How to Repair Corrupted or Not Playing AVI Files in 5 Ways

The AVI file won't play issue can be caused in many scenarios, such as a bad transfer, a sudden shutdown, a dying USB drive, a damaged index, and more. A corrupted AVI file feels like losing memory, especially when you can't reshoot. The good news is that most AVI files are not gone for good. They can be fixed. Here's how to fix corrupted AVI video files.

4 Free Ways to Repair AVI Files (90% of Cases)

Before you spend money on any online or offline AVI video repairs, it is worth knowing that several free options can actually get the job done. They are not perfect for every situation. If your AVI file is not severely damaged, one of those free methods will likely sort it out.

#1. Use VLC Auto Repair

Best for: Fix AVI files with missing or broken index.

Bad for: Won't fix severe structural damage.

VLC can repair damaged AVI files (caused by a missing or broken index) with easy steps. It rebuilds the index in the memory and plays the file. Be aware that the VLC AVI repair is not permanent. You may still fail to open the AVI file with another player.

1. Open VLC. Click the "Preferences" option from the "Tools" top list.

2. Then go to the "Input/Codecs" section.

3. In the "Files" section, click the dropdown button next to "Damaged or incomplete AVI file". Select the "Always fix" option.

4. Click the "Save" button to complete AVI video repair within VLC.

#2. Convert AVI to MP4

Best for: Works if the AVI video data is intact.

Bad for: Can't fix completely broken headers in AVI files.

If the AVI video corruption occurs in the container structure, not the actual video stream, you can change the file extension or use a video converter to convert AVI to MP4 format.

1. Open an online AVI to MP4 converter, such as https://www.anyrec.io/free-online-video-converter/.

2. Click the "Add Files to Start" button. Upload your AVI file.

3. Make sure you select "MP4" as the output video format.

4. Click the "Convert" button to turn AVI to MP4.

#3. Repair Broken AVI Files with DivFix++

Best for: Fix old DivX/XviD AVI files on cross-platform.

Bad for: Less effective on modern AVI files with non-DivX codecs.

DivFix++ hasn't been updated for years. But it still works to repair damaged AVI files from the early 2000s. To be more specific, you can repair AVI files that are encoded in DivX or XviD on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

1. Download DivFix++ and unzip it. There is no need to install DivFix++.

2. Open it. Click the "Add Files" button.

3. Select your broken AVI file.

4. Tick the checkmark before both "Cut Out Bad Parts" and "Keep Original File" options at the bottom.

5. Click the "Strip Index" button first.

6. Once that finishes, click the "Fix" button. .

7. Get your repaired AVI file in your chosen output folder.

#4. Rebuild AVI files with FFmpeg

Best for: Index rebuilding of AVI files.

Bad for: Fail to repair AVI video streams that are severely damaged.

FFmpeg can be your free AVI file repair software, too. Just use the following command to copy the intact video and audio streams into a clean new file container. It won't re-encode anything. Remember to replace broken.avi with your actual file path.

ffmpeg -i broken.avi -c copy fixed.avi

If that does not work, you can use the following FFmpeg AVI video repairing command to ignore errors and keep reading.

ffmpeg -err_detect ignore_err -i broken.avi -c copy fixed.avi

The repaired AVI file will be saved as fixed.avi in the same folder.

Advanced Way to Fix AVI Files (If Free Ways Fail)

If the above free tools couldn't fix damaged AVI files, you can use AnyRec Video Repair to rebuild what is broken rather than just patching the index. No matter whether your AVI file has broken headers, missing frames, and corrupted audio tracks, you can repair it through the uploaded sample video.

1. Open AnyRec Video Repair. Click the "+" button to upload your damaged and sample AVI file.

2. Click the "Repair" button to start repairing your corrupted or broken AVI video.

3. Preview the video repairing effect. Click the "Save" button to download it.

Why AVI Files Get Corrupted

• Incomplete file transfer. Interruptions during the video downloading or transferring may lead to video damages, which is why you cannot play your AVI files.
• Problematic storage media. One of the main causes of AVI file corruption is that your USB drive or other storage device has issues that result in failure.
• Software issues. Bugs and glitches may happen inside your chosen player or video editor that can corrupt your AVI, so the need to repair the AVI file is essential.
• Sudden shutdown of power. If your computer experiences a sudden shutdown, especially while reading your AVI file, it can result in corruption.
• Missing codecs. As AVI files require codecs for compression, if you have an incorrect or outdated one, the video will lead to playback issues or, worse, corruption.
• Improper compression. Reducing the file size for easy sharing can also result in file corruption if it is done incorrectly. So, you should repair AVI files.
• Malware and virus attacks. No doubt, malicious software can affect any of your videos, including AVI, making them unplayable or unreadable.

When AVI File Cannot Be Repaired

Not all AVI files are repairable. Here are reasons explaining why you can't repair corrupted AVI video files with the above free and professional programs.

• The AVI file size is only a few KB.
• The AVI video data is overwritten.
• Your storage device is physically damaged.
• There is no recoverable stream inside.

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