A Fesi archive is a structured collection of recordings and Library information. Import checks that structure and its media before treating the operation as a successful restore. An error is a reason to identify the file and message, not a reason to delete the working Library and start over.
This guide focuses on troubleshooting an import you have already attempted. For creating a backup, use the archive export guide.
“This is not a valid Fesi archive”
The Android importer uses this message when the file does not have the expected archive header. First check that you selected the actual .fesiarchive output, rather than a reaction video, a preview or another downloaded file.
A filename alone is not proof of the contents. Renaming an MP4 to end in .fesiarchive does not create an importable Library collection. If you need to watch or share a video instead, read MP4 versus Fesi archive.
“Unsupported Fesi archive version”
This message means the importer does not accept the archive format or version it read. Note which Fesi versions created and opened the file if that information is available. Check the official update options for the receiving installation before assuming the file itself must be discarded.
Do not manually edit the archive’s version label to force an import. Changing a label does not make a different structure compatible. Keep the source file and report the exact message if you cannot establish a compatible workflow.
“The archive is incomplete or damaged”
The Android importer checks that declared media entries were actually restored. A missing payload can produce this message. An interrupted transfer is one possibility, but the wording alone does not prove how the file became incomplete.
Preserve the source archive. If it came through another app or storage service, confirm the transfer finished and obtain a fresh copy from the known source when possible. If the original Library is still available, a new completed export can provide another copy to test.
Check the full outcome before repeating
Other errors can occur while reading, validating or storing imported media. Record the exact message rather than treating every failure as a damaged-file error. Read the app’s final result and inspect the Library before deciding what to try next.
Android’s importer attempts to remove media created by a failed import. That implementation detail is not a promise that every failure on every device leaves no files behind. Verify the visible outcome and keep existing recordings intact.
A successful import is not a preview
Importing adds a collection to Fesi. Identifier collisions are resolved rather than using an imported session as an instruction to overwrite the current one. Repeatedly importing the same file can therefore create additional copies.
After one successful import, check expected sessions, representative playback, audio and important favorites before importing again. Do not use repeated imports as a substitute for checking whether the first one completed.
If the problem persists, use the support-report checklist: include the exact error, platform, app version and steps. An archive can contain private original recordings, so a concise description is a better first report than sending an entire collection without reviewing it.