AVTech AVC-770 Data Recovery.

[scottlee 0]

Greetings,

 

I have already searched high and low for the solution but no luck so far.

I have AVTech AVC-770 with 120GB HDD in it. I have some important footage in it. Last time I checked I was able to play it back without any problem. In fact, I played back and forth quite a few times and everything was perfect.

Then as there is not DVD burner or any output component in it, I assumed I will have to take out the HDD to get the data off it. I opened it up and connected it to a PC but it showed as empty with no data. When windows asked to initialize the disk, I canceled out.

Then I put it back in the DVR and the DVR started showing Disk Empty message. I am very upset with the situation. I have read few posts on this website mentioning the same situation where people have confirmed that merely attaching the HDD to PC will not wipe out the data.

Now I have reconnected the drive with the PC and ran some data recovery software on it. It shows me 166 files on it identified as SWF shockwave files ranging in size from 60MB-5GB each. I recovered few of these files on the PC and tried running them using every possible player out there. I have even tried VideoLAN VLC player but those file simply won't play.

 

Any assistance and/or guideline in proper direction is highly appreciated.

 

Regards,

Scott.

[ptzguy 0]

You back-up footage over LAN so you should have connected your computer to the DVR.

Where you go from here I don't know, if you really need the footage from the HDD maybe another forum user can help you with it.

Otherwise you'll have to format the HDD, in the DVR menu to get the HDD recording again.

G'luck.

[scottlee 0]

Thank you for your response. Although it is not much helpful in my scenario.

AVC-770 does not have a network interface. Secondly the HDD already shows "Disk Empty" when connected to DVR. I need to understand what type of file format is stored on HDD and how to replay or recover it when HDD connected to a Windows PC.

 

Thank you.

[ptzguy 0]

I've searched and searched for this model number but not getting anything back, not even on AvTech's website. I thought that you may had made a spelling mistake and meant the AVC-760 model.

Therefore I'm not much use to you I'm afraid, try calling or emailing AvTech themselves they should be only too happy to help you.

G'luck.

[Soundy 1]

Most DVRs of this type use a proprietary file type for internal storage - likely the only thing that will play recovered files, IF they're intact, will be the DVR's own player/remote utility.

 

Some also use proprietary disk formats, so it may not be possible to properly "read" the disk on a PC, even with data recovery software - it may "think" it's finding SWF files, but it may just be fooled by certain data patterns it's finding.

 

Something that MIGHT work is to use a disk-imaging utility that can do a sector-by-sector copy to a new drive, then see if the DVR recognizes that.

 

When you plugged the drive into the PC, did it ask to initialize the disk first, or write a signature to it? If you did that, it's probably affected the MBR, which could why the DVR can't see it anymore - the data is still there, the DVR just doesn't recognize that this is its own drive.

[scottlee 0]

Thank you all for your time. I really appreciate it.

@Soundy -> Yes when I placed the file in Windows PC, it did ask me to initialize and I canceled that out as I knew about the windows overwriting the signature. But the HDD before coming to me, was also with another guy who tried to recover the data and I don't know if he was smart enough the cancel it out. I believe that he didn't that's why I see no data.

OK, proceeding on the assumption that it has written the signature and hence rendering the HDD unrecognizable for the DVR. How can I reset that signature? The rough plan I have in mind is that I put another HDD in DVR and let it initialize it properly and then I bring that HDD into PC and see what signature is there and then overwrite the same signature on my original drive. Kindly guide me what software should I use for this process? I read in a thread on the same site already that it is a 4 byte signature on some off-set(which I can get from that thread again) and reset it to 0000 but I have not done this before so do not have much idea about disc-level editing. Any pointer in this regard is highly appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[Soundy 1]

It will depend on whether it's the MBR that's changed, or the partition table, or something else... a good free tool that will let you view all that is DFSee. Formatting another disk in the DVR and then comparing structures SHOULD be a good way to test this...

[tomcctv 187]

if this is the old avtech with the HDD caddie on the front. (gray unit) then remember to switch the power off before you remove the HD for at least 2 mins.

 

the old avtech dvrs (around 8 years old) the hard drives used to be time and date reliant. so have a go at putting the time and date back on the dvr to before the footage you need and reinstall the HD see if that does anything.

[scottlee 0]

@tomcctv -> I tried resetting the date to my desired day and even before. It responded back with same message "No Data".

DVR was powered off for quite a few days before the HDD was taken out so that 2 min after power off is not the issue I believe.

 

@Soundy -> I tried using that software but it somewhat went over my head and I was not able to make much out of it. Is there a windows based tool for this?

 

thank you.

Scott

[Leohuangdi 0]

To see video recorded files of Avtech dvr, when you connect the hard disk to your pc you have to use a particoular program.

 

Check this, and tell me if it's working.

 

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B_Tf3Yb1yhhROWI2ZWU2MmQtZTE3ZC00NjVlLTgwNjItNzBlNjk3ZmQzZDky&hl=en

[scottlee 0]

@Leo -> Thank you very much. I have downloaded the program and installed it.

When I dbl click disktools it shows me a window saying HDD information. There is no HDD in the list and there is only one button called research. When I click that button it does nothing. I tried the hlp folder included in the install but that was no help either. Kindly guide me how to use this software.

 

Thank you.

Scott

[Leohuangdi 0]

Then the program doesn't recognize your HDD, i can see the menu like that only if i don't connect the hdd.

 

Do you still have the opportunity to get the files by backup (maybe using USB driver)?

 

I give you the player to see them in your computer (at least it's something), using that you should be able also to convert to another video format.

 

 

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B_Tf3Yb1yhhROWI2ZWU2MmQtZTE3ZC00NjVlLTgwNjItNzBlNjk3ZmQzZDky&hl=en&authkey=CP2o9toI

 

Hope it can help you

[Leohuangdi 0]

oops, wrong link, this is the right link for the videoplayer to see single videos in your pc after backup

 

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B_Tf3Yb1yhhRZjhkYjdmMmEtZTFhMy00ZTVlLTg2MWMtNzAyMTdmMTU3ZWZj&hl=en&authkey=COXG7IQI

[scottlee 0]

@Leo-> It says AVC_AP_JPEG.dll is missing from your computer. Program cannot start. If this is the video player from AVTech... I already have it. AV-Tech support sent it to me but this doesn't play the files I have extracted using data recovery software. These files show as .SWF which I believe is incorrect. Do you recommend any software which will allow me to extract the files from the HDD first and then I can use the player to play them.

The disk tools are not detecting the hard drives not even the original PC hdd with the windows installation. Any pointers?

 

Scott.

[Leohuangdi 0]

If i could get one of your video files i could be sure of which program you need to use.

Do you think you can send me one?

 

It's good to check the firmware version of your dvr, tell me which one you have, if i have a newer one i'll send to you.

 

Leo

[LadyDanijela 0]

Scot, did you succed to recover your data from DVR. We have exactly the same problem. We have SWF files, and nothing can open or play them.

Pleas help if you now how.

[worldsat 0]

same problem there, Need HELP Guys

[dido08 0]

Hi,

 

I am new in the forum, Thanks for your support

I have the same problem, I want to recover video file in the Avtech AV760M HDD, when I use recover software, I have some file which many extension, but when I rename the extension to .dvr, Disk tool can play them but with superposition of many video, and I didn't get the one I funding (the most recent)

Thanks for your help

 

DIDO

[Arash 0]

Hi guys!

 

We have the same problem. I had an AVTECH KPD674B that we changed the hard drive in.

 

Now we have a 1TB hard drive with the AVTECH recorded videos in it. This new hard drive has been formatted for windows (the AVTECH hard drive was, I believe, formatted with Unix). I asked a computer company to extract the files for me and put it into a normal SATA-hard drive that I could mount in my external SATA hard drive dock and connect with a USB-cable to any computer for easy access.

 

Now I have all the survaillance files available, almost 1TB.

 

The configuration of the files in the hard drive is as follows:

 

First there are folders with dates, YYYYMMDD

 

Inside that, there is an audio and a video folder

 

Within those folders there are numbered folders, e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4

 

Within those folders, there are files, varying in size, mainly named "stream" in the file format. There is also a db-file etc. The stream file format is used both for the video files and the audio files.

 

I have not found a player that will play the *.stream file format. I have opened a stream-video-file with notepad to see if I can get any clues on what sort of file it is, but it looks encrypted, all of it. I have tried to open it with VLC, WMP, Quicktime player etc., but no luck. Also tried renaming the file format to avi and mpg, mpeg etc. with no luck.

 

What puzzles me is that the system is completely keeping video file and audio file seperated in different folders, and also in different folder configurations. E.g. when I am looking at a specific date, I might have only one video folder (nbr. 1) but four audio folders (1, 2, 3, 4).

 

The video folder in that case contains 10 video files and each of the audio folders contain 10 audio files, so 10 video files total and 40 audio files. I don't get it. How are they supposed to be synced? Looks more like an effort to complicate things and make specifically this type of recovery/backup operation impossible, rather than being the most optimal solution for the product itself.

 

Has anyone gotten more progress with this?