Topic: Zero byte .wav file - how to restore?

[rigpimp]

I thought there was a tool here somewhere that Gordon Gidluck posted that repaired 0-byte files, which I thought I shared on FB, but it was a file-splitting command instead. You used to type in how many channels, bit depth and sample rate and it would append -fixed at the end of the repaired file. I will go dig and see what I can come up with.

I think this is what you are referencing - fixwav.

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/GgFYcheDWp

Yes, I was, and I found it afterward, but I cannot get it to run on my Windows 10 machine. I wanted to see if I could get AI to update the code, but I do not really know I am doing. LOL

[TheJez]

I thought there was a tool here somewhere that Gordon Gidluck posted that repaired 0-byte files, which I thought I shared on FB, but it was a file-splitting command instead. You used to type in how many channels, bit depth and sample rate and it would append -fixed at the end of the repaired file. I will go dig and see what I can come up with.

I think this is what you are referencing - fixwav.

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/GgFYcheDWp

I think this tool will only repair a corrupt header and not magically recover your lost samples. It means you must have a wav file with proper length to begin with. (E.g 1 hour of 48kHz 24bit stereo audio takes ~1GB.) If your OS (windows, whatever) reports that the file is 0 bytes long, this tool won't help you...

[vanark]

I thought there was a tool here somewhere that Gordon Gidluck posted that repaired 0-byte files, which I thought I shared on FB, but it was a file-splitting command instead. You used to type in how many channels, bit depth and sample rate and it would append -fixed at the end of the repaired file. I will go dig and see what I can come up with.

I think this is what you are referencing - fixwav.

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/GgFYcheDWp

Yes, I was, and I found it afterward, but I cannot get it to run on my Windows 10 machine. I wanted to see if I could get AI to update the code, but I do not really know I am doing. LOL

Runs fine from a command prompt on my Win10 machine.

[daspyknows]

I thought there was a tool here somewhere that Gordon Gidluck posted that repaired 0-byte files, which I thought I shared on FB, but it was a file-splitting command instead. You used to type in how many channels, bit depth and sample rate and it would append -fixed at the end of the repaired file. I will go dig and see what I can come up with.

I think this is what you are referencing - fixwav.

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/GgFYcheDWp

Yes, I was, and I found it afterward, but I cannot get it to run on my Windows 10 machine. I wanted to see if I could get AI to update the code, but I do not really know I am doing. LOL

Runs fine from a command prompt on my Win10 machine.

card still sitting in recorder in case someone else wants to try.  Advantage of having a drawer full of Tascams.

[live2496]

The general rules for this are:
1) if the file is seemingly not there you have to run a utility like CHKDSK to convert the orphaned data into actual files. (as in the Youtube video)
2) at that point if the files cannot be played you will have to correct the WAV header counts. A few solutions to this have been posted including a command line utility by me. As well you might import as raw data into a DAW.
3) if part of the file has a good recording and then it just loops the same segment over and over there isn't anything you can do about that.

Gordon

[TheJez]

The general rules for this are:
1) if the file is seemingly not there you have to run a utility like CHKDSK to convert the orphaned data into actual files. (as in the Youtube video)
2) at that point if the files cannot be played you will have to correct the WAV header counts. A few solutions to this have been posted including a command line utility by me. As well you might import as raw data into a DAW.
3) if part of the file has a good recording and then it just loops the same segment over and over there isn't anything you can do about that.

Gordon

IMHO, the very very very first step, before doing anything else, is creating a disk image of the card/recorder memory. This way you can always access the original content of the card and try different approaches. Tools like CHKDSK (or anything else that writes to the card) may salvage your data but also might as well destroy your precious samples.
So here's what I'd do:
1) Create a raw disk image (*.bin). Various open source or freeware tools available to do so, depending on your OS (Windows, Linux, Mac)
2) Open the image as raw audio with your DAW. Hopefully you know the sample rate, format (16/24/32 bit) and number of channels (likely stereo, so 2). You may need to play with the byte offset when opening, depending on the format. E.g. for 16 bit, you may need to try 0 and 1. With 24bit, you may need to try 0, 1 and 2. With 32bit, you may need to try 0,1,2 and 3.

After opening the image, there should be regions with audible data, hopefully containing the audio you're looking for. If not, then the samples simply aren't there. No other tool (CHKDISK, whatever) will magically recreate your audio.

[TheJez]

card still sitting in recorder in case someone else wants to try.  Advantage of having a drawer full of Tascams.

I'd be happy to try to help you out. Just PM me if you want to arrange something.

[Datfly]

I get 0 files from the board if the thumb is pulled too early or for whatever reason & this has always recovered it.

On PC open Command Prompt - Type CHKDSK then the letter of your drive with the 0 File then /F (find)

Take found file rename it .WAV
Open VLC Click Media & open Covert / Save - Add File & then Convert & Save!


CHKDSK (DRIVE): (SPACE) /F