY® DIGITAL, WMA, and DTS. You can also find other music file formats such as ASF, AIFF, FLAC, DSD, ADPCM, OGG, and LPCM.
• For photo file formats, there are GIF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and BMP.
• Video file formats are many, such as MPEG-2, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MOV, AVI, AVCHD, and . You also may come across other formats like HD, DivX and DivX, MKV, WMV9, RMVB, TS, TP, M2T, and RMVB.

3. What Causes Media Files to Be Deleted or Lost

The incidence of deleted or lost media files from storage devices is becoming more common. There are two reasons for files getting corrupted: bad data from another program or some errors leading to the computer failing to write the file while saving. The list below shows some of the causes that lead to media files being deleted or lost:

• Malware: Malicious software, such as a virus, can cause serious damage to your media files in the storage device. Media files can disappear or be deleted, but you can recover such files.
• Set to hidden: Media files can disappear when you set the properties to Hidden, and your File Explorer is not set to show the hidden files. This also can happen due to malware or programs that edit the file properties to hide to give you the impression that the media files are deleted or lost.
• Files moved: Some programs like media players can sort and rearrange media files on your computer. As a result, they are moved to a new location within the storage device, leading you to think that they are deleted or lost.
• Accidental deletion: Sometimes, you accidentally erase some media files from your computer's hard disk. However, if you delete the media files and empty the Recycle bin folder, then the files are permanently deleted from your computer's hard disk.

Part 3. How Can You Access or Disable Media Files

While media servers can make it easier to share media files with playback and digital storage devices, you can save music, photos, videos, and other media files on your device, hard drive, or computer. However, the catch is a network media playback app might not be able to access such storage devices if there is no sharing software embedded.

But you can install the media server software on your computer to access media files. Windows normally have a built-in media server software, but you need to activate it so that you can access the selected media files.

1. How Can You Identify Media Files

As explained above, you can find various media file types. Therefore, whether it's a media streamer or network media player, it must be capable of reading the type of file before playing or showing it.

Unfortunately, some media players don't show the file names, especially those with unplayable formats. Whatever the case, you can still identify the type of files you have on your device. Below are the steps to know the media file types in your media library:

1. For Windows and Mac users, go to the View of Windows Explorer. Here, you will find all the files listed in your media folders.

2. Right-click on the highlighted file and choose the Properties. For Mac users, choose the Get Into option.
3. You can also identify the media file formats by looking at their extensions, meaning check the end letter at the right of the mark". For example, you can have music in the MPEG-3 with an audio-file format of "MP3".

2. Where Can You Find Media Files

Thanks to advances in technology, you can now find digital data storage devices that need systems to back up data and prevent data overload scenarios. Digital media data storage is largely stored offline to enable backup.

Recently, there has been a revolution in data storage methods like the introduction of cloud storage. This is a type of server that stores various types of data, such as media files. It's generally suitable for people who have huge amounts of data and need it to be backed up and protected.

There are various ways you can store and access data. A temporary data storage known as RAM can store media files on your computer. While the data stored here is not permanent, it allows you to have quick access.

Besides, a computer can read such data fast unlike the other storage alternatives. You should note that a Windows computer usually uses WPL format to store your video, audio, and other media files. Now, you may be wondering what a wpl file. Well, this is a file extension that the Windows Media Player uses.

1. Click the Start button on your computer. You will see the search box, which is automatically highlighted.

2. Here, you can type the file type or file name. The common file types for photos include .jpg, .gif, .png, and .jpeg. On the other hand, the types for videos are .mpg, .mpeg, .wmv, and .avi.
3. Click on the file type to access the media content.

3. How Can You Delete Media Files

All your media files, like videos and audio uploaded to pages or posts, are listed in the Windows Media Player's library. This is the place where you can manage your media files. To delete your media files, you should do it from this library.

By default, media files are displayed in a Grid View. However, it's easier to delete media files in the ListView. So click on the ListView option to change to the ListView. Now you can follow the below steps to delete your media files:

1. If you take your mouse on a file name and right-click, it will give you various options like Edit, Delete, and View.

2. Click the Delete button.

Closing Words

For the most part, you tend to think about the worst once your media files are deleted or lost. This is why having a reliable data recovery tool, such as Recoverit Data Recovery software, can save your day. After all, this software is designed to recover your deleted media files and repair them if they get corrupt.