2 Ways to fix AVI Index error in VLC

Jai Bhagwan Jha

Published On - April 11, 2024

AVI or Audio Video Interleave was introduced by Microsoft in 1992 and was the standard video file format for Windows users at that time. AVI file can store video and audio files together on CDs or DVDs without losing their quality and is compatible with different platforms like Windows, MacOS, Linux and Unix.

To solve the AVI index error, we must first understand how AVI file stores the data. The AVI file is divided into blocks or chunks, each identified by a FourCC tag. Each chunk is subdivided into 3 sub-chunks. The first sub-chunk is crucial and holds data like video codec, frame rate, audio format, etc. The second chunk contains the actual video and audio data. The third chunk contains the ‘idx1’ tag, which is optional and contains the info regarding different timestamps of the video file.

The third sub-chunk helps the media player when user wants to navigate to a specified timestamp in the video. Absence of this ‘idx1’ tag causes the AVI indexing error in VLC or any other media player which interrupts the video playback.

Common factors leading to AVI indexing error

• Interruption when downloading videos.
• Hard disk drive containing the AVI file is suffering from a bad sector.
• Transfer of AVI file from one location to another terminated abruptly.
• Performing an edit or convert operation on AVI file may introduce this issue.
• The media player accessing the AVI file is incompatible with the file format.

This section will list two methods of solving your problem. First, we will look at the VLC’s in-built method to solve the issue. Then, we will fix the AVI indexing error permanently with an advanced video repair software.

When VLC encounters this error, it will display the following message:

VLC itself offers a temporary solution for the AVI indexing error. To play the video, select the Build index then play option, it would need a certain amount of time to build the index for the video, so wait patiently.

To select an option every time you play a video is annoying, especially if you have multiple AVI files with the same indexing issue. To skip it user can alter a preference setting in VLC using the following steps.

• Open VLC and press Ctrl + P to open preference window.
• Click Input/Codecs and change the value for Damaged or incomplete AVI file from Ask for action to Always fix.

Note: This method will force VLC to automatically build the index of every file with an index issue and will result in a delay in playing the video file.

The above method is only a temporary fix and will only work if you use VLC media player. The AVI index error will persist in another media player. To implement a one-time solution, you must use a 3rd party professional repair tool capable of handling corrupted files of any magnitude.

Recoveryfix Video Repair is an advanced tool empowered by powerful algorithms to detect and repair corruption swiftly. This tool is best when it comes to repairing corrupt videos of any file formats like MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVI, etc., regardless of the file size.

Advantages of using the recovery tool:

• Can repair and restore damaged, broken, corrupt, or inaccessible files.
• Repair large files with the same efficiency as small ones.
• Support every video file format.
• Ability to repair files in bulk.
• Retain the original video quality.
• Compatible with all Windows versions.

Follow the steps below to repair your file with Recoveryfix software:

1. Launch Recoveryfix Video Repair on your system and click on Add File(s).
2. Browse and select the corrupt videos and click Open. You can add multiple files in a single repair cycle.
3. If the tool asks for a reference file, you can add videos of the same file format as the corrupted files. If not, click Repair Files.
4. Select a destination to save the repaired files and click OK .
5. Click Close to exit the tool’s interface; if you want to download a report to maintain a record of repaired files, click the Save report to CSV button.

Close the software and play the repaired video.

Conclusion

AVI format is very common for saving video files, and you will encounter media files in this format frequently. If you own a VLC player, you can apply the short-lived fix for solving the AVI index error. To implement a one-time solution that provides consistent results with all media players, go with Recoveryfix Video Repair. It is capable of repairing corrupt AVI file effectively and offers restoration of lost or deleted video files in any format.