Reads any DVR or NVR
All CCTV brands
Connect the DVR or NVR hard drive and DVRXaminer works out which recorder wrote it. You do not need to know the make or model. It supports the filesystems used across all CCTV manufacturers.
Windows Forensic video recovery from any DVR or NVR
DVR Video Forensics Software for CCTV Evidence
DVRXaminer recovers video from any DVR or NVR hard drive, even when the recorder is locked, formatted or dead. It reads the proprietary filesystem, rebuilds the footage and exports clips you can take to court.
Free Download See how it works
Free trial recovers and previews footage before you buy. Windows 10 and 11. Full licence $299.
Any
DVR or NVR brand
16+
Channels per case
100%
Source untouched
$299
One-time licence
CCTV and surveillance DVRs
Forensically sound
Bypasses DVR passwords
Recovers deleted clips
What is DVRXaminer?
DVRXaminer is Windows DVR video forensics software that recovers CCTV footage directly from a DVR or NVR hard drive. It reads the proprietary filesystem the recorder uses, bypasses passwords, recovers deleted clips and exports playable video with the metadata intact for court.
Why a normal recovery tool fails
Why won't my DVR footage open on a PC?
Pull the drive out of a DVR, plug it into Windows and you get nothing. No files. No folders. Here is why, and why DVRXaminer is built for exactly this.
A DVR does not store video the way a computer does. To write several camera streams at once, all day, without stopping, the maker uses its own closed filesystem instead of NTFS or FAT32.
That filesystem has no public map. Windows cannot read it. Nor can a general data recovery tool that only knows standard formats. The footage is on the drive. Nothing on your PC knows how to find it.
Here is the good news. You do not need to know any of this. DVRXaminer works it out for you, whatever brand you have. The detail is only here to show why a normal PC cannot. Each maker uses its own layout. A Hikvision drive carries a HIKVISION@HANGZHOU signature in its master sector and a HIKBTREE index that maps timestamps to the video. Dahua uses its DHFS format on XVR and NVR units and wraps each frame in a DHAV container. Swann, Lorex, Uniview, Reolink, Samsung, Amcrest, Hanwha, Bosch, NightOwl and the rest each do it differently again.
It reads the raw drive, works out which recorder wrote it, rebuilds the video block by block and hands you clips you can actually play in any media player. You do not need the original recorder, its menu or its password. For the full picture, see our guide on why a DVR hard drive shows up empty on a PC.
✕
General recovery softwareScans for NTFS and FAT files. A DVR drive has neither, so it finds nothing.
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The DVR menu itselfSlow, locked behind a password and risky. One wrong touch can wipe the timeline.
✕
Pulling files over the networkExports a few clips at a time in a format no standard player opens.
✓
DVRXaminerReads the drive directly, rebuilds every channel and exports playable video with timestamps.
DVR recovery features
Everything you need to recover the evidence
One tool takes you from a locked or damaged DVR drive to playable, court-ready video. Here is what it handles.
Bypasses passwords
No recorder needed
By reading the hard drive directly, DVRXaminer skips the DVR login and its menus completely. A locked recorder, a lost password or a dead unit no longer blocks the footage.
Recovers deleted clips
Unallocated space
DVRs overwrite old footage to make room for new. DVRXaminer scans the unallocated space and pulls back deleted clips that the recorder has already dropped from its own index. How long you have depends on your setup, which our guide on how long a DVR keeps footage breaks down.
Preview before export
Built-in player
Watch recovered video inside DVRXaminer with no external DVR player. Sort and filter by channel, date or time to find the clip you need before you export a single file.
Corrects date and time
Timeline accuracy
DVR clocks are often wrong. Apply an offset once and DVRXaminer shows the corrected timestamp across every clip, so your timeline of events lines up with the real world.
Exports playable video
Standard formats
Export the original proprietary clip or convert to a format any media player opens. Metadata stays with the video, and a report documents every step for the case file.
Compatibility
What it reads and what it writes
DVRXaminer reads the source drive read only, then exports the footage somewhere you choose. The original bytes never change.
Sources it reads
- DVR hard drives
- Any SATA drive pulled from a CCTV or surveillance DVR, plus camera SD cards
- NVR hard drives
- Network video recorder drives from IP camera systems
- Forensic images
- A disk image of a DVR drive, scanned like the drive itself
- Write blocked devices
- Read through a hardware write blocker for chain of custody
Systems it handles
- All DVR brands
- Every CCTV manufacturer, no make or model needed up front
- Proprietary filesystems
- Hikvision, Dahua DHFS, Swann and other closed formats Windows cannot read
- Multi channel recorders
- Rebuilds every camera channel from one drive
- Deleted and overwritten regions
- Scans unallocated space for clips dropped from the index
What it exports
- Native video
- The original clip exactly as the recorder stored it
- Playable formats
- Convert H.264 or H.265 to MP4 that any standard media player opens
- Metadata overlay
- Channel, date and corrected time carried onto the video
- Case reports
- A record of what was found and how, for the file
DVRXaminer opens the source drive read only. Take a hash before and after a scan and the same value comes back, because nothing is written to the evidence. Runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
How to recover DVR footage
From locked drive to court-ready clip
Four steps. No original recorder, no password, no guesswork about the DVR model.
01
Connect the drive
Attach the DVR or NVR hard drive to your Windows machine, ideally through a write blocker. Point DVRXaminer at it or at a forensic image.
02
Scan and detect
DVRXaminer identifies the recorder's filesystem on its own and scans the whole drive for recoverable clips, including deleted ones.
03
Preview and filter
Watch clips in the built-in player. Filter by channel, date and time, and apply a clock offset so the timeline reads true.
04
Export the evidence
Export native or playable video with the metadata and a report. The source drive stays exactly as you found it.
Forensically sound by design
Your evidence drive is never written to
DVRXaminer opens the DVR drive read only. Every scan, preview and export happens without a single byte going back to the source, so the recovery holds up to scrutiny.
Prove it yourself. Hash the drive before the scan and again after. The same digest comes back, because the evidence was only ever read.
- Source opened read only
- Write blocker friendly
- Every step logged for the report
Verifyread only
# hash the evidence drive before scanning
> ftkimager --verify \\.\PhysicalDrive2
SHA256 a91f7c…3e02
# run the full DVRXaminer scan, then verify again
> ftkimager --verify \\.\PhysicalDrive2
SHA256 a91f7c…3e02
# identical. the evidence was never written to.
Who it is for
Built for the people who need the footage
Law enforcement
Investigations
Recover video evidence from a seized DVR fast, without waiting on the maker or fighting a locked recorder. Every export comes with a report for the case file. See how police recover deleted CCTV footage.
Forensic examiners
Digital forensics labs
Add DVR and NVR video to your workflow with a tool that reads the source read only and documents the chain of custody at every step.
Data recovery firms
CCTV recovery
Take on jobs from dead, formatted or damaged DVRs that general recovery software cannot touch. One tool covers every brand that lands on your bench.
Questions
DVR recovery questions
Can deleted CCTV footage be recovered?
Often, yes. A DVR marks old footage as free space before it overwrites it. Until new video lands on top, DVRXaminer can scan that space and rebuild the deleted clips. Act quickly, because a running DVR keeps recording over it. Our guide on whether deleted CCTV footage can be recovered explains what happens on the drive.
Can you recover overwritten CCTV footage?
No. Once new video is physically written over the old sectors, the original is gone for good. This is true for every tool, ours included. Power the DVR down and pull the drive as soon as you can to stop the overwrite. Read the honest answer on recovering overwritten CCTV footage for the one exception.
Do I need the DVR password to recover the video?
No. DVRXaminer reads the hard drive directly and bypasses the DVR login and its menus. A locked recorder, a lost password or a dead unit does not block the footage.
How do I recover CCTV footage from a Hikvision or other DVR?
Take the hard drive out of the DVR, connect it to a Windows PC and point DVRXaminer at it. The software works out the filesystem on its own, so you do not need to know the make or model before you start.
Is the recovered video admissible in court?
DVRXaminer reads the source drive read only and logs each step, so the evidence is never altered. It exports the native video with metadata and a report. Admissibility is decided by the court, but the process is built to be forensically sound.
What does the free trial include?
The trial scans the drive and previews the recoverable footage so you can confirm the video is there before you buy. A full licence, priced at $299, adds export and reporting.
Which DVR and NVR brands does DVRXaminer support?
All of them. DVRXaminer reads the proprietary filesystems behind Hikvision, Dahua, Swann, Lorex, Uniview, Samsung, Reolink, Amcrest, Hanwha Wisenet, Bosch, NightOwl and every other CCTV maker. It detects the format from the drive, so you do not need to know the brand before you start.
Can DVRXaminer recover footage from a formatted or corrupted DVR drive?
Yes. A quick format leaves the video data in place, and DVRXaminer scans the raw drive to rebuild it. It also handles accidental deletion, firmware errors, bad sectors and drives where the index is corrupt after a power outage, falling back to carving the video stream directly.
What format is the recovered video, and will it play on any device?
You can export the native clip exactly as the recorder stored it, or convert to MP4 that any media player opens. Recovered H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) video plays without the original DVR or its software.
Can DVRXaminer recover video from a camera SD card?
Yes. Point DVRXaminer at an SD card pulled from an IP camera or a card slot recorder the same way you would a DVR hard drive. It reads the card and rebuilds the recoverable clips.
Still stuck on a drive that will not give up its footage? Ask our team and a real person will reply.
Details on this page were last checked on .
Recover the footage before it is overwritten
A running DVR records over deleted video every minute. Pull the drive, run the free trial and see what DVRXaminer can bring back.
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Windows 10 and 11 · Free trial · Full licence $299