Recover overwritten file

[twh]

Hello,

I was trying to convert a file from mkv to mp4 - I overwrote the file using the conversion tool in VLC but it wiped the file. There was a file left but was only about 190kb and was unplayable. Is there anyway to undo this action or recover the old file?

[unidan]

Hi, unfortunately there is no way to recover an overwritten file.

[Lotesdelere]

There are tools for data recovering but none of them is perfect, and the most important is not to use the drive where the lost file is located before trying to recover it.
There are some free tools like TestDisk and Recuva, among other ones. Good luck.

[davexnet]

Surely, under no circumstances, should VLC write to a file it also has open for INPUT.

Can this safeguard be added? It's a bad user error but it's also sloppy programming in VLC

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

No way. It's perfectly valid to write a file and read it at the same time.

VLC asks before overwriting a file already.

[davexnet]

No way. It's perfectly valid to write a file and read it at the same time.

VLC asks before overwriting a file already.

I tried the scenario myself and it always fails; the file is destroyed.

Under what situation/scenario is writing to a file on the HDD that is already open for input
used in VLC ? Is there a valid case?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

When you are recording and playing the recording at the same time.

[davexnet]

When you are recording and playing the recording at the same time.

OK. But this error occurred in the Media/convert-save routine.
Can't you add a safeguard somewhere in there and absolutely
not overwrite the input file no matter how foolish the user?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Did I mention that VLC already asks before overwriting a file? Oh yes.

[davexnet]

Did I mention that VLC already asks before overwriting a file? Oh yes.

Yet somehow the occasional user, for whatever reason, still manages to overwrite the file
because they were inexperienced, got flustered or didn't know what they were doing.

Users occasionally make mistakes. You're just defending VLC's sloppy code.
There is no way the input file should be overwritten in this scenario

I used to be a programmer; if there is a hole, users will find it.
Have you forgotten that?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

I'm not interested in your trolling. kthxbye.

[davexnet]

I'm not interested in your trolling. kthxbye.

Fair enough. I guess my idea of defensive programming is different from yours

[user1562278798400]

The default write name is the original file name. WTF does VLC default the write file name as the read file name? is there any way to recover the original 4gb of data that was erased and replaced with a 160kb file? all i tried to do was downscale the video. i entered a new file name. then i restarted the process and it overwrote part of the original file, which now does not display.