How to Delete CCTV Recording & Manage Storage – SD Card, DVR, NVR & PC

CCTV cameras have become an integral aspect of security systems. They are great devices for recording the footage of a specified location and often come with many advanced features. That said, for our context here, we shall stick to the core feature of CCTV cameras, i.e., footage recording or rather, how to delete CCTV footage and manage storage. 

This is because while recording the footage is indeed important, it is just as important to manage the recorded footage. Since a wide range of CCTV cameras store their footage in SD cards, DVRs, NVRs, and PC, it is important to know how to delete CCTV camera recordings. You can do this by accessing the storage directory and removing the footage files. But how do you do this? This is exactly what we shall discuss here.

In this blog, we provide you with insights on how you can delete CCTV footage and manage storage from SD cards, DVRs, NVRs, and PC. But before we talk about the specific method, let’s ask the basic question first.

Can You Delete CCTV Camera Footage?

The simple answer to this question is- Yes, CCTV footage can be deleted, provided you have authorized access to the system. The way footage is removed depends on the type of storage and the method used. Some deletion methods permanently erase the footage, while others rely on automatic overwriting, where new recordings replace older footage over time. In many CCTV systems, footage is not immediately destroyed but becomes unrecoverable only after being fully overwritten.

As a side note, while it is theoretically possible for a hacker to delete your CCTV camera, modern systems are designed with strong security systems to prevent unauthorized access. Therefore, unless your login data is leaked or unless the hacker is a highly skilled one, regular attempts shall not result in your CCTV camera footage being deleted, especially if the footage is properly configured.

Common Misunderstanding Regarding Deletion Of CCTV Camera Footage

Another key thing we want to clear before moving on to the deletion process is a common misunderstanding.

It is a common misunderstanding that deleting a CCTV camera completely removes it from existence. This is not always the cause, as depending on your mode of storage, some of the deleted footage can be recovered. Depending on the storage medium and method used, in some systems, old footage remains on the drive unless it is overwritten by new footage, even if the display shows empty space.

Therefore, if you want to recover deleted footage, there is still a chance to get it back if you contact the relevant organizations that specialize in this task. That said, you do have to note that even if you do this, the recovered footage can be broken, incomplete, lacking in quality, or have missing audio, depending on the circumstances.

With clarification on how to delete CCTV camera recording, let us move on to how you can delete a CCTV camera recording from the SD card.

How Do You Delete CCTV Camera Recordings From The SD Card?

An SD card stores CCTV footage locally within the camera rather than externally (e.g., External USB Drives). When your SD card is filled up, if your recorded CCTV recordings need to be deleted for whatever reason, and/or if the SD card is going to be reused, you will most likely need to delete recordings from it.

Removing CCTV camera recordings from the SD card is an uncomplicated task; though steps may vary by the system/brand of the CCTV camera, you typically need to follow these key steps.

1. Get Into Your Camera System: To access your camera system, log into your camera app from your mobile device or your desktop software/web interface using the administrator account.

2. Ensure that the camera is powered ON and connected.

3. Visit Your Storage/Playback Settings: Generally speaking, the “Recordings”, “Playback” or “SD Card” locations in your camera’s settings menu refer to the Location used to access and delete footage you have recorded.

4. Choose What Footage To Erase: Depending upon your particular system, you will have one or more of the following options:

• Remove selected clips.
• Delete footage by date/time.
• Clear all recordings at once.
• Select the footage you would like to delete.

5. Confirm Deletion: Confirm the deletion when prompted. When media is erased, usually the media cannot be recovered unless the media was saved to some other source.

If you wish to delete all media from the SD card and clear storage space on the SD card.

1. From the Storage Settings, select Format SD Card.

2. Confirm by pressing the OK button to confirm your action.

3. After formatting, all data is deleted, and the SD card is ready for additional recordings.

Formatting removes all data and prepares the card for fresh recordings.

How Do You Delete CCTV Camera Recordings From The NVR/DVR?

CCTV footage can be stored on DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) or NVRs (Network Video Recorders) within the internal hard drives of these systems. Very often, users will want to delete CCTV footage to clear hard drive space or remove unnecessary or duplicate recordings. To delete CCTV recordings from devices such as DVRs or NVRs, you must:

1. Log In as Administrator: Using a connected monitor, mouse or mobile app, log into your DVR or NVR system with an administrator account; otherwise, you will not have access to the delete function.

2. Playback or Record Menu: Go to the Playback, Record, Video Search, or Footage menu. The stored recording’s listing is set up by channel, date, and time.

3. To select footage for deletion: Select the camera channel and enter the date or date/time range for which footage is to be deleted. Some systems may have the option to delete:

• Video clips, individually, are recordings from a specific camera for a given time frame.
• To delete or remove selected recordings: Click on the Delete, clear, or remove button according to the system interface. When prompted, verify action.

4. (Optional) Format the Hard Drive: If you want to delete all footage at once, go to Storage (HDD Management or Disk Settings), select the hard disk, and choose to format and confirm.

Note: The formatting option permanently deletes all recorded information on the selected drive and prepares the hard disk for new recording.

5. Confirm Deletion: Go back to the Playback menu and check that the deleted video is permanently eliminated.

How to Delete CCTV Camera Recording From a PC?

Many forms of CCTV systems allow users to view and manage recorded footage directly from a PC using dedicated software or a web browser. The precise mechanism of deletion will depend on whether the process is recorded in the CCTV management software or in the form of video files in the PC’s hard drive. Nevertheless, the general process of deleting the CCTV Camera recording from the PC is as follows:

1. Identify Where the Footage is Stored: First, you will need to identify whether the CCTV footage is:

• Saved in the CCTV software (Hikvision iVMS, Dahua SmartPSS, etc.), or
• Saved as video files in the PC (MP4, AVI, etc.)?
• This will determine the mechanism of deletion of the footage.

2. Delete Footage Using CCTV Software: If the footage is saved in the CCTV software, the steps are as follows:

• Open the CCTV software on your PC
• Log in as an administrator
• Go to Playback, Recordings, or Storage
• Select the footage you wish to delete
• Click Delete/Clear

Some software will not permit deleting files that have been exported but not deleted from the original recording on the DVR/NVR.

3. Delete Exported or Locally Saved Files: If the video files are saved directly to your PC:

• Open File Explorer
• Locate the folder where your CCTV video files are saved
• Choose the files or folders to delete
• Hit Delete or right-click and select Delete
• Empty the Recycle Bin to delete files permanently.

4. Format the storage folder or drive (optional): If your computer is a dedicated recording server:

• Backup any important video files
• Format the storage drive or erase the video file folder
• Restart the CCTV software to create new storage locations

5. Verify Deletion: Reopen the CCTV software or check the folder to verify that the video files are no longer viewable.

• Some CCTV software does not allow files to be deleted to preserve evidence.
• Always back up important recordings before deleting.
• Administrator permissions are usually required.

Can CCTV Camera Recordings Be Recovered?

Deletion is just one part of the entire process. Before making any permanent deletion, you must decide if the recording you are about to delete is completely redundant. But what if you accidentally delete an important piece of footage? Can these recordings be recovered? There is no simple answer to this, as it all depends on the circumstances. The following are the key circumstances when the footage can be recovered:

• The footage was recently deleted
• The storage space has not been overwritten
• The hard drive or SD card is physically undamaged
• The system uses HDD-based storage rather than SSDs, with automatic data trimming
• The footage was deleted manually, but not securely wiped

Furthermore, the footage recovery also depends on the storage used. The recovery chance of recording, depending on their storage types are:

• DVR/NVR Hard Drives (HDD): Moderate chance of recovery if overwritten has not occurred
• SD Cards: Limited recovery, depends on overwrite and card health
• PC Storage: Good recovery chances if deleted recently

Conclusion

Managing the CCTV footage is just as important as recording it, and one of the key ways to manage the CCTV footage is by deleting the redundant ones. That said, you do have to note that not all storage mediums are the same and deletion methods depend on the storage types. It is also important to recognize that deleting footage does not always mean it is permanently erased. Depending on the storage type and whether the data has been overwritten or not.

In this blog, we provided you with insights on how to delete CCTV camera recordings from SD cards, NVRs, DVRs, and PC. We hope you found this helpful. If you seek further insights into the various aspects of CCTV cameras, do check out some of our other blogs. And if you want the best CCTV camera in Nepal, look no further than Night Vision – the best CCTV manufacturer in Nepal. Thank you for reading till the end.

Also Read

How Long Do CCTV Cameras Store Footage?

How To Connect Wireless Cameras To NVR

How to Connect CCTV to Mobile: Easy Steps to Follow

Frequently Asked Questions on Deletion of CCTV Recording

Can I delete the CCTV footage manually, or does it delete automatically?

Yes, the CCTV footage can be deleted either manually or automatically. Most CCTV systems are designed to automatically delete the footage once the storage device used for recording the footage is full. However, for users who have admin privileges, they can delete some of the footage or even the storage device, depending on the device used for recording the footage, whether an SD card, DVR, NVR, or computer.

Does the deletion of the CCTV footage permanently delete the footage?

Not really. This is because, in most CCTV systems, the footage is not permanently deleted. Instead, the storage space used for recording the footage is simply made available for use. This means that the footage will still exist and will be recoverable until the storage space is fully overwritten with new footage. Footage will be permanently deleted once the storage space has been fully overwritten, depending on the storage device used.

Can the deleted footage be recovered?

Yes, in some instances. CCTV footage recovery is possible if the footage has been deleted recently, the storage space has not been overwritten, and the storage device is not damaged. The possibility of recovering CCTV footage depends on the storage device. DVR and NVR hard drives have moderate recoverability, SD cards have limited recoverability, and PC storage has better recovery opportunities if done promptly.