Recover deleted MP4 (Windows + Mac)
Best 5 data recovery software for MP4, MPEG-4 Video File
Summary review
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Our Windows version | Windows 11 |
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How long we tested | 3 weeks |
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Number of tested tools | 14 |
3 essential factors to consider when choosing MP4 recovery software
A lot of data recovery solutions out there offer a free trial that only gets you as far as previewing recoverable files. Once you attempt to retrieve them, you’ll get hit with a message asking you to purchase the full version. Check if the software has a free version that allows actual recovery.
There’s a good chance that when you attempt to recover files from a particular storage medium, there will be a whole lot of recoverable files to sift through on the results page. That’s why it helps if the program is equipped with a preview feature that allows you to get a glimpse of a file before recovering it.
There’s no telling when data loss can strike and you may end up having to recover files from any kind of storage medium, such as SD cards, SSDs, hard drives, RAID setups, and more. It’s important that your chosen data recovery software is fully compatible with the ones you use.
Simple steps to recover deleted MP4, MPEG-4 Video File on Windows & Mac
Download the application to either a Mac or WIndows machine and install it
Start the program and choose the disk or partition where the files were last seen
Click Recover to scan the disk for recoverable data
Select the files to be recovered from the preview and then click Recover to perform the restoration
3 easy ways to prevent your MP4 files from getting lost
Avoid suspicious emails and files. Suspicious emails are rife with phishing emails and other forms of malicious files. Accessing the contents of these emails could severely compromise the security of your computer. This could lead to hackers accessing your machine, putting your important files in jeopardy. So if you see a suspicious email, simply delete it.
Back up files regularly. While backing up files can sometimes be time-consuming and a hassle, it’s a vital part of keeping important files safe from unforeseen data loss. After all, you can never tell when you might accidentally delete a file or encounter device failure. One missed backup session could set you back hours, days, or even months of work.
Do not mess with unfamiliar files. Operating systems include lots of important files that may not seem familiar to you. These files could be vital to running the platform and tweaking or deleting them could lead to the OS becoming unstable and may cause you to incur data loss. That’s why it’s best to leave unfamiliar system files alone.
FAQ
If you find that MP4 files are randomly being deleted from your computer, it’s a good indication that your hard drive is failing. In these cases, it’s a good idea to make a backup image of the drive to avoid further data loss. Another reason is that your computer has been infected by a virus or some form of malware.
Backups are the easiest way to recover MP4 files that were saved over. Windows machines also have a built-in feature that allows you to retrieve older versions of X files, as long as you enabled the tool before the overwriting occurred. Mac has a similar feature called Time Machine. Alternatively, you can use Windows System Restore to return your PC to a previous point in time, but you’d need to have created a backup prior.
The best way to recover MP4 files from a memory card is to leverage a top-notch data recovery program, as it’s the most flexible and accessible retrieval method around. It’s worth noting, however, that this is ineffective if you used a “full” format on the card or it has become heavily damaged/compromised. For that, you’ll need to seek out a data recovery service.