Accidentally deleted or lost videos from dash cam? This article includes 5 effective methods to recover deleted videos from dash cam memory card as well as some prevention measures.
"My vehicle has been with the dealership for the last 4 weeks and yesterday morning a police officer called me saying a tech from the dealer was driving recklessly and speeding. I went to the dealership a few hours later to obtain the SD card so I could see what else has been going on and the last several days of videos are missing. Is there any way to recover deleted videos from Dash Cam?“
Dashcam, also known as driving recorder, car camera, or card DVR, is one of the most essential card accessories. They have gained popularity due to their potential benefits, such as proving innocence in accidents, reporting bad driving behavior, and deterring theft.
However, sometimes your video footage may be accidentally deleted or just disappear due to unknown reasons. Fortunately, in most cases, your data is recoverable. In this article, we will explore more about dashcam, potential reasons, and how to recover deleted or lost videos from it.
The dashcam is housed on the windshield or dashboard of a vehicle and powered by a cigarette lighter or the car's fuse box. Once you start the car, it will start to record short videos and save them in your memory card. It can be in several formats, such as MP4, AVI, M4V, MOV, and similar formats compatible with most computer video players.
As mentioned early, dashcam videos or footage are saved on an inserted memory card. Like any other storage media, it is susceptible to data loss. We collect some common reasons below:
1. Accidental Deletion
One of the primary reasons for video loss is accidental deletion. Users may unintentionally delete videos while navigating through the dash cam's settings or when trying to remove other files.
2. Corruption Issue
Sudden power loss or improper ejection can lead to data corruption, making videos inaccessible. Removing card while it’s still recording also cause corruption.
3. Improper Usage
Your memory card is almost full, but you still use it to record new footage, which will overwrite the old footage. You may also continue recording videos at a low battery.
4. Incompatible or Outdate Drivers
If you don’t update your SD card drivers or it’s not compatible with your camera, your videos may also lost.
5. Bad Sectors
SD card has a limited read/write cycle, and once you exceed it, your card may generate bad sectors.
6. Virus Infection
Your insert your memory card into a virus-infected device and result in a loss of dash cam videos.
7. Physical Damage
Firmware issues or hardware malfunctions might result in video loss or prevent the camera from recording altogether.
There are many ways to recover deleted or lost videos from dash cam, but every attempt will reduce the success rate of data recovery. So it’s advisable to use professional data recovery software like MyRecover to scan and recover your videos effortlessly in simple steps. Compared with other manual methods, it usually has a high success rate.
In addition, the software does not require technical expertise and is friendly to novices. You can then download this reliable Windows data recovery software and start data recovery from dash cam memory card.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As soon as you realize your videos are missing, stop using the dash cam immediately. Continuing to record new footage or saving new files could overwrite the deleted videos, making recovery impossible
Step 1. Connect your dash came memory card to Windows PC via a card reader. Launch this reliable data recovery software - MyRecover, hover the mouse over your card and click Scan.
Step 2. It will run Quick Scan and Deep Scan automatically to search and display all the deleted or lost files there. To locate them quickly, use the Filter feature or go to the original location in the left panel.
Step 3. Then, select your desired files and click Recover x files to recover video files from dash came memory card. You will then be asked to select a location. Please select a new location instead of the original location to prevent potential data overwriting.
Notes:
Except for data recovery software, you still can try manual methods to recover deleted dash cam footage based on possible reasons, such as outdated or incompatible drivers, file system corruption, etc.
If your memory card is not showing up in File Explore, go to Disk Management and check if your card has a drive letter. If not, assign a new one.
Step 1. Press the Win+R key to open the Run dialogue box. Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Disk Management.
Step 2. Locate and right-click the memory card, then select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Step 3. Click Change in the dialog box. You will then select a drive letter from Assign the following drive letter box and click OK.
If your card driver is incompatible or outdated, it will be marked with a red exclamation mark in Device Manager. You can check it and then reinstall the driver.
Step 1. Go to This PC and right-click on it, then select Manage > Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand Disk Drives. Right-click your memory card and select Uninstall Device.
Step 3. Now restart your system. It will automatically install drivers for your memory card.
If your card is damaged or ask for reformatting, try chkdsk command to scan and fix any file system error or minor corruption in memory card.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and select Run as Administrator.
Step 2. In the command prompt window, type chkdsk *: /f /r /x and press Enter to fix errors in the memory card of your dash cam.
If the data recovery software fails to retrieve the deleted videos or you are uncomfortable performing the recovery process yourself, consider seeking professional data recovery services. They have the expertise and tools to handle more complex recovery tasks, such as recover files from corrupted memory card.
Search online, you may find many memory card data recovery services, such as ACE Data Recovery, Secure Data Recovery, etc. But which one should you consider? Please learn them from different aspects and find the most suitable software for your situation. Considering the expensive price, make sure your data is very important. Usually, it depends on the card size and damage severity.
Taking preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk of video loss from your dash cam and be sure your videos are always safe. Here are some useful tips you can follow:
1. Stop using Dash Cam Memory Card Immediately
Once you realize dash cam video loss, please stop using its memory card immediately. Otherwise, your deleted or lost videos will be overwritten.
2. Use the Emergency Lock feature
The emergency lock feature protects your recorded videos from overwritting after a car accident. Push the Lock button to secure your videos and unplug the dash cam. You can then transfer it to your PC.
3. Safely Eject Memory Card
Always power off the dash cam before removing the memory card. Also, be sure your card is parked. Properly ejecting the card reduces the chances of data corruption.
4. Format Memory Card Properly
Formatting memory card regularly using the dash cam's built-in formatting function helps to keep your card always in good condition and prevent potential file system errors.
6. Regularly Backup Videos
Frequently transferring video footage from your dash cam to a computer or external hard drive to prevent accidentally deleted. The best practice is to employ a free Windows backup software like AOMEI Backupper Standard and set a scheduled backup task for your dash cam video recordings.
1. Can I recover deleted videos without software?
In short, if you backup your video files before the accident, the answer is Yes. You can try to restore files from backup created by backup software, such as AOMEI Backupper Standard. If not, using dedicated data recovery software significantly improves the chances of successful recovery.
2. Are all deleted videos recoverable?
Not all deleted videos can be recovered successfully, especially if they have been overwritten or the memory card is severely damaged. In addition, some video files are very large, such as R3D videos, causing it difficult to recover.
3. Will data recovery affect video quality?
In most cases, data recovery does not affect the original video quality. The recovered videos should be as clear as they were before deletion.
4. How long will a dash cam record on an SD card?
Typically, a 16GB SD card is able to hold around 2 hours 1080P recording while 32GB card store about 3-4 hours, more than enough for most drivers.
5. How can I future-proof video storage?
To future-proof video storage, consider investing in high-quality memory cards with larger capacities. Additionally, regularly update your dash cam's firmware to ensure optimal performance and compatibility with newer memory card technologies.
Accidentally deleting videos from your dash cam can be a distressing experience. However, with the right method, you can easily and safely recover deleted videos from dash cam memory card in simple steps. Remember to act quickly, stop using the dash cam, and use reliable data recovery services if needed.