Hikvision 7616N and many alert about HDD Error

[voltron81]

Hello all,
I am having some issues with the NVR 7616N (firmware 3.0.8). I have setup an email account for notifications and I am receiving 2-3 times in a day the following message:

This is an automatically generated e-mail from your NVR.

EVENT TYPE: HDD Error


EVENT TIME: 2015-10-18,22:02:36



Any idea of what is wrong with it?
Thanks

 

[ibuyufo]

Maybe HDD Error. Your drive is dying.

 

[Michelin Man]

Does the NVR beep like crazy?

Do you have HDD Overwrite enabled?

Is there an error message on the actual NVRs interface?

 

[voltron81]

Well, the HDD is brand new, it has maybe 2 months.
I am not where the NVR is located, so I can not see if it "beep like crazy". Yes, I do have HDD Overwrite enabled.
There are no error messages on the NVR interface, I can login inside via web interface with no issues.

Do you reccomend me to format the HDD?

Thanks

 

[alastairstevenson]

There are no error messages on the NVR interface, I can login inside via web interface with no issues.

Definitely no errors in the web GUI system log? That's surprising.

Your firmware version does not have the HDD S.M.A.R.T data in the web GUI, but you will still have telnet available.
If you are able to access this remotely, or maybe when you are next at the location, then you may get a clue as to the cause of the error in the kernel log, using:
cat /proc/kmsg
then Control-C to return to the command prompt.

 

[voltron81]

My firmware version is 3.0.8, modified by the seller (as I have discovered when I was hoping to upgrade it).
On the log session I can see just this event (as well as access login):

2

2015-10-19 01:23:48

Information

S.M.A.R.T. Information

2

0.0.0.0

It is quite strange, because I don't have any smart event setup at all.
I can enter in telnet, because I enter remotely on a pc that is on that network. I have executed the command that you gave me, and a lot of info came out, too many to post here.
Any specific command that I can telnet in so to focus on what I have to see?

Anyway probably I was not clear, the NVR is working perfectly, it is jus sending me sometimes those alert email...

Thanks

 

[alastairstevenson]

That's the routine 'S.M.A.R.T check' that gets done every hour.
Do by any chance the email times coincide with that check?

I have executed the command that you gave me, and a lot of info came out, too many to post here.

On the assumption you saved a copy (reading it clears it), do a string search for 'HDD', or 'HDD error'. Looking for 'error' by itself would yield loads of hits - they are usually full of non-fatal errors.

On your seller-modified firmware - for that version, you should be able to backup the firmware and the device configuration such that you could return to that state if you ever need to - I've posted on the method a few times, example below:

What I strongly suggest if you think about upgrading is to back up your existing firmware so you have a way back should you wish.
All you need is a copy of mtdblock2 in the as-delivered state. But copy mtdblock0 and 1 also.
The easiest way is if you can add a NAS destination via the GUI. It does not need to be formatted.
Something like this for an NFS mount.
Use 'mount' to find the mount point, then something like:
cd /mnt/tnfs01
umount /dev/mtdblock2
cat /dev/mtdblock2 > mtdblock2_orig
mount /dev/mtdblock2 /home/hik

You could also use TFTP, something like
TFTP -p -l mtdblock2_orig <IP address of TFTP server>

And the same for mtdblock0 & 1, though these don't need unmounted.
Then you can either at a later date 'cat' the mtdblock2_orig' back where it came from, or you can create new firmware using @wzhick really useful tool Hiktools to get a digicap.dav that the web GUI and TFTP recovery is happy with.
Also - make a backup copy of the NVR configuration, and the camera settings, via the maintenance menu, with the filename including the associated firmware version. You can't restore configurations across firmware versions.
That way - you can put the whole thing back exactly how it was before the firmware update if you ever need to do so.

 

[voltron81]

Hi alastairstevenson,

so first of all the SMART check is not related to the email alert, I have checked the timestamp and they are different.

Then, I have tried to save on a file the output of that command with the wording 'cat /proc/kmsg > info_file' but it is not working (it seems to do something but at the end I check the new file and it is empty, and then if I do 'cat /proc/kmsg' it is not doing anything). Any suggestion on how to save it on a file, so that I can transfer it on the TFTP server and open on windows?

Regarding your explaination on how to change my firmware, I am a bit confused, because I have described my problem here: As you may remember, analizying the mtdblock0 and I discovered that the NVR is chinese version. There you suggested me to not try to upgrade it. It that suggestion still valid?

Thanks

 

[alastairstevenson]

When you read the kernel log with 'cat /proc/kmsg' this will clear it. It will now be almost empty. Until the next reboot.
To save it, using PuTTY for example, simply copy the screen rollback and paste into a text editor such as Notepad to save it.
You are right - if the NVR is working well, it would be best not to upgrade it.
But I still think it's a good idea to make a backup of the current firmware installation and save in a safe place.

 

[voltron81]

Ok I have used putty and I copied the part that putty keep in buffer (so it is not reflecting the complete output of that command). No errors there so far.

I have formatted this morning the HDD, but I have just received another email alert about the HDD error. As usual, nothing on the log via GUI.

About the updrade of the firmware, yes I do have performed a full backup of mtdblock0, mtdblock1 and mtdblock2 (in total about 17MB). The NVR is working fine with this firmware and with 8 hikvision cameras. But I do have the problem that I would like to save to an FTP or cloud for example one screenshot low quality from each camera every second, and with this firmware there is no FTP features at all! (if somebody enter in my house, he can get the NVR with him and I will have no images). And I can not enter on each individual camera, unless I don't connect a laptop directly to a POE port with a fixed ip on that range (but because I am generally not phisically present where the NVR is located create a problem).
Reading online, I have understood that there is a possibility to change this 02 so to make it 01 and have an english version of the NVR, but there the problem will be with the cameras, that are probably on the chinese version as well and they have to work then with an english version, isn't it?
Thanks