Tried all the recovery tools, only EaseUS gave me a playable preview. Am I out of luck?

Ensuring Successful Video Recovery: My Experience with Common Recovery Tools

Losing important videos can be a frustrating experience, especially when standard recovery methods fail. Recently, I encountered such a predicament after recording some videos on my PC. When attempting to open the MP4 files, I was met with an error message indicating that the file type might be unsupported, the extension incorrect, or the file corrupt. Despite these setbacks, I was determined to recover my data and embarked on an extensive troubleshooting journey.

Initial Approach and Research

I began by exploring various recovery tools, aiming to identify a reliable solution and consider purchasing a lifetime license for future incidents. My process involved trying multiple software options, understanding their capabilities, and assessing their effectiveness. Recognizing that many programs are designed to repair corrupted files rather than recover lost video data, I tailored my search accordingly.

Software Trials and Results

Here’s an overview of the tools I tested and their outcomes:

1. R-Photo (by R-Studio’s developers):
   I recovered the MP4 files using R-Photo, which successfully scanned and retrieved the files. However, attempting to play these files in VLC media player yielded the same error: unsupported file type or corruption.

2. UFS Explorer Video Recovery:
   Starting with the Professional Recovery version, I encountered a license key error. Switching to the Video Recovery edition did not resolve the issue, likely because the software requires a paid license for full functionality, including recovery previews.

3. DMDE:
   After scanning and recovering videos, the files still failed to open, displaying errors similar to those encountered initially.

4. Disk Drill:
   The free trial provided a recovery preview for files under 100MB, with a high recovery chance indicator. Unfortunately, the preview videos would not play, leaving me uncertain about their usability.

5. GetDataBack:
   Despite multiple attempts, I couldn’t successfully recover functional video files.

6. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard:
   Among all tools tested, EaseUS stood out by providing a playable preview of the recovered video. This was a promising sign, indicating a higher likelihood of successful recovery.

7. ReclaiMe:
   The software located the video files, but I struggled with the recovery process itself and was unable to retrieve usable files.

8. Wondershare Repairit & Stellar Data Recovery:
   Both tools failed to recover the videos. Stellar Data Recovery was additionally hampered by