File recovery software recommendation

Everything related to MakeMKV
dcoke22
Posts: 2561
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 11:25 pm

Re: File recovery software recommendation

Post by dcoke22 »

https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step <--- that looks like a good place to start
jinx100
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:58 pm

Re: File recovery software recommendation

Post by jinx100 »

Here is yet another media recovery program:
https://www.oo-software.com/en/products/oomediarecovery

Let us know what you used and tried.
cossie0
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:43 am

Re: File recovery software recommendation

Post by cossie0 »

Thanks for the links guys.

I am still using Testdisk PhotoRec.
Once I had analysed all the files recovered on the first drive I realised that all i had to do was filter out the MKV files and the M2ts files. I just started from the largest file size and played the video to work out which film it was.
Once I had done that it was a case of renaming them.

There were only around 5 films that were split which were all M2ts files. I will see if there is any software which can combine them though its not be too much of an effort to rip them again if necessary.

The first hard disk had a lot of Bluray extras / making of documentary stuff on which I don't watch anyway so I am happy just to delete them all rather than spend time figuring out where they belong.

I am now in the process of recovering my second drive which are all MKV and so far it has recovered 59 files with 4 hours still left to go.
cossie0
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:43 am

Re: File recovery software recommendation

Post by cossie0 »

Just an update on this. I eventually recovered my films from the 3 hard drives

Some of them were badly fractured so I just deleted them.
Some of them were broken and would only play back a minute or so and then keep looping back to the start. I also got some GPG and MYI files which were quite large so I need to look at those.

All in all I think I recovered about 75% of what was there. Some of the lost files I will just have to rip again.

I used Testdisk to recover and they were given a selection of letters and numbers as file names so I had to start each one and see if I recognised it for rename.
I did not realise just how many films actually start and have no title or cast list. If I did not recognise the film I had to go into the end credits and do some googling on directors or actors.

I has took a lot of time to rectify but it has also allowed me to remove a lot of stuff on the drives which I would have not watched again and also removed a lot of DVD's that I ripped a long time ago. Due to losses and deletions I have managed to get down to 2 drives now and so have a third onew spare to fill up with some 4K movies. Every cloud etc etc.

I would just like to say thanks very much to the guys who helped me with advice and kp7409 who put me on to Testdisk and saved me from potentially buying programs that may have or not have worked.
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