How to Recover Deleted or Corrupted Videos from Hikvision CCTV

Is it possible to recover deleted CCTV footage?

Video surveillance systems have evolved into crucial components for safeguarding and overseeing security in residential and commercial spaces. Modern CCTV cameras have transferred from storing footage on personal PCs using DVRs (digital video recorders) to direct video recording.

Hikvision is one of the prominent video surveillance manufacturers and has attracted a large number of users across the world. However, the risk of accidental deletion or loss of recorded videos from the DVR’sdrive looms large.

Undoubtedly, the consequences of losing CCTV footage can be catastrophic, especially if critical information resides within the deleted or corrupted videos. But it's possible to recover videos from Hikivision CCTV and there are different ways in the following.

Possible reasons for Hikvision video loss

To find the targeted method, it’s essential to comprehend the potential causes of CCTV Hikvision video loss.

When it comes to deleted Hikvision videos, few users are willing to backup their videos regularly. Thus, in the absence of backups, employing a third-party tool camera-recorded video recovery is the top choice.

How to recover deleted CCTV footage from Hikvision DVR

So it's advisable to stop adding and writing new files to your Hikvisiondevice. Moreover, the sooner you start video recovery via reputable data recovery tools, the better chances you’ll get.

Backed by AOMEI Tech, AOMEI FastRecovery is good at recovering deleted and missing videos (MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, MPG, M4V, MKV, TS, 3G2/3GP, WebM, etc.) from Hikvision SD cards, USB drives, external disks, HDDs, SSDs, and others.

Now, click the download button to get started. Please connect your storage device to your computer if it is an external hard drive or Hikvision SD card.

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI FastRecovery on your Windows PC. Hover the mouse over the drive containing deleted Hikvision footage and click Scan.

Step 2. After clicking Start Scan, AOMEI FastRecovery will automatically run Quick Scan and Deep Scan to scan your drive for all the recoverable files, analyze and categorize them. So you can find them in the original location. Or locate them quickly using the following items.

Step 3. Once found, double-click to preview them and choose the recoverable CCTV footage videos. Then, click Recover x files and select a new location to save them. You don't need to wait for the full scanning process.

How to fix corrupted Hikvision DVR recordings

If there’s something wrong with your Hikvision device and you attempt to repair it, try the following feasible fixes.

Fix 1. Use TestDisk

As a robust and open-source file recovery tool, TestDisk can recover lost partitions, fix partition tables, and rebuild the boot sectors. It’s 100% free and compatible with various computer operating systems.

Once you’ve successfully recovered your deleted videos, you can also employ TestDisk to try and repair the corrupted Hikvision DVR hard drive if you’re familiar with CMD.

Step 1. Download and unzip the TestDisk folder. Then, right-click it and click Run as administrator.

Step 2. Use the arrow keys to select the No Log option and press Enter.

Step 3. Select the Hikvision DVR drive and press Enter.

Step 4. Select the partition table type. For Windows users, select Intel and press Enter.

Step 5. Select the Analyse option and press Enter. On the next screen, click Quick Search to scan and find the missing partition.

Step 6. Select the partition you want to recover and follow the prompts on the screen until you see the Write option. Select it and press Enter.

Step 7. Press Y to write the partition table. Then, press Enter again.

Fix 2. Run the CHKDSK command

The CHKDSK utility is an in-built Windows feature, designed to inspect disk space and usage, generating a status report tailored to each file system.

To repair errors on the volume, you need to run CHKDSK with /f, /r, /x, or /b parameters because CHKDKS only can display the status of the volume but does not fix any errors.

Step 1. Type “cmd” in the search bar > select Run as administrator to open the command prompt window.

Step 2. Enter “CHKDSK F: /f /r /x” in the window. Please remember to replace F with the real letter of your Hikvision storage device.

FAQs

Are you wondering how to recover deleted footage from CCTV? In short, users without backups might have no other option but to rely on professional video recovery software to recover deleted videos from Hikvision CCTV.

Apart from that, there are some related tips about Hikvision CCTV footage and data loss prevention measures.

Does CCTV footage get deleted automatically?

When CCTV footage is recorded, it gets stored either on a local hard disc, a cloud server, or an offsite server. Typically, after 15 days or a month, depending on the DVR/NVR’s storage capacity, old data is automatically replaced with new data.

Can overwritten CCTV footage be recovered?

If you’ve turned on File History or System Protection on the local disk that stores your CCTV footage, you can use Previous Versions to access earlier or older versions of your footage videos according to the timeline.

Because this feature allows you to go back in time and recover specific versions of your CCTV footage videos that may have been accidentally deleted or modified. Moreover, Previous Versions also can help you recover overwritten Excel files.

Step 1. Press Win + E to open Windows File Explorer > right-click on the local disk that stores your CCTV footage before deletion.

Step 2. Click Properties > Previous Versions > select a folder version > click Restore.

Step 3. If you desire to set a new saved path, please right-click on Restore and select Restore to.

How to prevent CCTV footage from losing

Regular backups stand as the most effective defense against data loss. If you intend to prevent CCTV footage from being automatically deleted, it’s beneficial to develop a good habit of making regular backups via this free Windows backup utility, AOMEI Backupper Standard

It helps safeguard your valuable files and ensures you have a reliable backup in case of unexpected data loss.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper on your Windows PC. Under the Backup tab, select the File Backup option.

Step 2. Click Add Folder/Add File to add the folder or CCTV footage videos you want to back up.

Step 3. Click Schedule Backup to enable Daily, Weekly, or Monthly based on your needs. Then click the Start Backup button.