The error message “Invalid sparse file format at header magic” typically occurs when there is an issue with a sparse file’s header. Sparse files are a type of file that efficiently represents large blocks of data with a significant amount of unallocated or empty space.
The “header magic” refers to a specific value or identifier located at the beginning of the file, which helps indicate the file type and format. If this magic value is not as expected or missing, it suggests that the file’s header is corrupt or not in the correct format.
Here are a few possible reasons and steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:
- File corruption: The sparse file itself might be corrupted, leading to the invalid header magic error. Try obtaining a fresh copy of the file from a reliable source or restoring it from a backup if available.
- File extract Issue: if you extract Images file from a payload.bin or similar compressed format then you may face that type of error.
- File Merge Issue: If you merge super.img from different partition then you may face that type of error.
Fix:
- “Invalid sparse file format at header magic” is not a fatal error, you can completely ignore it.
- Re merge or extract the file, in most cases you may face “Invalid sparse file format at header magic” error with super.img, or system.img so re merge these file again using suitable tool.