After seeing some help on this forum for Mac users I realised that I might be able to save my zero-length file from my recorder using some of the same process on a PC. It worked so am posting here to help other users who search.
This needs to be done if the power is switched off or batteries run out before the recording is stopped - you end up with a zero length .WAV file that no recovery programs such as ‘EASEUS Data Recovery’ or ‘Recuva’ can recover.
(I don’t have access to recorder or the inbuilt file recovery function might also have worked)
It’s a two stage process
Stage 1 is to copy a bit by bit image of your whole card to your PC
Stick the memory card in your card reader.
Download, install and start the FREE HDDguru raw copy tool
Here’s the link
http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/
After starting it you will be asked to select the source this will usually be the USB line where you’ve got your card installed in a card reader.
Click CONTINUE
Then select a Target by double clicking the ‘FILE’ line and selecting a folder on the PC in which to save the file image file, choose a file image name and select RAW DATA from the drop down box. Press SAVE then CONTINUE and then the START button and your file image will be made on your PC
Stage 2 – use audacity to read the file.
Start audacity and then from the file menu choose IMPORT and select RAW DATA. You will then have to choose some settings. You can guess at the settings, it doesn’t take too long by trial and error. Or use a free online file analysis program to analyse any other WAV file from your recorder to see what format you are likely to have saved in.
Audacity will open the whole image file and somewhere along the spectrum line you should be able to see audio and select what you want to save.
Hope this helps someone
Cheers
Nick