‘My son’s third birthday video for 15:42 minutes has corrupted. When I play the .mov video in QuickTime, it is flickering, jerky after 3 minutes. Please help to repair it?’
‘My .flv video files are not playing in Windows Media Player. I can only see a black screen. Is my file corrupt? How can I fix it?’
Videos are precious and you cannot afford to lose them. Corruption in the stored videos on Windows PC or Mac is a common problem. Jerky, broken, black or green screen, out-of-sync, no sound, flickering, throwing errors and other issues, indicate your video file is corrupt and needs repair.
Why your videos get Corrupt or Damaged?
There can be any of the below reason behind your video corruption:
- Virus or malware in the computer
- Improper download/transfer/import of the video
- Abrupt computer shutdown during video transfer or viewing
- Windows or Mac crash
- Sudden power loss while playing the video
- Video Compression issue
How to repair corrupt videos
A video repair tool is the only way to fix your corrupt video files.
However, sometimes videos may not be playing because of incompatible media player, missing codec or outdated computer drivers. So, video not playing problem doesn’t always mean the file is corrupt.
Therefore, you may begin the troubleshooting by doing the following:
- Play the video in another media player
- Download the supporting codecs
- Convert the video file format to another playable format like MOV, MP4, etc.
- Update your PC video drivers by performing Windows Update
- If the video is UHD 4K, ensure your PC/ Mac configuration supports high-quality video files
Methods to fix or repair corrupt or damaged videos
If the video playing issue is not fixed by the above troubleshooting, repair the video file. Your video is probably corrupt.
- Repair video with VLC Media Player
- Use a video repair software
- Download or copy your video again
Method 1: Repair with VLC Media Player
Free and open source VLC has more to it than just a simple media player. It has an in-built feature that can repair truncated or corrupt videos. Since VLC is compatible on Windows and macOS, you can use it to repair damaged videos on PC or Mac.
Steps to repair videos with VLC
- Download the latest VLC Media Player on your computer
- On the main interface, click on Tools
- Select Preference > Input & Codecs
- Choose Always Fix
- Click Save
Next, play your video in VLC or other media player. The problem should be fixed now.
If not, then use a secure video repair tool that fixes severe corruptions in video files.
Can QuickTime repair corrupt video on Mac?
‘I am running macOS High Sierra. Can QT Player repair MP4/MOV files showing black screen?’
Although QuickTime has several advanced features, it doesn’t repair corrupt videos. If a severely damaged MP4 or MOV video gives you QuickTime Player’s Black Screen error message or doesn’t play the video, you require a professional video repair software.
Method 2: Use Video Repair Software
Use professional video repair software to fix damaged videos. Unlike VLC Media Player, a dedicated repair software fixes even severe corruption issues.
You can find many video repair tools online. Before choosing one ensure it supports your video file format, compatible with your computer operating system and capable to fix your video. Remember, not all repair tools are capable to fix every video corruption issue.
There is do-it-yourself software available such as Stellar Repair for Video, which is efficient to fix various types of video problems – no sound, jerky, truncated, audio lag, black screen, flickering, etc. The software works on both Windows and Mac computers and supports multiple video file formats.
Method 3: Download or transfer your video again
If the video was playing perfectly before transfer to your computer, it might be got corrupt due to improper download or interruption during the transfer. Getting the video file again from the source on to your computer can resolve the corrupt or damaged video issue.
Wrapping Up
Video corruption can be fixed with the help of a repair tool. However, before, going for the repair process, try the workarounds like converting the video to the different file format, playing it in another media player or downloading again from the source. Maybe your videos have the codec, file format or device compatibility issue.
When these workarounds don’t work, go for a video repair solution.
VLC Media Player fixes minor corruption problems making your videos playable. Nevertheless, it is best to choose a professional video repair software for severe corruption. Video repair software for Windows and Mac mostly fix all kinds of corruption. They even repair the sound issues and are worth trying if you want to make your precious videos perfectly playable again.