Hello everybody!
In today’s video I’m going to show you how to recover data from the hard disk of
a network video recorder Hikvision DS-7104NI-Q1/4P.
These days, video surveillance systems are becoming a standard not only for offices and
shops, but also for home-based systems when people want to have more control over what’s
happening inside their apartment - or in the street.
While previously such systems were based on computers, now the most popular choice are
autonomous DVR systems which don’t need any PC at all.
Errors, failures or accidental removal of a video from the hard disk of the video recorder
may become a very painful experience, if that specific video file was very important.
Recorders keep their videos in a special format so extracting the data is not so easy as it
seems.
You will need specialized software provided by the device manufacturer, and if the file
is deleted - a special program capable of finding the lost data and displaying it.
Let’s start by analyzing the reasons causing data loss for video recorders, and then find
out how to recover data from a hard disk.
Why video recorders suffer from data loss Here are the most frequent reasons why information
is lost: • Hardware and software failures of the
video recorder; • Accidental or unintended deleting or damaging
of video files; • Hard disk formatting or initialization;
• Hard disk failures and so on.
If your hard disk failed, it is hardly possible to restore the lost information on your own,
so it’s better to contact a company specializing in data recovery.
What if the video recorder broke down?
If the video recorder breaks down, there is nothing to be recovered because all the data
is still there, on the hard disk inside the device.
However, if you connect the disk to the computer, don’t expect to see anything; what is more,
the Disk Management will suggest initializing it.
For cases like this, what you need is a special software tool provided by the recorder manufacturer
which can help you see the video files.
But what if you don’t have such software?
Try finding another video recorder of the same model - or use a data recovery tool.
Video recorder specifications This recorder model supports third-party cameras
as well and lets you connect as many as four IP cameras.
An effective video compression system helps the device to use less space for storing videos.
In the back panel, there are two video output channels – HDMI and VGA, a 100 Mbit Ethernet
port, two USB ports, and 4 independent Power over Ethernet (PoE), and of course, a power
connector.
Inside, there is a slot for one hard disk and a connector supporting disks up to 6 TB.
Backup settings If you need to recover an old video, you should
remember that any video recorder has to work with a limited memory capacity.
Depending on the quality of the picture and the number of cameras, it can record video
files for a certain period of time, and then it will overwrite older data with new files.
If a new record cycle has already begun, it’s unlikely that older videos can be recovered.
In general, before doing anything to the information which you think is important - formatting,
deleting, partitioning and so on - always remember to back up your stuff.
Most recorder models let you configure the backup process, so you can manage the schedule,
select cameras, video type and many other things.
If there are no video backup files, then use Hetman Partition Recovery, an effective data
recovery tool.
How to recover data with Hetman Partition Recovery
To recover data from the hard disk of a video recorder, connect the disk to a Windows computer.
Take out the screws and open the cover of the recorder, take out the hard disk, disconnect
it from the recorder, and connect the disk to the computer.
When connected, the disk is not displayed in the Windows Explorer, and the operating
system suggests to initialize it - but it’s not necessary now, so just hit Cancel.
As we know, initialization will erase all the data which is still on the disk, and any
recovery operations you conduct later can hardly be successful.
Run Hetman Partition Recovery.
The program can recognize the disk, and it detect its file system as hikvision.
Right-click on the disk and open it.
Select Fast scan and wait.
If the Fast scan result is unsatisfactory, try a deeper scan instead.
As you can see, the program managed to find the remaining data easily.
As a rule, video recorder files have similar names of the same type.
If you need to recover a certain video you can find it by using the preview function.
Select the files you need to extract from the disk and click “Recovery,” specify
where to save the data and click “Recovery” again.
When the process is over, you will find the recovered files in the folder you have chosen
for saving them.
Also, there are video recorders with RAID support that give you ample opportunities
to secure your data.
If you need to recover information from this kind of recorder, use Hetman RAID Recovery.
It will identify its properties automatically and rebuild the damaged RAID system, so that
you can copy the important data to a safer location.
That is all for now!
Hopefully, this video was useful.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.