# linux cctv hdd data recovery



## casper002 (Mar 10, 2011)

hiya people, i thaught i better ask the question in the place where people who have a linux system will no the answer.
ok people, what i have is a CCTV system that from what i have been told is that it uses linuz as it's oppereating system etc.
the model is an HDR-04mp and records in m-jpg i think.
anyway, what happened is that i had an incident where some property was stollen from my home and this was captured on 2 of the 4 cameras used on my home.
this was reported to the police and they would come around the next day.
what i then did was to connect it's hard drive as a slave to my main p.c. with the attemt to transfer the jpg / mpg / mp3 or 4 or what ever it was to the main p.c. and then burn onto disk and hopefully give this to the police.
But when whis hard drive was fitted into my main p.c. it was picked up in the bios as correct but when windows had loaded up when i clicked my computer is that there was nothing there.
( i only relised that this wouldnt work as it was linux in a windows system) i got nothing at all.
so i then fitted it back into it's orriginal system with the intent of playing the cctv back and then capture output vidoe into a file i could then pass on to the police.
But when the hdd was fitted back into its orriginal system that on boot up it id'd the hdd but also said new hdd detected format complete.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOO" GRRRRR. i couldnt beleive it.
But what i think has happened is that it has done a fast format where the TOC has been deleted etc.
so basicaly is that the info is still there but i need to recover it.
i have done this in the past with a hdd that had xp on and recovered al the files but put them all in there consecutive folders etc.
So my question is is that how can i do a data recovery using an hdd that i think has had linux or if not then what prog would work.
lol. and yes the police have had the hard drive but they have said that they cant get any data off it.
i wasso peeeed off you cant imaging as i told them that if i had a linuz based system and i had somesort of naughty pictures of something i shouldnt have had is that if i done a quick format is that you couldnt get that information back.
well. for forum rules etc i cant tell you the answer, 
so can anyone assist in the data recovery on ths hard drive
many thanx people.
davey


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## arochester (Jan 17, 2007)

This might help: "Geek to Live: Rescue files with a boot CD" - http://lifehacker.com/#!192982/geek-to-live--rescue-files-with-a-boot-cd


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## lewmur (Sep 11, 2006)

There are programs that allow reading Linux formats from Windows but Windows will not do it natively. Of course, even a Linux system won't read the drive anymore because you re-formatted it. Before you do more damage, take or send the drive to a professional data recovery service. Whoever manufactured the CCTV system may be able to do it. You'll have to go to them anyway because you've bricked the CCTV system itself by formatting the drive and wiping out the software.


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## casper002 (Mar 10, 2011)

Thanx people.
i have been in contact with the manufacturer but unfortunatly i didnt get much help.
if anyone can advise a good data recovery agent then i may consider it.
i have also had i big bust up with the police over this issue and i havent had my hard drive sent back to me on the grounds of the answers i gave back to them.
i will explain.,
i basicaly had some property stolen from my back garden and 2 of the cctv cameras had caught the culprit on cctvv.
i then placed the hdd into a windows system that didnt recognise it etc.
i then placed it back into the orriginal system and came up with new hdd..... format complete.
this was then sent off to the police and i have now not got any forward with it.
so in my hast i told them that if i was some sort of person that had somethign to hide on my p.c. that had a linux system and i done a quick format etc, is that if you recovered my hdd that you wouldnt get any info back.
errrrmm. well, lets say that my question didnt getr answered so i replied with that so because this is a small case that because of the cost and time to recover these files etc that it's not worth it to you.
well. i didnt get a reply back again.
so what i want to do is find a way of recovering this info,, file,, mpg,, mp4 of what ever format is is and then present it to them and then say what they say.
lol... at the end of the day i am a victim of theft and want to do whatever it is to recover the cost of the goods i had stolen.
please dont ask as it's not that bad, but it's the point i want to prove etc.
so if anyone else can assist on this then please speak up.
cheers.


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## beale (Apr 2, 2011)

lewmur said:


> You'll have to go to them anyway because you've bricked the CCTV system itself by formatting the drive and wiping out the software.


Not necessarily. i work in security electronics. I'm not familiar with the DVR model mentioned, but most are not traditional PC based and run the OS from some sort built in flash. They are designed to have the HDDs replaced. That is evidenced by the fact that it auto-detected a drive add and formatted it for use.


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