How to Recover Deleted Videos from CCTV

CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) systems are a crucial part of security surveillance in various settings, including homes, businesses, and public spaces. They use cameras to monitor and record activities in their surroundings.

However, your CCTV videos or footage may be accidentally deleted, leading to data loss. Fortunately, your data is recoverable and the recovery process varies slightly depending on how your CCTV camera transmits the signals and stores its videos or footage. Let’s dive into it!

How Do CCTV Systems Record and Store Videos?

In fact, there are two types of CCTV cameras, namely wired and wireless. As the name suggests, wired CCTV cameras require coaxial or Ethernet cables to connect to the central hub, which is responsible for recording and storing videos.

Digital Video Recorder (DVR), Personal Video Recorder (PVR), and Network Video Recorder (NVR) are examples and the videos are usually saved in hard drive, SSD, USB, and other external devices.

Instead, wireless CCTV cameras directly send signals to a network drive or cloud storage (via WiFi).  In addition, due to limited capacity, some wireless cameras using SD cards can only record and store videos when the camera detects motion. But they still rely on a wire to connect to a power source.

Why Are CCTV Videos Deleted?

Video deletion in CCTV systems can occur due to various reasons. Here are some common causes below:

• The video retention period expiring.
• Accidental or intentional deletion.
• Insufficient space on CCTV storage.
• Formatted drive or corrupted DVR.
• Power failure.
• Bad sectors.
• Virus or malware attack.
• Physical damage, such as fire, water seepage, moisture, etc.
• ...

How to Recover Deleted Videos from CCTV

If you find your important video footage is deleted from CCTV system, try the following methods to recover them quickly. Here are several ideas for CCTV camera data recovery:

• Act promptly. Each new recording may potentially overwrite the deleted video, making recovery impossible. 
• Check your retention settings in the CCTV system or if it has any backup.
• Consider using professional data recovery software to scan and recover deleted CCTV footage.
• Try chkdsk command if your disk has bad sectors or is infected by a virus or malware.

Way 1: Recover CCTV Footage from Backup

Some CCTV systems will retain deleted footage for a certain period or automatically create backups to allow you to recover them from the CCTV system.

Step 1. Locate the CCTV footage backup and open it.

Step 2. Search for deleted files and restore them back to their original location. It can be a hard drive, SSD, USB drive, SD card, etc.

Note: If you are not familiar with your CCTV systems, contact the system administrator or support team for data recovery.

Way 2: Recover Deleted CCTV Footage using Professional Software

If your CCTV system does not have any backup, you can attempt to employ professional data recovery software like MyRecover and start CCTV DVR video recovery quickly. It also applies to PVR and NVR cameras. Below are some key features of this software:

• Retrieve files lost in any scenario, such as accidental deletion, formatting, virus infection, corrupted disk, etc.
• Support a wide range of CCTV cameras, including Axis Communications, Hikivison, Bosch, CP Plus, Dahua, Pansonic, Sony, etc.
• Recover multiple video formats, such as AVI, MOV, MP4, WEBM, ASF, MJPG4, H.264 or H.265, etc.
• Filter video file type, date modified, and size to locate them quickly.
• Recover CCTV footage from HDD, USB drive, SD card, network drive, NAS, etc, regardless of its file system.

In addition, the software does not require technical expertise and is friendly to novices, making the recovery process seamless. Please download the Windows data recovery software - MyRecover and follow the steps below to recover deleted CCTV footage from Hikvision DVR or other cameras.

Step 1. Connect the disk containing CTTV videos to your computer. Launch this professional data recovery software - MyRecover. Hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted videos before, and click Scan.

Note: If you are using a network drive or NAS device to store CCTV videos, you need to map them as a local drive or disconnect from your NAS system or machine where they are stored.

Step 2. It will run Quick Scan and Deep Scan automatically to find out all the deleted or lost CCTV videos, such as AVI, MOV, etc. To locate them quickly, use the Filter feature or go to the original location in the left panel.

Step 3. Select your desired video files and then click Recover x files to recover deleted videos from CCTV system. You will then be asked to select a location. Please select a new location instead of the original location to prevent potential data overwriting.

Notes:  

• The restore button will display the number of selected video files and their full size. You can use it to determine the integrity of the recovered videos.
• You can recover deleted CCTV footage for free, up to 500MB. Once exceeded, please upgrade to the advanced editions.
• In addition, you still can use this software to recover deleted X3F/HEIF/JPG images, DOC/DOCX/TXT/XLS documents, etc over 200 file formats.

Sometimes, you may not be able to recover CCTV footage, which is usually due to severe damage or physical damage. Please directly seek assistance with professional data recovery services. They usually employ experienced specialists and have advanced equipment for different recovery tasks.

Way 3: Repair Disk Errors using CHKDSK Command

If you suspect your disk has bad sectors, there is a chance to mark bad sectors as unusable and recover read-only information. It also helps to fix any found disk errors.

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and select Run as administrator.

Step 2. In the command prompt window, type chkdsk *: /f /r /x and press Enter.

Notes:

• Replace * with the drive letter of your CCTV storage.
• Sometimes you may find the chkdsk delete files. So please don’t use this method if you are not familiar with chkdsk command, espcaially for novices.
• The chances of retrieving a bug-infected file are quite low.

Tips for Preventing Video Loss in CCTV Systems

Prevention is always better than cure. Here are some practical tips to minimize the risk of video loss in your CCTV system:

1. Regularly Backup CCTV Footage

Create a regular backup schedule for your CCTV footage and save them to another external storage device, NAS or network drive, cloud storage, etc. It will retain a copy of your footage if the original data is lost and allows you to restore them quickly. Try free Windows backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard.

2. Implement Access Controls

Restrict access to the CCTV system to authorized personnel only. Implement strong access controls, including passwords and multi-factor authentication, to prevent unauthorized deletion or tampering of video data.

3. Maintain Adequate Storage Capacity

Ensure that your CCTV system has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the recorded videos. Regularly monitor the storage space and upgrade as needed to prevent data overwriting due to lack of space.

Conclusion

Losing important video footage from a CCTV system can be distressing, but with the right method, it is often possible to recover deleted videos from CCTV. Acting quickly, checking for backups, using data recovery tools if necessary, etc. are essential for data recovery.

Additionally, it’s suggested to take some preventive measures, such as regular backups and access controls to prevent a loss of CCTV videos in the future. So you don’t need to worry about your important videos anymore.

FAQs

1. Can I recover deleted videos from a CCTV system on my own?

While it is possible to attempt video recovery using data recovery software, it's best to seek professional help for better results and to avoid further complications.

2. How long do CCTV systems typically retain video footage?

The retention period varies depending on the system settings and storage capacity. Some systems retain data for a few days, while others may store footage for several months.

3. Can I prevent accidental deletion of CCTV videos?

Yes, implementing access controls and educating users about proper system usage can help prevent accidental deletions.

4. Can data recovery services guarantee the recovery of deleted videos?

While data recovery experts have a higher chance of successful recovery, the outcome depends on various factors, including the time elapsed since deletion and system-specific settings.