Why Customers Choose File Savers for DVR and CCTV Recovery
7 reasons customers choose us for DVR, NVR, and CCTV video recovery
- ✔ Free diagnostics, full evaluation and a firm quote within 24 to 48 hours after arrival.
- ✔ ISO 5 clean room imaging for failing DVR and NVR disks, safe procedures for delicate cases.
- ✔ No data, no charge, you only pay when we deliver playable footage.
- ✔ Chain of custody and confidentiality, documented handling for legal and sensitive matters, HIPAA and PCI aware.
- ✔ Proprietary DVR format expertise, extraction from H.264 and H.265 and vendor locked containers, delivery as standard playable files.
- ✔ Timeline reconstruction and export support, restore missing hours, fix corrupt indexes, resolve USB export failures, preserve time stamps.
- ✔ Local service with national reach, 175 plus service centers for fast, secure drop off.
Data Recovery From All DVR/CCTV Brands & Models
Expert footage recovery for Hikvision, Dahua, Swann, Lorex, and more — including DVRs, NVRs, and hybrid systems with failed hard drives, using Dolphin Data Recovery software.
Hikvision
DS-7200, DS-7300, DS-9000, NVR Series
Hikvision DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Hikvision DS-7200, DS-7300, DS-9000, and NVR series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Common failures include head crashes, firmware corruption, and error messages. Our ISO 5 Clean Room experts handle failed drives in Hikvision DVRs/NVRs, restoring critical videos from commercial and residential systems.
Learn More
Dahua
XVR, NVR Lite, Pro, Ultra Series
Dahua DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Dahua XVR, NVR Lite, Pro, and Ultra series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Failures like USB export issues, bad sectors, or no video display are common. Our engineers restore videos from failed Dahua drives, ensuring playable footage for business and public sector systems.
Learn More
Swann
DVR-4580, DVR-4780, NVR-8580
Swann DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Swann DVR-4580, DVR-4780, NVR-8580, and more using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Common issues include clicking drives, corrupted files, or slow playback. File Savers restores videos from failed Swann drives, perfect for home and small business security systems.
Learn More
Lorex
LHV, LNR, NR900, 4K NVR Series
Lorex DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Lorex LHV, LNR, NR900, and 4K NVR series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Failures like firmware errors, no recording, or water damage are common. Our cleanroom experts restore videos from failed Lorex drives, ideal for home and business security.
Learn More
Night Owl
XHD, THD, WNVR, DP Series
Night Owl DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Night Owl XHD, THD, WNVR, and DP series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Issues like missing files, error messages, or clicking drives are common. Our engineers restore videos from failed Night Owl drives, ensuring security for homes and small businesses.
Learn More
Q-See
QT, QC, QTH, NVR Series
Q-See DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Q-See QT, QC, QTH, and NVR series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Common failures include bad sectors, firmware corruption, or no video display. File Savers restores videos from failed Q-See drives, perfect for affordable home and business security.
Learn More
Samsung
SRD, SHR, SNVR Series
Samsung DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Samsung SRD, SHR, and SNVR series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Failures like clicking heads, USB export issues, or firmware errors are common. Our ISO 5 Clean Room restores videos from failed Samsung drives for professional surveillance systems.
Learn More
Sony
NSR, SNT, Hybrid DVR Series
Sony DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Sony NSR, SNT, and Hybrid DVR series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Common issues include head crashes, corrupted files, or slow playback. Our engineers restore videos from failed Sony drives, ideal for high-end commercial surveillance.
Learn More
Panasonic
WJ-HD, WJ-NV, i-PRO Series
Panasonic DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Panasonic WJ-HD, WJ-NV, and i-PRO series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Failures like firmware corruption, error messages, or water damage are common. File Savers restores videos from failed Panasonic drives for enterprise and government systems.
Learn More
Uniview
NVR300, NVR200, Easy Series
Uniview DVR Recovery
We recover footage from Uniview NVR300, NVR200, and Easy series using Dolphin Data Recovery software. Common issues include bad sectors, no recording, or firmware errors. Our ISO 5 Clean Room restores videos from failed Uniview drives for high-end surveillance systems.
Learn MoreWhat's Wrong With My DVR/CCTV System?
Understand Your DVR Failure Symptoms & How File Savers Recovers Your Footage
Possible Failure: Hard drive failure, firmware corruption, or read/write head damage.
Significance of Failure: If your DVR/CCTV shows no video, the hard drive or firmware may be corrupted, common in Hikvision or Dahua systems after power surges or wear. Continued use risks permanent footage loss.
Warning: Power off immediately! Repeated playback attempts can damage platters or overwrite data. Avoid recovery software.
Solution: File Savers uses ISO 5 Clean Room tools for head replacements and firmware repairs, recovering footage from failed DVR drives with high success.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and expert recovery.
Possible Failure: Seized motor, bad sectors, or file system corruption.
Significance of Failure: A DVR/CCTV that stops recording may have a seized motor or corrupted file system, common in Lorex or Swann systems after heat buildup or power issues. Further use can overwrite footage.
Warning: Stop powering on! Continued operation risks complete data loss. DIY tools or reformatting won’t help.
Solution: Our experts repair motors and rebuild file systems in an ISO 5 Clean Room, restoring recordings from failed DVR drives.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and fast recovery.
Possible Failure: Firmware corruption, file system errors, or bad sectors.
Significance of Failure: Messages like “HDD Error” or “No Disk” on your DVR/CCTV screen signal firmware or file system issues, common in Hikvision or Swann systems after power loss. Continued use can corrupt footage.
Warning: Power off! Reformatting or running diagnostics risks permanent data loss. Avoid DIY fixes.
Solution: File Savers repairs firmware and file systems in our ISO 5 Clean Room, recovering footage from error-prone DVR drives.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and expert help.
Possible Failure: Corrupted export index, failing disk, or proprietary file formats.
Significance of Failure: Failed USB exports or unplayable files (e.g., .264, .dav) often occur in Dahua or Lorex systems due to disk corruption or vendor-locked formats. Repeated tries risk data loss.
Warning: Stop exporting! Do not reformat the drive or USB. Repeated attempts can overwrite recoverable footage.
Solution: We extract footage from disk images, repair corrupted segments, and convert files to playable formats, preserving timestamps.
Find a File Savers location near you for expert extraction and recovery.
Possible Failure: Accidental deletion, formatting, or bad sectors.
Significance of Failure: Missing or unplayable videos on your DVR/CCTV, common in Swann or Hikvision systems, result from user error, power outages, or disk degradation. Continued recording risks overwriting footage.
Warning: Stop using the system! Further recording can overwrite recoverable data. Recovery software often fails on DVR formats.
Solution: File Savers uses logical reconstruction and sector-level recovery to restore deleted or corrupted DVR/CCTV footage in our ISO 5 Clean Room.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and expert help.
Possible Failure: Head stiction, platter damage, or motor seizure.
Significance of Failure: Beeping or clicking from your DVR/CCTV, common in Hikvision or Dahua systems after drops or surges, signals mechanical failure. Running the drive risks permanent footage loss.
Warning: Power off immediately! Continued operation can destroy platters or heads. DIY fixes are ineffective.
Solution: Our ISO 5 Clean Room experts perform head transplants and platter restoration to recover footage from clicking DVR drives.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and fast recovery.
Possible Failure: Bad sectors, degrading heads, or firmware issues.
Significance of Failure: Slow or frozen video playback on your DVR/CCTV, common in Swann or Lorex systems, signals bad sectors or worn heads. Continued use can lead to full failure.
Warning: Stop playback! Continued use risks permanent footage loss. Avoid running scans or recovery tools.
Solution: File Savers uses sector-by-sector imaging and cleanroom techniques to recover footage from slow or frozen DVR drives.
Find a File Savers location near you for a free diagnostic and fast help.
Possible Failure: Incomplete or incorrect update, power loss during update, corrupted system partitions or bootloader, damaged service area modules, or a mismatched firmware build.
Significance of Failure: The recorder may be stuck on the logo or rebooting, menus may be missing or reset, live view works but nothing records, USB export fails or asks for new passwords, and indexes can become corrupted.
Warning: Do not run another update or factory reset. Do not initialize or reformat the disk, this can destroy recoverable footage.
Solution: We image the disk outside the recorder, repair databases and indexes offline, and when required back up and restore EEPROM or flash to regain access. Then we convert vendor locked footage to standard playable files and preserve time stamps.
Find a File Savers location near you for expert firmware recovery.
Every DVR/CCTV failure is unique. File Savers diagnoses your system, explains the issue, and provides a free quote to recover your critical footage.
How Quickly Can We Recover Your DVR/CCTV Footage?
Three Service Levels. One Expert Team. Choose Your Turnaround Time.
Emergency DVR Recovery
(1–2 Days Estimated)
- Immediate Start
- 24/7 Engineers
- Fastest Footage Recovery
- 74% Completed in 24 Hours
Is Emergency DVR Recovery Right for You?
When every hour matters, our Emergency DVR and CCTV Recovery Service begins the moment your recorder or drives arrive. We image DVR or NVR disks in an ISO 5 environment, parse H.264 and H.265 and vendor locked formats, reconstruct timelines, and return playable files with preserved time stamps and chain of custody.
Call Now | 866-221-3111
Priority DVR Recovery
(2–5 Days Estimated)
- Lab Priority
- Senior Engineer Focus
- Faster Footage Recovery
- 88% Done Within 4 Days
Is Priority DVR Recovery Right for You?
Built for urgent incidents, legal reviews, or internal investigations that do not require overnight work. Your DVR or NVR gets prioritized imaging during business hours, rapid parts sourcing, and focused database and index repair to restore recordings quickly and cleanly with documented chain of custody.
Call Now | 866-221-3111
Standard DVR Recovery
(7–14 Days Estimated)
- Free Diagnosis
- Affordable Option
- High Success Rate
- 96% Done Within 2 Weeks
Is Standard DVR Recovery Right for You?
Ideal for non-urgent footage. We provide a free, no-obligation diagnosis of your DVR or NVR, then a firm quote before work begins. Our process includes safe hardware imaging, proprietary timeline reconstruction, and delivery of standard playable files. We do not attempt recovery of deleted clips due to rapid overwrite behavior on loop systems.
Call Now | 866-221-3111How Much Does DVR/CCTV Data Recovery Cost?
Pricing depends on factors unique to your DVR/CCTV drive. Learn what affects your quote, then connect with us for expert guidance and a fast, personalized estimate.
DVR Type
How DVR type affects your quote
DVR Type Impacts Recovery Complexity
All DVR/CCTV recoveries require expertise, but systems like Hikvision, Dahua, or enterprise-grade NVRs present added challenges. Proprietary firmware, unique file systems, and rare drive parts need specialized tools and extra lab time. Like fixing a sports car versus a standard vehicle, these drives demand more precision, which can increase costs. File Savers recovers footage from all DVRs and NVRs with proven expertise.
DVR Capacity
How drive capacity affects your quote
Higher Capacity Means Higher Complexity
When a DVR/CCTV drive fails, platter damage or file system corruption requires full-drive recovery, sector by sector. Larger drives (4TB+) in Swann or Lorex systems have more platters or complex firmware, needing advanced tools and more time. Like mowing a 5-acre lawn versus a small yard, bigger drives take longer, raising costs. We expertly recover your surveillance footage.
DVR Failure
How drive failure affects your quote
Failure Type Determines Recovery Needs
Symptoms like clicking or errors hint at issues, but only our free in-lab evaluation reveals the true failure, often damage or corruption requiring full-drive recovery. All DVR recoveries need expert engineers, but a 10TB Hikvision drive with head damage demands more R&D. Like heart surgery versus a complex fracture, tougher cases raise costs. File Savers restores footage with precision.
Urgency
How faster service affects your quote
Urgency Impacts Pricing Tiers
All DVR/CCTV recoveries require expert engineers and specialized tools, but urgent cases need dedicated focus for the fastest turnaround. Standard (7–14 days) is affordable; Priority (2–5 days) or Emergency (1–2 days) skips the queue, using top engineers, often doubling the cost. Like overnight delivery versus standard, urgent recovery demands intense focus. File Savers delivers your footage fast.
Call to Get a Customized DVR Recovery Quote in Minutes
Our goal is to recover your DVR/CCTV footage quickly and affordably.
Call us for answers, clarity, and a quote tailored to your failed drive.
- LIVE SUPPORT FROM OUR RECOVERY SPECIALISTS: Our experienced advisors will review your DVR/CCTV symptoms, explain options, and help you choose the right service.
- REALISTIC RANGE, NO SURPRISES: We’ll ask quick questions to provide a price range based on real DVR cases, then schedule a free evaluation to confirm the exact issue and cost.
- NO PRESSURE, NO RISK: We’ll explain what to expect, schedule your free evaluation, and guide you to avoid mistakes that make DVR footage recovery harder or costlier.
Industry Lies & What Really Impacts HDD Recovery %
The truth about success rates, recovery myths, and mistakes that can destroy your data
We Recover 98.7%
Because exaggeration sells. The truth doesn't.
If They’ll Bend the Truth on This, What Else?
Competitors often claim 95–98% success, but only by counting recoverable drives. Roughly 50% of clicking drives are already destroyed, and nearly 10% arrive ruined by DIY or bad recovery attempts. Omitting those cases paints a false picture. When you include everything, even top labs average 70–80% success at best. We tell you the truth, even when it’s not sexy. And we regularly recover drives our 95%+ competitors declare “unrecoverable".
DIY Destroys Data
Is trying to save money worth permanent loss?
You Only Get One Shot
Nearly 10% of the drives we receive were ruined by YouTube DIY attempts, “computer expert” friends, or repair shops in over their heads. If the data doesn’t matter, experiment all you want. But if losing it would devastate you, don’t risk it—you’re more likely to make things worse. You only get one shot with many failures. We've seen hopeful customers become heartbroken because they didn’t call first. If the files truly matter, treat them like they do. Call us before it’s too late.
Cheap Recovery
Your data's only chance shouldn't be a gamble.
One Lab. One Chance. Choose Wisely.
Cheap or local doesn’t mean better. Most budget labs and computer shops lack clean rooms, proper tools, or the experience to handle complex failures. They cut corners, sometimes turning recoverable drives into disasters. On the flip side, top-tier labs boast 95%+ success rates, but quietly exclude the 20% they call “impossible” and won’t even try to recover. In truth, they’re recovering 70–80% at best. We know because we regularly recover drives they deem impossible. So if they mislead you to earn your trust, what else will they compromise? Your drive gets one shot. And who you trust with it makes all the difference.
Maximize Recovery %
How to get the highest odds of recovery.
Stop, Power Down & Call to Protect Your Data
The best thing you can do right now? Stop. Turn off the device. Don’t open it, don't run software, don't try to recover it yourself. Just call us. Our goal is to ensure you have the best chance of recovery possible. Our specialist will answer your questions and guide you to the right solution with zero pressure. One smart move now could be the difference between full recovery, or none at all. This is your best chance. Don’t waste it.
5 STEPS TO FULL DVR/CCTV FOOTAGE RECOVERY
See how our 5-step DVR data recovery process works, what to expect, and how we return your recovered footage.
FREE DIAGNOSIS
HOW TO GET YOUR FREE DVR/CCTV DIAGNOSIS
Call us for a price estimate, ticket number, and appointment for your no-obligation diagnosis. Choose Standard Service (7–14 days) to assess your DVR/CCTV drive’s failure and get a firm quote before recovery begins.
Need faster recovery? Choose Priority or Emergency to skip the queue, starting recovery instantly for critical footage.
APPROVE WORK
APPROVE THE QUOTE & START YOUR DVR RECOVERY
After diagnosis, we email a detailed failure report and firm quote for your DVR/CCTV drive. Approve via our online form to enter the recovery queue immediately. Faster approval = faster footage recovery. Priority/Emergency skips the queue for instant lab work.
Quote too high? Decline with no obligation (Standard Service only).
RECOVERY STARTS
WE BEGIN DVR FOOTAGE RECOVERY IN OUR CLEAN ROOM
Once approved, your DVR/CCTV drive enters our ISO 5 Clean Room for recovery. Whether it’s clicking, error messages, or unreadable, our engineers recover footage from Hikvision, Dahua, and more, bringing your critical videos back to life.
PAY FOR DATA
PAY AFTER WE RECOVER YOUR DVR FOOTAGE
If recovery is successful, we’ll email a secure payment link for credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Prefer check, money order, cashier’s check, or bank wire? Just let us know—those options are available too.
What if recovery isn’t possible? A return shipping fee may apply if your drive isn’t at a local office.
GET FOOTAGE BACK
FOOTAGE RETURNED ON NEW EXTERNAL DRIVE
Your recovered DVR/CCTV footage is returned on a new USB or external drive with original timestamps preserved in over 95% of cases. We ship to your home or office, or you can pick up locally. For Priority or Emergency, we offer secure uploads for instant access to critical videos.
Supported DVR/CCTV File Systems
We Recover Footage from All Major DVR/CCTV File Formats
- WFS
- DHFS
- HIK
- Mirage
- Pinetron
- BKFL
- dVfE
- MDFS
- Rsfs
- SFMR
- TPFS
- UAVtech
File Savers recovers footage from failed DVR/CCTV drives, supporting specialized file systems like WFS, DHFS, HIK, and more used in systems from Hikvision, Dahua, Swann, and others. Our ISO 5 Clean Room experts ensure your critical videos are restored with precision.
Backed by Certifications. Trusted by Thousands
Our DVR/CCTV recovery process is built on certified security, verified results, and over 25,000 successful recoveries—because when your surveillance footage matters most, shortcuts aren't an option.
Google Reviews
REAL PEOPLE, REAL STORIES
With over 3,000 verified Google reviews, File Savers has earned national trust for DVR/CCTV data recovery that delivers. Each testimonial reflects critical footage restored for businesses, homeowners, or security teams using Hikvision, Dahua, and more. Our five-star reputation is built one successful recovery at a time through skill, integrity, and commitment to your videos.
Read Reviews
Customer Support
HERE FOR YOU AT EVERY STEP
Our customer support team guides you through the DVR/CCTV recovery process, from your first call to final footage delivery. We explain symptoms like no video or clicking drives, provide fast updates, and offer honest answers. With a 98% satisfaction rating, we ensure you’re never left in the dark when recovering critical surveillance footage.
Why File Savers
Medical Privacy
CONFIDENTIAL DVR RECOVERY YOU CAN TRUST
Recovering DVR/CCTV footage with sensitive security or client data demands absolute discretion. Our HIPAA-compliant process uses strict chain-of-custody protocols to protect surveillance videos from Swann, Lorex, and more. Whether for businesses or public sectors, we ensure your footage is safe from breach, exposure, or misuse.
Our Clients
Financial Security
TRUSTED BY BANKS AND BUSINESSES
Recovering DVR/CCTV footage for retail, banking, or security requires top-tier protection. Our PCI DSS-compliant process ensures secure recovery of videos from Hikvision, Dahua, and other systems. With strict chain-of-custody protocols, we protect sensitive footage from failed drives, delivering trust and compliance for businesses and institutions.
Our Clients
Clean Room
WHERE PRECISION MEETS PROTECTION
Our ISO 5 Class 100 Clean Room enables over 25,000 DVR/CCTV recoveries with sterile precision. From head swaps to platter extractions, we recover footage from failed drives in Swann, Night Owl, and more. This environment prevents damage from particles, ensuring your critical surveillance videos are restored successfully.
Extreme CasesReal Recoveries from America’s Top Institutions
From Fortune 500 companies to universities and government agencies, our hard drive recovery work has saved critical data and kept missions moving forward.
Ohio State University
MacBook Pro | water damaged, No Boot
Ohio State University | MacBook Pro Data Recovery
After severe water damage, a MacBook wouldn’t charge or enter Recovery; its APFS volume was FileVault-encrypted. We stabilized the logic board to safely image the SSD through the original controller, then decrypted with the client’s FileVault credentials. Result: a complete, verified 101 GB recovery—Word documents and PDFs intact—despite prior failed attempts to charge or revive the laptop.
Texas Roadhouse
8TB Western Digital External Drive
Texas Roadhouse | 8TB WD External Data Recovery
An 8TB Western Digital WD80EDBZ-11B0ZA0 suffered electrical failure; the board showed shorted TVS and damaged power stages, leaving the disk unreadable. We transferred ROM to a matched donor PCB, completed micro-solder repairs, and brought the drive stable enough for hardware imaging. Result: a verified 100% clone and 5.63 TB recovered—photos, PDFs, surveillance video, and .mov files—organized and returned on a new encrypted external drive.
City of Albuquerque
1TB WD My Passport - Firmware Damage
City of Albuquerque | 1TB My Passport Data Recovery
A 1TB WD My Passport (WD10JMVW-11AJGS0) with firmware failure resisted cloning; the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory’s copier stalled with errors. We repaired service-area modules and adapted ROM to stabilize access, then completed a slow, hardware-assisted image. Result: 411 GB recovered—audio, images, video, and documents—nearly the entire dataset—validated and delivered on a new drive. Turnaround met the client’s timeline.
Utah Highway Patrol
1TB - My Passport - Firmware Damage
Utah Highway Patrol | WD My Passport Data Recovery
A 1TB WD My Passport (WD10JMVW) had firmware damage that prevented data access. We repaired service area modules/ROM, stabilized access, and produced a 99.99% sector image. Result: 624 GB recovered, critical police video files intact and validated. The client wrote: “John and the others did a fantastic job… recovered everything… one of the top companies when data recovery is necessary. Thanks guys!”
First Palmetto Bank
256GB Western Digital NVMe SSD
Firmware Failed NVMe SSD From First Palmeto Bank
A 256 GB Western Digital NVMe (SDAPNUW-256G-1006) wasn’t recognized in multiple PCs or USB enclosures; a controller firmware failure blocked access. We stabilized the drive with vendor-level firmware work, then captured a 99.99% forensic image. Targeting the user path c:\users\ssmalljr, we recovered 224 GB—documents, desktop, and profile data—validated and returned on a new drive under chain-of-custody. Outcome: complete recovery for the employee.
Our Nationwide Customer Testimonials Say it Best
Find a File Savers Location Near You
With over 175 locations across the U.S., dropping off your failed DVR, NVR or CCTV system in person is the fastest and most secure way to start your recovery. Click below to find the nearest File Savers location and get your data back fast.
View All Locations