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Help Broken Images and Videos

B

Broliath

Lurker
I use the File Commander app that comes on my Xperia Z to organize my pictures and videos into various folders. Sometimes my pictures and videos become inaccessible afterward. The pics will have a broken thumbnail that goes to a black screen when I click on them, instead of a picture. The broken videos will have all black thumbnails that tell me the video can't be played, despite working just fine before being moved.

I'd like to know how to repair these files and regain my pics and videos. They have extreme sentimental value to me.
 
Could it be that the link between the thumbnail and the actual file has been broken ..?

If you navigate to the new file location using File Commander, can you see the picture / play the video?
 
The images and videos can't be opened in either the Album or the File Commander. The broken link thing makes sense though. I just don't know what to do about it.
 
I guess you could try deleting the contents of the /DCIM/Thumbnails folder ..

NB: after backing the files up first, of course :D
 
Go to Settings/Apps/All, locate Albums and Movies, and clear the cache of both. Restart the device and the thumbnails should be rebuilt correctly.
 
If you can't open the files directly with File Commander, then they've somehow been corrupted during the move. All I can suggest is trying a recovery program such as Recuva.
 
I don't have a computer, so that's not really an option. Got a couple friends with computers, but that comes down to them allowing me to download a program on their computer, so that I can do what I need to. So maybe, maybe not. Guess I was really hoping for an answer that didn't involve rooting or other devices.
 
I have exactly the same problem. It is a fault somewhere with either Android or the phone as it is a recent problem. Pics take fine but then either don't show up or, show up for a bit and then are left as broken.

Putting them on a computer just says they can't be opened.

I'm really annoyed as I've lost quite a lot of images now and I don't trust the phone at all. I only went for this model because of the camera. I'll be going back to my Arc for photos if there isn't a fix.
 
Are the lost images saved to microSD card? If so then it might be the card itself that's damaged/corrupt. Backup everything you can from it, reformat in the handset, and see if the problem disappears.
 
That's my thought. Further digging however reveals a lot of issues with Xperia Z's destroying SD Cards. Not what you want from a phone!!

It seems Sony keep blaming the SD card but if the phone is designed to take them, then it shouldn't keep damaging them.

I'll run it without one in for now and rip things off the internal memory and only mount the card when I have to. Can't say I'm impressed though.
 
My SD card works fine. Always has. This issue only happens to me when I cut and paste files, regardless of where I paste them to. Internal memory or SD card. And it only happens occasionally. Unfortunately I had to use Android recovery software to get the pics and vids back. I have found that I don't have this issue if a copy and paste, instead of cutting and pasting, though. Afterwards,I just delete the original files.
 
fivetide said:
Further digging however reveals a lot of issues with Xperia Z's destroying SD Cards.
Click to expand...

I'll have to take a look, as I wasn't aware that this was a problem.

It seems Sony keep blaming the SD card but if the phone is designed to take them, then it shouldn't keep damaging them.
Click to expand...

What brand and capacity is the card? I've been using a 64GB Sandisk card since I bought the phone last April without issues. It's occasionally swapped for a 16GB Lexar or 32GB Sandisk (depending on required content), again without a problem. These are just examples from my own limited experience; I don't doubt that you're having the problem you describe.
 
I have this issue with broken images as well. If I backup my pics, videoes, texts and so on if I have to do a factory reset, I always get 20-30 pics that are broken once I reinstall my backup.
 
14 page thread on it here SD Corruption in Xperia Z - xda-developers

I had a 32gb SanDisk. Like many in that group, seemed to be working fine until I actually connected my phone to the computer to back up files to a external hard drive. Now it has all my music etc but the images that were fine are now corrupt and it saves new ones then messes them up.

Seems the thing to do is:

- Unmount the card unless needed and especially when taking images to force a save to device memory
- Not connect the phone to a PC with the card mounted. Instead remove the card and use a card reader to take stuff on/off. Laborious but should stop the phone corrupting cards...

I'd like to see Sony address this as it seems to be increasingly common. Organon seems to have had the same issue as me.
 
The supposed SD card issue is interesting, but it's neither here nor there. My SD card works great, no matter what I stick it in. My problem only happens when I cut and paste files, regardless of where I cut them from or where I paste them to. For example, I move pictures from my Album (which is in my internal storage) to a personal folder in my internal storage all the time. I end up with broken pics, just as often, by doing that. For me, the issue is more likely that moving a hundred pics or so at a time is just to much for the phone to process. I find copying, instead of cutting also eliminates the problem. Now I do that and delete the original files once done. It also serves the added benefit of being able to confirm the pasting went smoothly, before losing the originals.

As for getting the already broken images back, you gotta get an Android recovery program. And until you do, DO NOT add any files (pics, vids or anything else) to your SD card. If you do that you may overwrite your missing pics, losing them for good.
 
Broliath said:
The supposed SD card issue is interesting, but it's neither here nor there.
Click to expand...

Perhaps in your case, but it may be pertinent to Fivetide's problem.

For example, I move pictures from my Album (which is in my internal storage) to a personal folder in my internal storage all the time.
Click to expand...

The Album is a virtual container i.e. images are located in various other physical locations, and merely displayed in the app for convenience. If you open one and select Menu/Details the actual location is displayed as "file path". How are you moving the pictures?
 
I've already figured out my problem and posted what it was. As for the SD card issue being neither here nor there, that's true. My problem is the one this thread sought to address and it had nothing to with SD cards, one way or the other. My problem was an issue with cutting and pasting files.

SD card issues on the Xperia Z do seem to be a problem for some, though, so I recommend viewing the link someone above posted. It's solely about Xperia Z/SD card issues and should possess more information on the subject.
 
Slug said:
I think the problem may be with the card. Iirc Sandisk themselves admitted to a faulty run of 32GB cards a while back, when Galaxy S4 users were finding the same thing.
Click to expand...

I take your point. however the thread I linked to had a number of different, and quality card manufacturers mentioned and this card was perfectly fine in an S4.

It seems there is an issue with moving data around in the Z as the problem only occurred after moving content to/from internal memory and the card which matches the experience of others.

There are too many instances with too many similarities and too many different card manufacturers for this to be a coincidence.
 
Broliath said:
I've already figured out my problem and posted what it was.
Click to expand...

I was hoping that I could help in finding a solution. You've stated that you use File Commander to move files from Albums to personal folders; are you moving the files from their actual physical location e.g. \sdcard\DCIM\<foldername>?

My problem is the one this thread sought to address and it had nothing to with SD cards, one way or the other. My problem was an issue with cutting and pasting files.
Click to expand...

That's the way user forums work; others with similar issues post based on the subject. That hasn't prevented your problem being addressed, though.

SD card issues on the Xperia Z do seem to be a problem for some, though, so I recommend viewing the link someone above posted.
Click to expand...

I've done so, thanks.
 
Yes, when I said Album, I just meant default locations such as those. DCIM, download, messaging, Yahoo attachments, etc. I have a personal folder named after me that I move everything to, that's on my internal memory. Occasionally, when my memory starts filling up, I start moving files to an SD card. The issue of "broken" files is something I run into during both situations. To be fair, it's a problem that rarely comes up. Generally it happens when I cut and paste a whole lot of files at once.

My recommendation to avoid this problem, and what works for me, is copying instead of cutting. I don't seem to have this issue when I copy. But even if I did, by copying instead of cutting, I still have working versions of the original file. So I can just try again, if need be. As for fixing the problem if it's already occurred, you either need a rooted phone with an Android recovery app, or a computer with an Android recovery program.
 
I'm having a lot of problems with my Xperia z. I don't have an SD card, so that's not the problem. But the phone constantly breaks pictures I'm taking which makes me loose my trust in the phone. Any help?
 
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