Losing CCTV DVR footage can be critical, but with the right data recovery software, it’s possible to restore lost video files. In this article, we review the best CCTV DVR data recovery software for 2026, focusing on tools that excel in recovering deleted or corrupted files from DVR systems.
CCTV DVR (Digital Video Recorder) systems are widely used in surveillance to record video footage from security cameras. These devices store video data, which is crucial for security and monitoring purposes, on hard drives. Over time, businesses, homeowners, and institutions rely on CCTV DVRs to record large volumes of data for security purposes. However, like any digital storage system, CCTV DVRs are not immune to issues such as data corruption, accidental deletion, or hardware failure.
Whether it’s due to a malfunctioning hard drive or a software failure, losing video footage from a CCTV DVR system can be catastrophic. This is where CCTV DVR data recovery software comes into play, offering solutions to retrieve lost data and restore critical footage.
Data loss from a CCTV DVR system can occur due to several reasons. Understanding these reasons can help prevent future data loss and ensure that proper steps are taken to protect CCTV footage. The common reasons including:
💾Hard Drive Failure: The most common cause of data loss is a malfunction in the hard drive where the footage is stored. Mechanical failures or logical errors can make it difficult to access the stored video data.
🔔Accidental Deletion: Users may accidentally delete files or format the drive, leading to loss of valuable footage.
📂Corruption of Files: Data corruption may occur due to improper system shutdowns, power surges, or file system errors. This can make video files inaccessible or unreadable.
📌Overwriting Data: DVR systems often overwrite old footage when storage space is full. If old footage is overwritten and new video data continues to be written, the chances of recovering the overwritten files will be very low.
🛠️Physical Damage: Physical damage to the CCTV DVR unit or storage drive, such as a fire, water damage, or impact, can result in data loss.
⚙️Software Bugs: Bugs or glitches in the DVR system’s software can lead to improper recording, loss of files, or failure to save video data.
This section will introduce a professional Windows data recovery tool to help you retrieve footage from your CCTV DVR. However, before proceeding with the specific recovery steps, completing some necessary preparations will ensure a smoother data recovery process.
No matter which software or tool you choose to recover data from the CCTV hard drive, make sure you are fully prepared for the data recovery process:
⭐Stop using the DVR hard drive immediately: If new footage is written, the old files will be overwritten, making recovery difficult.
⭐Remove the hard drive from CCTV DVR: Carefully disconnect the hard drive from the DVR chassis and ensure that it does not sustain any physical damage.
⭐Prepare a correct power cable like SATA to USB: Note that some DVR hard drive interfaces may be surveillance-specific and thus incompatible with standard SATA connections.
⭐Check the file system of your DVR hard drive: CCTV DVR systems typically use the EXT3 or EXT4 file system. Different brands and systems may also adopt FAT32, NTFS, or other file systems. Make sure the data recovery software you choose is compatible with it.
When data loss occurs, using specialized CCTV DVR data recovery software is crucial for retrieving lost or corrupted files. There are a number of tools available for recovering CCTV footage on Windows, each with its own set of features to handle specific recovery scenarios. Among the top choices, MyRecover stands out as a powerful tool for restoring lost footage from CCTV DVRs.
Here are the standout features of MyRecover:
✅500+ Devices Support – Recover files from all types of devices like SSD, HDD, USB flash drive, SD card, cameras, game console drives and more.
✅Handle 500+ Data Loss Scenarios – Recover from deleted partition, formatted hard drive, emptied Recycle Bin, system crash, virus attack, etc.
✅Supports over 1,000 file types – Including documents, photos, videos, audio, archives, and Outlook data files.
✅Higher Success Rate – Advanced deep scan for NTFS/FAT32/exFAT/EXT4/EXT3 drives.
✅Read-Only Scan Mode – Ensures 0 damage or overwriting to source drive during recovery.
✅Leading Security Standards – Local-only scan and recovery process guarantee complete privacy protection.
Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer (Windows supported) from Microsoft Store. Connect the DVR hard drive to your computer with the cable.
Step 2. Launch the program and select the DVR hard drive to scan for lost files, then click "Scan".
Step 3. After the scan is completed, choose the files you would like to recover from the recoverable lists under the "Path" or "Type" tab and click "Recover".
MyRecover Free offers up to 500MB of data recovery at no charge, perfect for small recoveries. If you need large-scale recovery or more advanced features like real-time file previews, MyRecover Professional edition gives you everything you need to ensure your data is safe.
Step 4. Save the recovered files to another secure drive or storage device to avoid overwriting the original data.
When the process finishes, the message "Files have been recovered successfully" will pop up. Then, you can access the recovered files in the destination folder by clicking on the "Browse" button.
Having a backup is a great way to protect against data loss. If you’ve backed up your CCTV footage, recovering the lost files is straightforward. Here's how you can restore your files from backup:
👉Backup and Restore (Windows 7): Go to Control Panel and open Backup and Restore (Windows 7), click "Restore my files" to choose files you want to retrieve.
👉OneDrive: Log in to OneDrive with your account and download the files you like. If the footages were deleted, you can restore them in Recycle bin.
CCTV DVR data loss can occur for a variety of reasons, including hard drive failure, file corruption, and accidental deletion. For users who have regular backups, restoring data is relatively simple, but if no backups exist, MyRecover provides the best chance of successfully recovering your CCTV footage.
To avoid future data loss, always ensure you regularly back up your footage and consider using high-quality recovery software to secure your data. If you're struggling with CCTV DVR data loss, MyRecover offers an intuitive and effective solution for recovering lost video files. Its Professional edition even supports data recovery from crashed Windows.