AVI is short for Audio Video Interleave is one of the most popular Audio-video formats. It is used on the internet, for encoding large-sized movies, and many other purposes. The quality of the video and audio stored in this format is usually great due to support for a lot of codecs. Another great thing is that in case of any errors in the video, you can easily repair AVI files by using third-party repair and recovery software.
Part 1. How to Tell If an AVI File Is Corrupt?
AVI media files are smooth and showcase no issue whatsoever during playback. However, it is not immune to errors and can also get corrupt if you are not ready to tackle it. Once it is corrupted, it becomes tough to access the file without repairing it first. Luckily, there is some reliable video recovery software that can help repair these files so that they can be used properly. Keep reading further to know more about AVI files, how they get corrupted, and how are they repaired.
1. Common Causes of Corrupt AVI Videos
Before you understand learn about repairing AVI it is important to be aware of the causes behind the errors. The errors can be caused due to issues in the file format, the problem with your device, or even due to some issues in the video file itself. The following are the various categories of causes that can make the AVI files corrupt.
- Device Causes - A lot of times, problems can arise due to device problems like virus attacks, power failure, hard disk errors, etc. These causes can be minimized by taking preventive measures like installing an Antivirus and using UPS.
- Video Causes - If the video was not downloaded or transferred properly, the file can become corrupt and will be rendered useless. These issues are human errors and can be prevented by simply being careful.
- Format Causes - If the video wasn’t properly encoded, or has been converted into a wrong format, then also the files can become corrupt. To resolve this, you will need to convert the file back to its right format and do the proper encoding. Also, make sure that you use a reliable application for file conversion as an inefficient conversion tool can also make the file corrupt.
2. How Do You Know an AVI Video Is Corrupted?
Before you rush to repair the AVI file, it is important to ensure that the file is corrupt. Some of the most common signs that show if the file is corrupt or not are issues with audio, laggy playback, blurry visuals, inaccessible file, black screen, video getting stuck at a point, etc. If you are facing any of these issues with your video, it is sure that it is corrupted. Once you are sure that the file is corrupt, you can go on to repair it.
Part 2. How to Fix and Repair AVI Files on Windows and Mac?
No one likes having corrupt AVI files in their system as they are useless. However, instead of deleting the file and downloading another copy, it is always better to repair your AVI file by using the various tools available on the internet. While downloading the software, make sure that it supports the format that you are trying to repair and has extra features as well for repairing other files.
Guide 1. Fix AVI Files That Are Corrupted with Wondershare
AVI files can get corrupt over time due to virus attacks or some other reason. This can be a problematic situation for people if it was an important file. Luckily, AVI file repair is easy and you can easily find great video repair tools like Wondershare Video repair to do the job.
This is a very efficient repair software that can repair videos of all common formats like MP4, AVI, WMV, etc. The best thing about this software is that it has a pretty neat and clean user interface that allows the users to navigate through the various features with ease and get the needful done. You can download Wondershare video repair software for free from their official website. It comes with an advanced repair option where the software uses another file from the same device and of the same format to analyze the video fragment details. If you also want to repair your AVI files, make sure that you follow the steps given below.
Step 1. Open Wondershare Video Repair
Download Wondershare Video repair on your computer. Once done, install it and launch it on your computer.
Step 2. Add the corrupted or damaged AVI files
Click on the add button on the bottom left corner of the screen and select the corrupted or damaged AVI files that you wish to repair. Once all the files are added to the tool, you can click on the repair button, and the repair process will start.
Step 3. Preview the repaired files
After the files are repaired, you will get the option to preview the files. Check if they are working fine or not by using the option. After you are sure that they are working as required, click on the save button present on the bottom right corner of your screen and all your files will be saved.
Step 4. Choose the advanced repair option
If you find issues in the repaired file while previewing it, click on the advanced repair option on the preview screen. Now, you will have to provide another file of the same format that is created by the same device as the damaged file. This is because the tool will analyze the video fragment details from the sample you upload and will work on the corrupted video accordingly.
Step 5. Save the repaired files
After the repair is complete, choose the location where you wish to save the file and click on save. Or you can directly click on the save all option present at the bottom right corner of the screen.
Guide 2. Repair AVI Files That Won’t Play with VLC
The VLC media player is one of the best free to use media players that is loaded with a lot of features that any person would love to have. In terms of audio and video playback, this software has a lot of exciting features like speed manipulation, screenshots, recording tool, and the ability to automatically download and install codec that is missing for better video playback. Apart from being able to play all the major formats from different operating systems, this software houses features related to video conversion and repair as well. This tool is available on all the platforms including Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and even for Linux
The repair feature of the VLC media player is simple as it doesn’t require you to constantly repair AVI files manually after opening the, Instead, its repair feature can be set as per your convenience so that the files can be repaired automatically. This saves a lot of time for regular users and for new users that don’t have much technical knowledge related to the topic, it makes it easier to instantly be able to use any file.
Guide
Step 1. Open VLC media player
Download and install VLC Media Player on your computer and click on the tools option on the extreme right on the menu bar. Under that, you will be able to find an option labeled as preferences, click on it.
Step 2. Setup the necessary options
Click on the tab that is labeled as inputs/codec and then scroll down to the section labeled as files. Within the files section, locate damaged or incomplete AVI files and select the always fix option and click save.
Part 3. All You Should Know About AVI Files
The following is some information about AVI video files that will help you to better understand the format, how it is used, and what can you do to prevent it from getting corrupted.
What Is an AVI File?
AVI or Audio Video Interleave is a standard video format developed for windows-based computers by Microsoft. The files that are encoded in AVI have a multimedia container that can store audio and video in high quality with the help of a variety of codecs like Xvid and DivX. One of the best things about this format is that it doesn’t use much compression and can be made without any compression as well. This allows you to retain the quality of the video, irrespective of the number of times it is shared, opened, edited, and saved. If you use no compression during the encoding, you will get 2-3 GB of the clip, per minute, which is immensely large and it also allows playback without any codec.
What Can AVI Files Be Used for?
This format is extremely widespread and you can find .avi files in every computer device nowadays. Usually, they are used to encode HD quality movies and TV shows on the internet. They can also be a data file for a media or document. Nowadays, AVI is being heavily used in the media and entertainment industry due to its quality of being lossless.
What Can Open AVI Video Files
To open .avi files, you might need to have a third party media player depending on what operating system or device you are using. For windows based devices, Windows media player, VLC media player, Microsoft Movies and TV, and Adobe premiere pro are some of the software. As for Mac-based devices, Apple QuickTime Player, and VLC media player, the Eltimaelmedia player is the best choice. If you are a Linux user, Xine, KODI, and VLC media player are great for playing AVI files.
If you use mobile devices then for android you can for VLC mobile, Google drive, BIT LABS Simple MP4 Video Player, and iOS, VLC mobile, OlimsoftOplayer are great.
How to Protect Your AVI Videos?
- Create regular backups for the important AVI files on external hard disks or cloud storage.
- Use antivirus software to prevent virus attacks. Also, make sure that you keep the virus updated regularly.
- If you are a desktop user, consider getting a UPS to avoid file loss due to sudden power cuts.
- Try using a reliable conversion tool when converting files to AVI or it can become corrupt.
- While downloading or transferring the files, make sure that the process is complete before exiting it.
Conclusion
Audio Video Interleave is a standard video format for Windows-based devices. If not handled properly and exposed to a computer with no antivirus, it can become corrupt and you will need to fix AVI before you can use it. You can use third-party repair tools like Wondershare UniConverter or VLC media player to repair them in simple steps.