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HDR / Evidence and legal work / DVR and NVR disks that have failed

Investigations & evidence · failed DVR and NVR disks

DVR hard disk recovery, Hull. The drive has failed, but that is not the same as gone.

A boot loop, a black screen, no disk detected, or video that won't play back: almost every time this is the hard drive in the DVR, not the DVR. Most surveillance systems write to their disks constantly while powered, and most often, these are also the least expensive part of your entire system. Pull the mains plug immediately. The loop continues to operate while consuming the images you need for recovery.

Only pay if we recover your data, on most jobs An exhibit from day one It is being written over now

Ring us, in confidence
0800 6890668

What actually fails in there.

The disk it runs onRecorders continue writing to their drives without hesitation. The families built for this duty are Seagate's SkyHawk & Western Digital's Purple. Compared to cameras these families are cheap and the continued wear from writing eventually wears them out.
How it shows up on the screenBoot loop. No disk detected. Black grid screen. Live images play while playback does nothing, or freezes a few seconds in each time you try to replay the same hour.
Why a PC shows nothingMost recorders do not utilise a file system that a computer can understand and some simply write directly to the raw device. When you insert the disk into your Windows PC, it appears empty and you are prompted to format it. That is not the disaster it appears. Do not format it.
What we cannot get backLost footage the loop has written over. Files are encrypted and there is no matching password file. Any data in a band of the disk that will not read. This can be determined early on.

Putting a name to the symptom.

Not one of these? Ring us →
What you seeWhat the fault isWhat to try
The unit continues to reboot itself over and overWaiting for a disk that never respondsOff at the mains now
The menu reports there is no hard drive installedThe drive has dropped off the bus or its heads have failedRefuse any format proposals and remove it
Live view works fine but playback does not workFootage still exists but the index pointing to the footage is damagedFirst get a quote, then send us the hard drive
Clicking sound from the box. Slow buzz from the box.Head touchdown. With each power-up, more head life is lost.You should not turn the recorder on again.
When you try to access the disk on your computer, you receive an error message saying the disk was not properly formatted.Recorders create a layout on the disk which no computer recognises.This condition is normal. You should refuse any prompts to format the disk.
The installer already put a new disk into it.The old drive contains the evidence, whoever currently possesses it.Get it back unused; get a quote first, then send it off.
Sending it to us: ring first or fill out the form to request a quote. Send the recorder disk (or camera card) via post to the Leeds intake laboratory (insured and trackable). Alternatively, drop the recorder disk (or camera card) off there, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. No appointment needed. We pay for its return journey. Call prior to sending if you would like one of our staff to check the packaging with you. All information about how to send is on the sending page.

The stages, one by one.

The casebook in full →
01

A case number first, then a free diagnosis Free

Every piece of gear that shows up receives a case number on the very same day it arrives. An engineer examines it and determines what is really wrong with it and there is no charge for this. We give you straight language about which files we will be able to copy from the disk and which ones we won't be able to. Then we provide you with a single price quote, in writing, based upon these findings. We don't begin working on anything until you agree to the quoted price.

The diagnosis is freeOne price, put in writingNothing to pay yet
02

Get it stopped

Turn the mains off, take the hard disk out of the box, connect nothing to a PC. When the disk is broken, we check it on the workbench before reading it: faulty heads, motor, mainboard or bad firmware.

No further writesRead-only imaging
03

Fix, then image

We repair the disk just enough to make it readable, but don't repair anything extra. After that, we copy the disk in read-only mode through a write-blocker. Short passes are used instead of hammering at weak areas. All other operations occur on our copy, so the original is handled once and left alone.

Heads, board, motorImaged in short passes
04

Then get the video out

When the layout of the recorder itself is available on the image, the videos appear in sequence by their individual channels and the recording time. When the layout is not present on the image, the image is reviewed for the byte marks which begin each frame of H.264 or H.265, and then the video appears without a label.

Layout read on the imageCarving where it is gone
05

You sign it off, then it comes back

You will not be charged while you think about this. First, you receive a list of everything that was recovered from the drive. Once you have seen the list and given us the go-ahead, the bill comes next. Files are returned to you on media purchased specifically for this job and we cover the return postage as well. Your job is kept open by us until you can view them on your personal computer.

You approve the listing firstCopied onto new mediaReturn postage at our cost

What we see on the bench

  • Surveillance hard drives never stop recording: they have a single continuous function of recording through all parts of their lifespan and these units are usually the cheapest item in any installation. These devices also wear themselves out while performing their intended functions.
  • The computer will report them as blank: because the recorder writes its own layout onto the media (and possibly directly onto the raw storage) Windows sees no valid layout and therefore reports "blank" and prompts you to format. That prompt has to be refused. The video data remains intact on your media.
  • The disk is always cloned. All data is captured behind a write blocker prior to reading from the disk. If a disk is dying, it has one carefully done pass, not fifty attempts to recover the same data. One attempt could be the final attempt.
  • There are three elements that determine success in recovering the video, in order: 1.) Has the loop previously been over this location? 2.) Is there damage to the physical area of the disk where the desired hours reside? 3.) Did the recorder continue to run for seven days past the incident? None of these are issues related to our skills or expertise.

Post the disk, not the unit: the unit is large and heavy. It may get jostled around in the post. We do not need the unit to complete the recovery process. Obtain a quote first, either through a telephone call or using the contact/quote form. Remove the disk from the unit. Note which caddy it came from. Package the disk to prevent movement in the post. Track and insure the disk to ensure delivery. Send it to the Leeds intake lab, or drop it off there (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment needed). The only time multiple disks must be sent together is with a multi-disk NVR, when they contain video that spans multiple drives. In that case, all disks must be sent in sequential order (the drives only, still not the recorder). Ring ahead to confirm what needs to be sent.

One case from the casebook.

HU · HUL-2026-0869LOGGED ✓

A failed disk out of a gate recorder at a Goole distribution park

The night gate camera had not been playing back for weeks before anyone reported the issue. When inventory discrepancies occurred, we were asked to retrieve footage from the cameras. Unfortunately, a head on the drive was faulty, so repairs were made sufficient to allow imaging and copying, but short passes were used due to the poor condition of the drive. Out of eight channels, four returned their date/time stamps. Nothing was ever able to be retrieved from one of the bands in the centre of the disk because that section never read.

4 of the 8 channels came back with times72 hours of bench time

Before you box it up.

Do these first

  • Disconnect power at the mains immediately
  • Write down both the name/model and date of need.
  • Obtain a quote prior to sending the drive and retain the original recorder unit.
  • Identify ownership and who can authorise us.

What not to do

  • Leave it running to see if recovery occurs.
  • Consent to reformat, allowing the device to restart.
  • Plug the drive into your PC to see how things are looking.
  • Let the new disk go in while the old one walks off site.

What we get asked on the phone.

It reports no hard disk. Is the footage gone?

Not on its own, no. This error indicates that the recorder has lost contact with the drive. The video remains on the platters. Shut down the power supply of the unit from the mains before attempting to remove anything from the failed unit, as a failing disk will continue to deteriorate each time it is requested to write data.

A PC asked me to format it. Did I break it?

No, and do not acknowledge this prompt. Recording devices create their own configuration for how the data is stored; therefore, when viewed through a PC's operating system, a completely filled device appears empty. Do not respond affirmatively. Disconnect the device and contact us regarding whether formatting had previously occurred, as it will determine what we should be searching for.

Do I send the recorder or just the drive?

By itself, just the drive. Please do not send us the recorder, due to postal concerns, potential damage, and our ability to work independently with the drive. Prior to posting the drive, please contact us to obtain a price quote via either the web form or by telephone, and then post the drive to the Leeds intake lab using trackable delivery and insurance, or simply take it there (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm) without an appointment. Note: The only exception would be multi-disk NVR systems which distribute video across multiple disks. In these cases, all disks must be sent to us, still without the recorder. Please also ring us prior to doing so, and we'll advise you on what items you should send.

Can the installer fit a new disk?

Only when the old disk is removed and remains removed. As soon as you put the disk in another recorder to start using it, you're going to write to it again. Request it back unused (anti-static bag), and store it until you find out whether you really need the contents of this disk.

What people read after this.

Video off recorders → Clips for an insurer or the police → Deleted by mistake → Forensics and evidence →

The recorder is overwriting it now.

The clip you wish to obtain is currently being recorded over; the deadline has not changed. Log a job. The initial review will cost you nothing; your comments remain confidential.

0800 6890668

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