Hikvision FIRMWARE TOOLS - change language, extract files and create own firmware

[tetriz]

Hi all!

I have the following situation. My cam is the DS-2CD2232-I5 and its serial: DS-2CD2232-I520140727CCCH4xxxxx
Originally bought in China but with "hacked" multi-lang 5.2.0 firmware on it. I've tried to update is by western 5.3.0 firmware from a Hikvision EU site but logically get "404, language mismatch" after reboot.

OK, I've took a chinese 5.3.0 firmware from a Hik's Chinese site and successfully get it working (by TFTP tool) but now with only chinese language available.

So now I'm trying to get western firmware onto my camera. I've took the Hikvision FIRMWARE TOOL, udated the language in the western 5.3.0 firmware from 1 to 2:

Magic number : 0x484B5753
iHeaderCheckSum : 0x0000E843 [59459]
iHeadTotalLen : 0x00000568 [1384]
iFileNum : 0x0000001E [30]
iLanguage : 0x00000002 [2] CN
iDeviceClass : 0x00000002
iOEMCode : 0x00000001
iFirmwareVer : 0xFFFFFFFF
iFeature: 0x0149CC7A
Calculated CheckSum : 0x0000E843 [59459]

Then I've tried to upgrage the firmware using WebGui of the camera. Process didn't started, as in few seconds I've get: 状态 语言不匹配 / Language does not match state. Camera continue working, just didn't accept the firmware.

What can be a reason for this?

Thanks a lot for your answers!

 

[Speed666]

The reason is that you bought a regional lock hacked camera for cheap money and now you are on your own. Chineese cams has RSA block and many other blocks that wont let you install other firmware in it.
TL;DR: You cannot do anything with it. Sorry.

 

[tetriz]

The reason is that you bought a regional lock hacked camera for cheap money and now you are on your own. Chineese cams has RSA block and many other blocks that wont let you install other firmware in it.
TL;DR: You cannot do anything with it. Sorry.

Thanks for the answer. Then I do not understand what is a purpose of this tool? In which use case will it then work?

I'm just reading the first post in this thread:

It’s common that after purchasing Hikvision IP cameras and NVRs from low-cost sources such as Chinese internet-based sellers, users encounter some problems such as ‘Language mismatch’ when trying to integrate the devices or update the firmware.

Isn't this my case as well?

 

[scn101]

You might want to ask the seller if he can send you another copy of the hacked firmware to restore your IPC.

 

[tetriz]

Asked already. No, they can't (don't have it).

 

[Speed666]

They wont send. Now you have a great brick. Sorry.

 

[tetriz]

They wont send. Now you have a great brick. Sorry.

Not a brick. As I said I was able to flash it with a chinese FW. The issue is that there is only chinese language available. So using WebGui with a Google Translate browser plugin =)

 

[Speed666]

Yep. It will work that way but with NVR's you wont be able to connect it at all because of language mismatch.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Thanks for the answer. Then I do not understand what is a purpose of this tool? In which use case will it then work?

Just to correct any misconception, and for others too:
The 'lang' option in Hiktools changes the language in the firmware header - it does not change the language or region of the camera.
Checking the language of the firmware header against the region of the camera is one of the early and very basic checks that the firmware update process does.
By doing this, you can install region-neutral firmware in a camera that would otherwise initially reject it.

 

[alastairstevenson]

The issue is that there is only chinese language available.

If you want to avoid the hassle of figuring the language - the 'Batch Configuration tool' will pretty well configure any fine detail in the camera, or NVR, and do it all in English!
http://overseas.hikvision.com/en/Tools_82.html
It's really very good. In my view.

 

[tetriz]

Yep. It will work that way but with NVR's you wont be able to connect it at all because of language mismatch.

I have 3 cams and I'm not using NVR, but NAS instead. Honestly, do not see any added value in NVR, as cameras should be configured only once and then simply work (email notifications with attached fotos are enough for me). NAS then is not for cams only but also for the rest of my digital-home ecosystem.

If you want to avoid the hassle of figuring the language - the 'Batch Configuration tool' will pretty well configure any fine detail in the camera, or NVR, and do it all in English!
http://overseas.hikvision.com/en/Tools_82.html
It's really very good. In my view.

Thanks a lot! Will try it.

BTW, I have also 2 other Chinese cams:
DS-2CD3335-I / DS-2CD3335-I20151007AACHxxxxx

They are working fine with only one exception - since few months there is a SMTP SSL issue (no emails can be sent over gmail). The only solution is the 5.4.0 Firmware, but if I understood it correctly - I cannot use firmware from EU website and the tool from this thread, again, will not help. And where to find the "region-neutral firmware" is not clear.

 

[normel]

Yep. It will work that way but with NVR's you wont be able to connect it at all because of language mismatch.

Man.. dont be so rude:sick:

 

[ansel]

Doesn't seem to work for me. Still the web interface is in Chinese...

 

[alastairstevenson]

Doesn't seem to work for me. Still the web interface is in Chinese...

The 'lang' option of Hiktools changes the language of the firmware header, not the language of the camera itself.
The purpose of the 'lang' option is to stop the NVR or camera rejecting the firmware update at one of the initial basic checks in the process.

 

[ansel]

The 'lang' option of Hiktools changes the language of the firmware header, not the language of the camera itself.
The purpose of the 'lang' option is to stop the NVR or camera rejecting the firmware update at one of the initial basic checks in the process.

Can't really tell which is the right digicap.dav. But I tried a couple modifying the lang flag and now it's working!!! Yipppeeee!

 

[alastairstevenson]

Well done! You pinned the tail on the donkey, and won.

 

[Enabler]

BTW, I have also 2 other Chinese cams:
DS-2CD3335-I / DS-2CD3335-I20151007AACHxxxxx

They are working fine with only one exception - since few months there is a SMTP SSL issue (no emails can be sent over gmail). The only solution is the 5.4.0 Firmware, but if I understood it correctly - I cannot use firmware from EU website and the tool from this thread, again, will not help. And where to find the "region-neutral firmware" is not clear.

If your camera label says 5.3.5 or more then you can TFTP the correct Chinese firmware from the Hikvision china site and it will work - though menus will be Chinese and camera won't be compatible with region checking things (primarily Hikvision NVRs and Hikvision apps which I don't use anyway).

And of course there's always Chrome etc for translating the menus automatically.

 

[Asor Barber]

i have some 2xx2 cams i bought 3 years ago from aliexpress, serial number includes CCRR, still with original fw 5.0.2, multilanguage.
I want to update to a newer firmare (5.2.5?) but i figured it would then turn to chinese only, right? And using this tool seems the best solution to avoid that, but at this point i just wonder which fw is better to use to perform the update, any hints?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Hiktools will not change the region of the camera.
It can change the language setting in the header of the firmware which can help avoid a chosen firmware being rejected on an update, and more usefully it can split and recreate the older versions of IPC and NVR firmware.
'RR' doesn't necessarily mean the camera is CH region - I think it's a catch-all for everything remaining after the main regions.
A good selection of firmware here if you want to experiment: http://www.hikvisioneurope.com/portal/index.php?dir=Product Firmware/Front-ends/01--IPC/R0 platform(2xx2)/

 

[whoslooking]

i have some 2xx2 cams i bought 3 years ago from aliexpress, serial number includes CCRR, still with original fw 5.0.2, multilanguage.
I want to update to a newer firmare (5.2.5?) but i figured it would then turn to chinese only, right? And using this tool seems the best solution to avoid that, but at this point i just wonder which fw is better to use to perform the update, any hints?

With theses camera's and their age, the mtd hack will make your old models fully English. you can then upgrade to what ever version you want even the latest English ones.