HIKVISION DS-7604NI-E1 restores to factory settings after every shutdown/reboot

[Nikola]

Dear all,

I have a problem setting up a small surveillance system. Our building (5 apts) obtained an NVR, a PoE switch and two IP cameras (all HIKVISION) through some funds of the city government. The technicians arrived, mounted it and set it up. The gear was brand new, taken out of the box.
Only after a year has passed, I discovered that the the system was not up and running. The NVR was not turned on! Nothing was working except for the camera LEDs. The company who did the setup can not be reached, the two distributors of HIKVISION in my country can not help us since no receipt for the equipment was left for us tenants. Basically, I am on my own here, and I would appreciate any help. The reason for the long introduction is to explain that direct help from the HIKVISION support is excluded, due to the missing buyer's information. Though I have tried to reach support and was ignored since two months now.

We have a simple NVR, namely, DS-7604NI-E1, which, when I turned it on, started the wizard , demanding admin password. It was definitely not 12345, so by means of a tool, published here, I got a security code. (Maybe there are other default passwords for NVRs?) That worked and I was in. I was so happy and relieved. I defined my own password, and applied certain settings. When I turned the thing off and tried to set it up in the rack the next day, I realized that the NVR restored to the factory settings! NVR did not retain any of the settings. Password not recognized, the users I have added, all gone.

I repeat the whole thing again with the security code, I get in, I upgrade the firmware (to 3.4.9). After a reboot or shutdown, damn, the same problem. Nothing is saved, and the firmware is back to the original state. The wizard starts, although the option to run wizard at startup was unchecked many times before. It is like a Groundhog day.

All the configuration attempts were local, using a monitor and a mouse. The NVR is not hooked on any LAN network at the moment. I am just trying to get it to work for now.

1. Has anyone encountered such a problem before?
2. Does this have something to do with the motherboard battery?
3. Is there something I am missing, and this is a normal behavior, due to some setting?

Thank you in advance.

 

[alastairstevenson]

That is very strange.
I do not remember anyone on the forum here posting anything like this for an NVR, though it has happened for cameras, which have a reset button that if faulty, or always pressed in some way, will reset to defaults at power on.
To my knowledge, the 7604NI-E1 does not have a reset button - but maybe worth a good look at the device.
If there is not a PC on the same LAN, then it is not a PC offering a tftp firmware update causing the problem. This method of update clears the configuration.

Just a couple of off-the-wall suggestions to test:
Check there is not a USB drive or memory stick plugged in, there may be more than one USB port.
Connect the NVR temporarily to an ethernet port on a switch or router - anything to give a valid LAN connection.

 

[looney2ns]

Button battery on the motherboard needs replaced maybe? That's what maintains the settings typically.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Worth a try, certainly, but most of the NVR settings are stored in the flash, the first 64KB of mtdblock1.
I've sometimes wondered what the battery is for, but have never figured it out.

 

[Nikola]

Thank you kindly for your quick responses.

@alastairstevenson:
1. there aren't any USB sticks. I have the NVR on my table, with a monitor and mouse hooked on.
2. If I connect the NVR to a router (of a private home network) it can be seen by other computers. I am using HIKVISION's Tools which has SADP inside. Also, it is beeping constantly while on a router. When it is connected directly to my laptop via LAN cable, there is no alarm beeping.

@looney2ns: I thought of that, but have never tried to replace one. Before I open the damn thing, do you know if it is standard type battery? Is it a common malfunction?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Also, it is beeping constantly while on a router.

Well, that's worth checking out, there may be a clue there.
There is a drop-down list under
Configuration | Event | Basic Event | Exception
that you can disable - untick 'Audible warning'
Plus the system log. System | Maintenance | Log
Easiest with the web GUI.

 

[looney2ns]

In most case's, batteries are simple to replace. I dont know which battery you need off hand.
You'd have to open it up and look. It will be a button battery type of some sort.

 

[tangent]

This may seem counter intuitive since it's resetting every time you turn it on, but try whatever option exists in the menu along the lines of reset to factory defaults*. There's a chance this could do something that would restore it to a normal state. try the battery too i'd guess it's a cr2032.

*I think there's an option like this, but haven't used a hik nvr recently.

 

[Nikola]

Here I am again. I have tried to access the NVR via web interface. I managed to do that only after I had accessed it directly with monitor and mouse, changed the username and password and set the IP address to 192.0.0.64.
Access through SADP is possible but the defined password is rejected. I can not change anything there.

I get the same result again. All configuration and password settings are lost after reboot. I must use security code and define new password each time the NVR is turned back on.

Is it possible to downgrade the firmware through tftp? Currently, the NVR runs 3.3.4 which seems to be reported as buggy. Where am I to find old firmware?

 

[Nikola]

I will try to find the logfile and post it soon, as recommended by alastairstevenson.

 

[tangent]

I will try to find the logfile and post it soon, as recommended by alastairstevenson.

I know it's counter intuitive, but please try reset it to factor defaults through the menus. There's a slight chance that this could restore normal operation and is different from the loss of settings you're experiencing.

 

[Nikola]

I have tried it directly via monitor and via web interface. Restoring to default settings just brings me back to the state I have now. I will try the battery replacement as the last resort.

In the web interface the Browse button in the firmware upgrade setting (Configuration/Upgrade&Maintenance/) does nothing when I click it. It is not grayed out (inactive), it simply doesn't do anything.

Please, find the log file I have attached.

Any hints on how to tftp and downgrade the firmware?

 

[tangent]

Just try the battery. It's simple and cheap. Eliminate it as a possibility before any more time is wasted trying to figure this out.

 

[tangent]

I discovered that the the system was not up and running. The NVR was not turned on! Nothing was working except for the camera LEDs.
...the two distributors of HIKVISION in my country can not help us since no receipt for the equipment was left for us tenants.

Can you elaborate a bit more on the state you found the NVR in? Was the power adapter connected?
The cameras are connected directly to the NVR right? What do you mean by the camera LEDs were working?
Seems possible some sort of even like a power surge took place.

What country are you in?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Also, it is beeping constantly while on a router.

That is odd, and may provide a clue. When you get the device logs there may be useful info.

 

[tangent]

That is odd, and may provide a clue. When you get the device logs there may be useful info.

They posted the log above: HIKVISION DS-7604NI-E1 restores to factory settings after every shutdown/reboot
I didn't see anything useful in the logs, but it looks like it may be keeping time (or it's just being set by NTP). I'm a little skeptical of their initial diagnosis look at the part I quoted above.

It looks like the log is persisting but the settings aren't. IDK is the log stored on flash or HDD?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Having looked though the logs - I don't see any specific clues as to the cause of the problem.
Logs are stored on the HDD.

 

[ClearViewElectric]

I have a DS-7608NI-E2 /8P /A that just reset itself out of the blue back to defualts IP and all. Not only that but it is in another country and I can't change a few of the important settings via the web interface due to how buggy the software is from the web interface. After buying 100's of HIK cameras this will be my last.

 

[alastairstevenson]

You have it remotely accessible over the internet? That's quite a risk to take.
Perhaps it's been hacked.
There is a lot of that about.

 

[ClearViewElectric]

It would completely defeat the purpose of having a NETWORK video recorder that isn't online. Why do you think they let you upload your certs? On top of that I'm not showing anything in the firewall logs. This thing really just set itself back to default all on it's own. The firmware is so poor who even knows.