Can VLC Repair MP4? Check out How to Use VLC to Fix Corrupted MP4 Video Files

Question: “Can I use VLC media player to fix a corrupted .mp4 video file? I installed this VLC software on my laptop a few months ago, so I thought I could just use it to repair a video file that seems to be damaged by a virus.”

--What is VLC Media Player? You can learn more about VLC at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

VLC Media Player is a renowned free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player that has attracted millions of downloads. Most casual users employ VLC to open, view, and edit various audio and video file formats, such as MP4, MOV, FLV, WAV, AAC, MP3, and more. Undoubtedly, VLC performs exceptionally well when dealing with healthy and playable media files. But what if the file it's handling is unplayable? Does VLC have a "repair" feature? For instance, can **VLC fix a corrupted MP4 video**?

If you're looking for free ways to fix corrupted MP4 video files and happen to be a VLC user, stop right there. You don't need to spend money on other best video repair tools to fix the problematic MP4 file. Actually, there's a “fix” in VLC that can offer you a good chance to sufficiently reconstruct the damaged MP4 video.

How to Fix Corrupted MP4 Video Files Using VLC

Video corruption can occur due to several reasons, and often, you are unable to play or read the videos. When you encounter a corrupted video, the first concern is how to open it again and save it as a new file for backup purposes. Hence, being able to handle some common issues with video files has become essential. The VLC Media Player has recognized the growing need to fix damaged videos and has provided a solution for its users.

However, if you're using an older version of VLC, you won't find a “File Repair” option, let alone an MP4 repair feature. In fact, the video repair function in VLC is limited to AVI video files. This doesn't mean that VLC can't fix MP4 videos, but how do you apply an AVI repair solution to an MP4 file? By converting the MP4 file to AVI format.

Follow the step-by-step guide below to easily fix corrupted MP4 video files in VLC.

Step 1: Download and install the VLC media player on your computer or Mac from https://www.videolan.org/vlc/. Skip this step if you already have VLC.

Step 2: Right-click on the corrupt MP4 media file that you have and select 'Rename' from the drop-down list.

Step 3. Delete the .mp4 and input .avi files, then press Enter. This will start the MP4 to AVI conversion with VLC, which should fix the MP4 file.

Step 4: Start VLC. First, click on “Tools” in the navigation menu, then choose “Preferences.”

5. In the second part of the new window, in the section named “Files,” select “Always repair” as the option for “damaged or incomplete AVI files.” Click on the “Save” button.

Step 6: After the manual configuration, go back to the corrupted MP4 video file that you have converted to AVI and choose to “Open” it with VLC. The video should play this time around since VLC will automatically repair the damaged or corrupt AVI file.

If you want to save the repaired video file as an MP4, click “Media” and then choose “Convert/Save…” Follow the on-screen wizard to complete the conversion.

Solutions to Recovered Files Not Opening

Why can't you open your recovered files and how to open them successfully? Have you encountered issues with not being able to open recovered files after using a third-party tool for data recovery?

How to Repair Damaged MP4 Video Files After Recovery

If the video file got damaged during the recovery process, the VLC method may not be enough to fix it. For one, the repair function only works for AVI video files. To fix other video formats, you need to change the current format of your video. Second, while VLC is mainly used as a multimedia file editor and converter, it's not as effective in fixing video files compared to dedicated video repair utilities.

Unfortunately, over 50% of video corruption issues relate to [video file recovery](/data-recovery/free-formatted-video-recovery.html). This means that you can't read, open or play the videos recovered by some Windows or Mac data recovery software, or the recovered video just stops playing in the middle. Under such circumstances, to fix a damaged MP4 video file, you have to rely on more professional video repair solutions - the [Fixo Video Repair tool](/repair-tools/video-repair.html).

The following guide outlines the steps to recover and repair damaged videos using the Fixo tool: 1. **下载并安装Fixo**: 首先，访问Fixo的官方网站并下载适用于您操作系统的版本（Windows或Mac）。确保在安全的网络环境下下载，并且从官方源获取软件以保证正版。 2. **启动Fixo**: 安装完成后，双击应用程序图标来启动Fixo工具。首次运行时，可能需要授予必要的权限以允许程序访问您的文件系统。 3. **选择损坏的视频文件**: 界面打开后，点击“添加文件”或“添加文件夹”按钮，浏览并选择包含损坏视频的文件或文件夹。如果视频在外部设备上，如USB驱动器或SD卡，请先将其连接到电脑。 4. **扫描视频**: 选择文件后，点击“开始扫描”按钮。Fixo将开始分析损坏的视频，查找可恢复的数据。 5. **预览和选择修复选项**: 扫描完成后，Fixo会列出可恢复的视频片段。您可以点击每个片段进行预览，看看是否能正常播放。选择要修复的片段，然后点击“修复”按钮。 6. **保存修复的视频**: 修复过程可能需要一些时间，取决于视频的大小和损坏程度。修复完成后，选择一个保存位置，然后点击“保存”按钮将修复的视频保存到您的电脑。 7. **检查修复结果**: 保存视频后，立即播放以确认是否已成功修复。如果视频仍然存在问题，尝试使用Fixo的其他修复模式或联系他们的技术支持以获取帮助。 请注意，不同的损坏情况可能需要不同的修复策略，因此并非所有损坏的视频都能100%恢复。始终备份重要文件，以防止数据丢失。

Step 1: Launch Fixo on your local computer. Click on “Video Repair” and then add the corrupted MP4/MOV/AVI/MKV/3GP/FLV/MKV/WMV video files by clicking on “Add Video”.

Step 2: Move the pointer to the video you want to fix and click on the "Repair" button to start the individual video repair process. If you wish to repair all videos, then click on "Repair All".

Step 3: Wait a few minutes for the software to fix the corrupted video. Preview the video by clicking the play icon. If you want to save only one video, click the "Save" button next to the play icon. To save all the repaired videos, click "Save All."

If the Quick Fix fails, you should use the Advanced Repair mode. Click on “Advanced Repair” and add a sample video. Confirm by clicking “OK”.

Step 5. A detailed list of corrupted and sample videos will be displayed. Click on 'Repair Now' to start the advanced video repair process. Once done, you can preview the video and click on the 'Save' button to save the repaired video file to a desired location.

There's a video that might help you gain more insight on MP4 file repair. You can download the Fixo Video Repair tool mentioned in the video and fix your MP4 files on a Windows computer:

• 00:18 Reasons for video corruption
• 00:38 Download tool: Fixo Video Repair
• 01:30 Advanced repair mode in Fixo
• 02:02 Online video repair tools
• 02:41 Trying to play with VLC media player
• 03:33 Creating a copy of the original file in VLC

How to Repair Corrupted MP4 Files Online

For those who prefer not to install desktop video repair apps, a reliable online video repair tool can come in handy. In this case, the Online Video Repair tool is ready to assist you.

This is a reliable online video repair tool that can fix corrupted MP4, MOV, AVI, and various other types of video files for free online.

See how to fix corrupted or unplayable MP4 videos online:

Step 1: Add the Corrupted MP4 Video

Go to the Online Video Repair website. Click "Upload Video" or simply drag and drop your MP4 video.

Step 2: Enter your email address

Please enter a valid email address so that you can receive the retrieval code. Then, click “Start Repair.”

Step 3: Repair the Damaged MP4 Video

The tool will start repairing the video automatically. If your MP4 file is very large, this might take some time. You can close the site, and the tool will notify you via email when it's done.

Step 4: Download the MP4 video

Once the repair is done, click on the “Download Video” button and enter the extraction code in the email. Then, you can get your repaired MP4 video.

Select a preferred method to fix corrupted or damaged video files, not limited to the MP4 format...

As a free and open-source video player, VLC isn't designed with the user experience in mind, and even power users may have trouble finding the path to fix a broken video. While you can eventually get your MP4 to AVI conversion done, it's not a straightforward process. For lightly damaged videos, however, VLC is still a painless option as a free method.

When compared to VLC, Fixo Video Repair tool comes in very handy when your files are lost or corrupted. It can almost fix issues with all file formats. In cases where the recovered files are not opening or accessible and need an immediate fix, it can be a complete replacement for the VLC software.