How to Fix AVI Video File Header?

Are you stuck with a partially downloaded AVI file or maybe it was downloaded completely but now it is not playing on your PC? You tried all media players like VLC, WMP, QuickTime, etc but it fails to open? A missing or corrupt AVI video header is probably the cause. The following segments will provide you with solutions that will fix the AVI video file. After following the steps, you will surely be able to play the partially downloaded .avi that has a missing or corrupt header.

AVI files are one of the most widely used video file formats for recording videos with digital cameras and HD camcorders. However, like every other file format, AVI files are also prone to corruption. Occasionally, certain logical or technical problems can damage your AVI video file header which can result in severe video file corruption. 

Reasons Behind a Corrupt AVI Header:

  • AVI video file headers can get damaged because of certain logical or technical faults that occur while recording videos with a camcorder. 
  • Camcorder used to record the videos has infected firmware which results in AVI file header corruption. 
  • Any sort of virus or malware attack on the AVI video file can damage the header and make the video unplayable. 
  • Most AVI header files also get corrupt, if you are continuing to record videos even when the camcorder is showing a low battery warning sign. 
  • There are chances of an AVI file header getting corrupt if AVI files are stored on an infected SD card. 
  • Any sort of corruption in the file system of the Windows / Mac operating system on which AVI files are saved is also responsible for AVI header file damage.

There can be a lot more other reasons as well that can cause an AVI header file corruption. The best possible and proven way to mend the corruption is to use a professional video repair tool. Choosing the right tool is important as unreliable applications can add to the damage instead of fixing it. Choose a safe and reliable tool like Remo Repair AVI. The steps are discussed in the upcoming section to fix the corruption and make the video playable. 

How do I Fix a Corrupted AVI file Header?

Here are top two recommended ways using which you can fix the corrupt AVI file header easily by yourself. One solution is fixing the damaged AVI header using VLC manually and the second method is using an reliable tool to do the task for you effortlessly. 

The header of an AVI file contains the metadata of the video such as the bit rate of the AVI file, number of video frames, size of a frame in pixels. So, a media player takes a header into reference when you play any AVI video. Hence, when the header file is broken or damaged you will receive a notification from the media player saying “Windows media player encountered an error while playing this video”, the file could not be played, etc.

customer review after fixing AVI header

Method 1: Fix Damaged AVI Header using VLC

The first recommendation to any user would be to fix the AVI video file using the VLC media player. Matter of fact, when you open an AVI file with a corrupted header in the VLC media player, the player will deliberately ask you to fix the video through a pop-up box with a “build index then play” option. 

You can enable an automatic repair program in VLC if you have more than one corrupt AVI video file. Follow the below-mentioned steps to enable the always fix option. 

  • Open VLC Media Player.
  • Click on Tools from the menu bar and then click on Preferences
  • Select the Input/Codecs option

Select Input/Codecs Option

  • In the Damaged or incomplete AVI file section, select Always fix and then click on the Save button.

Select Always Fix Option

But these broken AVI files will only become playable in VLC. If you try to watch the videos on another media player, you'll still encounter the same error. Along with this, the efficiency of the VLC media player repair process is also not always 100% reliable. Moreover, VLC doesn’t provide a permanent solution for the damaged AVI file, it only fixes the issue while playing the video. Also, if the damage is critical then the chance of the VLC media player fixing the broken AVI file index or header is narrow. Thus you need to employ a professional video repair tool: Remo Video Repair

Method 2: Effective Method to Repair AVI File Header Using an Advanced Tool

Instead of using a temporary solution like a VLC Media player to fix the AVI video file header corruption, go for a permanent fix. The best possible solution for you to fix the AVI header is by using Remo Repair AVI. Remo Repair AVI is a comprehensive tool designed and developed to fix broken header, AVI index, stuttering, and corrupted AVI video files. Remo AVI Repair’s efficient algorithms can analyse and reconstruct the AVI header with ease.

free-download-for-win free-download-for-mac

Steps to fix a corrupt AVI Video header Using Remo Repair AVI:

Download and install the Remo Repair AVI tool and follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Launch Remo Repair AVI and click on Select File to select the AVI video file with a damaged header.

Step 2: Click on the Repair button to start fixing the AVI file header to its original state. 

step 3

Step 3: Click on the preview button to verify whether the video is fixed or not. Once verified that the AVI video is repaired, click on the Save option to save the repaired AVI video file in a location of your choice.

That is all, no need to edit the AVI video file using HEX editor (Software that allows the user to manually edit the AVI header file) or depend on the media player. Integrated with the sophisticated repair algorithms Remo Repair AVI ensures that the AVI header file is fixed.

4 Must-know Features of Remo Repair AVI | Repair AVI header

1. Read Only Mode:

Since many users prefer their original video stays unaltered. Remo is designed to create a copy of the damaged file to repair the video header. So, as soon as you upload the damaged video, this tool creates a copy of the original file and repairs it.

2. Repair all AVI related Errors in Just 3 Clicks

Remo Repair AVI is developed as a comprehensive tool for all AVI-related errors. With Remo users can fix corrupted AVI videos, AVI video files that are out of sync with audio, AVI video with broken video or audio frames, frozen AVI video files, or AVI video playing only audio or only video.

3. Compatible with all compression standards of AVI.

Since AVI video is available in various compression standards such as Xvid, Divx. Remo is built to support the repair of all lossy and lossless compression standards of AVI video files.

4. 24/7 Customer support:

If you have any more questions related to fixing the AVI video header, you can always contact technical support who are trained to assist you to resolve any AVI-related errors.

Conclusion:

As you have fixed your AVI file with a damaged header file, here is a quick summary if you have missed any important aspects. Since the AVI header file contains the metadata of the video file. So, when the header file is damaged any media player will fail to play the AVI file. You can fix the damaged AVI video file header with the help of Remo Repair AVI. Remo’s advanced repair algorithms will fix the corrupted AVI video file header and make the video file playable.

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John Harris

Senior Editor, Content Analyst and a fan of exceptional customer service. John develops and publishes instructional and informational content regarding partition management, Windows hot-fixes, data management and computer troubleshooting.

As a tenured data recovery specialist, John shares exceptional insights and blog posts about data loss and data recovery across any storage device. With 8+ years’ experience in writing for Data Recovery for both Mac OS and Windows OS computers, he is an avid learner who always wants to polish and simplify the data recovery process. John passes his free time playing Chess and reading Science Fiction novels.

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