Method and apparatus for protecting data when a recording process has failed

Abstract

When a data recording process fails to normally complete on an information recording medium, for example, because of a power interruption, a record controlling apparatus resumes recording immediately when power is turned back on, while protecting data that was recorded prior to the power interruption. The record controlling apparatus acquires, from a file system, a list of files that underwent a simple-salvage process, generates a tentative file name unfound in the list, and then generates a file with that tentative file name having, as the content thereof, data recorded in an area indicated by a new allocation area allocation descriptor contained in backup information in a backup memory. The file system that is updated with the generated file is recorded onto an optical disk as the information recording medium. The backup information is then deleted from the backup memory. The record controlling apparatus finds applications in video cameras, video recorders, etc., each of which uses an information recording medium with a file thereof managed by a file system.