Could anyone point me in the right direction regarding recovering supposed deleted digital data from a DVR?…..
Can you elaborate ? Home or commercial CCTV DVR ? Brand ? Homebrew ?
In theory, you could recover data from the internal HD by imaging it the same as a computer HD and using <Insert Your Favourite Forensic Tool Here> …
However, at least some allegedly use proprietary formats & file systems - so further research on your particular DVR will be required.
The unit was recovered in a home and has an internal hdd. I have already imaged the drive with Encase V 6 xx x. There is no file stucture I can see.
The unit was checkd in situ and reported to be running but no stored video….information is that the data has been deleted.
I am currently researching the unit makers.
A suggestion - try running a file carver on it - this may reveal files that match known formats, even if the file system is odd …
Try revit … http//
Thanks for the info azrael, I'll check it out
in most cases that units dont have a real file system.. COuld you give a brand or a model of this device?
I tied to image a HDD from a CCTV system to find that it implement Dardware encryption and compression. I also found out that every 14 days it over wrote any video stored. It only over wrote the data when it detected a video feed. I researched the machine and the video software it, then I managed to make a backup of the footage using the internal software and extract this to an external HDD that I inserted. Once extracted I found the viewing software on the manufacturers website, downloaded it and burned it to CD along with the backup. Our clients could then install the software, load the backup and watch the footage.
CCTV equals nightmare. They all seem to employ their own file formats and most need their own viewing software to view. It takes time but you eventually get a nice collection of these viewers but most of the time once you find the format, figure out how to acquire it then find the viewer to view it you never get another one in with the same structure and you have to start all over again with the next one.
remember, its not a job its an experience !!!!! D D D D D D D
kevyk, perhaps you should post the details of the equipment.
Check out dTective from Ocean Systems. Operates in conjunction with the Avid non-linear system.