First, rule out the player
Try the file in VLC, which plays almost every format. If VLC plays it, the file is fine and your usual player is missing a codec, often H.265 (HEVC).
If no player opens it, or it shows zero length, or it stops with an error, the file itself is damaged.
Find out what is wrong
Drop the video into HealVideo. Before changing anything, it tells you the problem in plain words. You will see one of these:
- The video data is there, but the index is missing.
- The recording was cut short.
- The file ends in the middle of its index.
- The file is empty, or is not a video file.
Repair it
- Add a working clip from the same camera if you have one. It is optional for cameras HealVideo already knows.
- Press Start repair and keep the window open. Large files take a few minutes.
- Open the repaired copy. HealVideo tells you if any part could not be saved.
What can be repaired
- Recording cut short, index still there
- HealVideo copies everything that is still readable into a new file that plays.
- Index missing (“moov atom not found”), H.265 video
- HealVideo finds the frames in the raw data and builds a new file. It needs a camera profile or one working clip from the same camera.
- Index missing, H.264 video
- Needs the free tool untrunc installed next to HealVideo, plus one working clip from the same camera.
- Videos deleted from an exFAT memory card
- HealVideo reads an image of the card and puts each video’s scattered pieces back in order.
Repaired files from the frame finder have video but no sound yet. Damage inside the picture itself (glitches in a file whose structure is fine) is not something HealVideo can undo.
Related guides
Updated 2026-10-13. HealVideo is an early preview (version 0.1). Found a mistake? Tell us on GitHub.