ChatVault docs
Media & attachments
Keep captured files with their messages and investigate attachments that could not be retrieved.
Check availability in WhatsApp Web
ChatVault collects media references from the selected conversation and retrieves files the web session can access. Photos, videos, voice notes and documents depend on the content WhatsApp Web exposes at export time.
Before a backup that matters, open several important attachments in WhatsApp Web. A preview tile alone is not proof that the original file can still be downloaded. Check older items as well as recent ones.
Keep the archive structure
Extract the entire ZIP, including the media folder. The main document associates messages with the downloaded files. HTML can use relative references for reading; TXT and spreadsheet exports identify attachments through labels or paths.
If an attachment works in Downloads but stops working after you move the archive, check that the main document and media folder moved together. Do not rename folders until you have verified how the document refers to them.
Read report.txt
ChatVault includes report.txt when media collection or retrieval has failures. Use it to distinguish a finished message export from an archive in which some attachments are unavailable. Keep the report with the original ZIP.
Check the reported affected items against WhatsApp Web and the extracted folder. A report explains missing or skipped media; it is not a recovered copy of the missing attachment.
Retry the affected period
Confirm that the attachment still opens in WhatsApp Web. If it does, refresh the tab, reopen ChatVault and retry a manageable period containing that message. Keep the popup open until the media stage and download finish.
If the original is unavailable in the web session, another export cannot guarantee recovery. Keep a note beside the archive describing the missing item, and retain any legitimate original copy you already have separately.