Corrupted .mscz file after power outage — is it possible to recover the score?
Hi,
I was composing music in MuseScore 3 with a project open when my computer suddenly shut down unexpectedly. After restarting, I tried to reopen the file, but MuseScore says it can't read it. The file still shows as a normal .mscz file in Windows File Explorer (I save my projects in the "Music" folder on the C: drive), but it won’t open in MuseScore.
I looked for backups in the AppData\Local\MuseScore\MuseScore3 folder and also checked for hidden files (with a dot at the beginning of the name) in the same folder where I save my projects, but I couldn’t find any backup or previous version.
I also tried opening the file with WinRAR. It shows an error saying “Unexpected end of archive”, and the only thing visible is a folder named META-INF with a damaged container.xml file inside. I’ve attached a screenshot of the error from WinRAR in case it helps (it is in spanish btw, but is but it’s easy to translate with the phone).
I also tried using 7-Zip, but the file still can’t be opened properly.
Is there any way to recover at least part of the score? Maybe a tool that can repair this corrupted .mscz file?
I’m attaching the damaged file here in case someone is able to help me recover it. Thank you very much in advance for any advice or assistance.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Airship_Frotress.mscz | 55.37 KB |
| Screenshoot.jpg | 99.77 KB |
Comments
> Is there any way to recover at least part of the score?
I'm afraid not...
Have you checked the hidden .mscbackup folder?
In reply to > Is there any way to… by HildeK
I have already searched the entire C: hard drive (where I store Musescore 3 data) for the backup folder but I have not been successful.
Thank you very much anyway 😔
In reply to I have already searched the… by Scam Score
Windows hides the backup folder by default. You have to enable Show hidden items in file manager. The option is within the view menu.
In reply to I have already searched the… by Scam Score
Once more
Pay attention to the dot in ".mscbackup". Also look in the "AppData". But this is for Windows.
And you should make the hidden folders visible.
In reply to Once more C:\Users\… by HildeK
As I said, I don’t know why the backup folder isn’t showing up. I have the 'Hidden items' option enabled (which in the screenshot is 'Elementos ocultos') and it still doesn’t appear. I’ve also checked both in 'Documents' (which is 'Documentos' in the screenshot) and in 'AppData'. I don’t know if it’s because I’m using Musescore 3 instead of 4 and it’s outdated, or what’s going on. Thanks a lot anyway.
In reply to As I said, I don’t know why… by Scam Score
Show us the Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced page of your MuseScore 3. In particular the two settings that start with "application/backup".
In reply to Show us the Edit ->… by krasko78
I don’t know what to say about it, I installed Musescore 3 from the Microsoft Store itself, supposedly it’s the original one. The rest of the options are ui/piano, ui/score, etc.
In reply to I don’t know what to say… by Scam Score
IiRC the latest Mu3 versions were not available in the Microsoft Store, strapped at 3.3.4 or some such. Check Help > About
In reply to IiRC the latest Mu3 versions… by Jojo-Schmitz
And he does not have the "backup" options under Advanced preferences. Did those exist prior to 3.3.4?
In reply to And he does not have the … by krasko78
Yes, at least I believe so, can't test as back then there were no PortableApps available (any I don#t have the Windows Store version installed of fancy installing it)
Whatever: download and install 3.6.2 (or my 3.7 Evolution)
In reply to Yes by Jojo-Schmitz
If I reinstall Musescore, won’t I lose the backups and any data the software had stored? In other words, will I still be able to recover the corrupted file data after reinstalling?
Thanks in advance.
In reply to If I reinstall Musescore,… by Scam Score
You don't have backups to recover from, so can't loose them...
However: removing or (re-)installing MuseScore would never ever loose any scores
But 3.3.4 from the Microsoft Store and 3.6.2 from musescore.org directly won't interfere with one another
In reply to You don#t have backups, so… by Jojo-Schmitz
I'll do that to prevent this from happening again.
Thank you very much.
In reply to I'll do that to prevent this… by Scam Score
It won't prevent power outages though ;-)
In reply to As I said, I don’t know why… by Scam Score
Open from screenshot3 the folder "Partituras".
There must be a (hidden) folder .mscbackup. Show us the content of ".mscbackup".
In reply to Open from screenshot3 the… by HildeK
There doesn't seem to be anything in the 'Partituras' folder. I have the 'Hidden items' ('Elementos ocultos') option enabled in the 'View' ('Vista') tab. You can see the folder path in the screenshot itself.
I should clarify that at no point have I altered, modified, or deleted any kind of file or folder—I downloaded the Software legitimately.
Thanks for the help.
In reply to There doesn't seem to be… by Scam Score
What about the folder where the lost file is? You mentioned Music on C: earlier. No hidden backup folder in it either?
In reply to What about the folder where… by krasko78
I have the original file (Airship_Fortress.mscz) and its hidden object, which I assume contains the data of the original .mscz file (when I analyze both, it says they’re corrupted and incomplete). There’s nothing else—no hidden folder inside the 'Music' folder or any subfolder beyond that.
My theory is that since my laptop suddenly shut down while I was saving the project, the saving process was incomplete, and that’s why Musescore can’t read it.
In reply to I have the original file … by Scam Score
I get this error. "Error=XML_ERROR_PARSING_TEXT ErrorID=8 (0x8) Line number=1" but I forget how to deal with it.
This error is from the above posted score.
In reply to I get this error. "Error=XML… by bobjp
The file starts off regular but then there is just a dataless desert.
![Screenshot_20250424_204446.png]( "Screenshot_20250424_204446.png")
In reply to The file starts off regular… by underquark
I truly appreciate you taking the time to look into the file’s code and identify the error.
It’s a shame, as it was a project I’d been working on for several days. But I guess that’s how it goes. I’ll make sure to be more careful with these things in the future.
Thanks again—I really mean it.