Any tech guys here? DVR issue SOLVED

[jedibiker]

Hey guys n gals

So my DVR isn't recording, I've attached a monitor and it goes white or nothing at all. tried hard drive on mac and although can't read it spins and mac knows its there.

So guessing the DVR could just be screwed. its h264 AHD. cheers in advance. (TL-MD4H422) ELECTRICQ

Edited May 21, 2020 by jedibiker

[Guest Swagman]

Hey guys n gals

So my DVR isn't recording, I've attached a monitor and it goes white or nothing at all. tried hard drive on mac and although can't read it spins and mac knows its there.

So guessing the DVR could just be screwed. its h264 AHD. cheers in advance. (TL-MD4H422) ELECTRICQ

 

Must be something to do with this virus, ours is on the blink to turns of all by itself then back on again.

[jedibiker]

ummmm i wonder.

[Snod Blatter]

Does the HDD pass SMART tests? Does the SMART data give you any hints that it's deaded?

[jedibiker]

Does the HDD pass SMART tests? Does the SMART data give you any hints that it's deaded?

Im not sure I know what you mean. lol.

The drive runs but without formatting on the mac I cant fully test it. i could plug into a windows laptop and see how that goes but hdd format is different to the computers.

[Snod Blatter]

Ah yes I see you haven't a clue

HDD manufacturers provide their own "drive health check" utilities, for example Seagate have Seatools - you can use these utilities to check the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data which the drive records over its lifetime. Alternatively you can use something like GSmartControl which is a general utility (and has a MacOS version!). Not only does the SMART data hold records of number of uncorrectable errors and all that but there are also some self-tests you can run, the extended test in GSmartControl is a good one.

You don't need to read the data or format the drive to be able to test it

[jedibiker]

Ah yes I see you haven't a clue

HDD manufacturers provide their own "drive health check" utilities, for example Seagate have Seatools - you can use these utilities to check the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data which the drive records over its lifetime. Alternatively you can use something like GSmartControl which is a general utility (and has a MacOS version!). Not only does the SMART data hold records of number of uncorrectable errors and all that but there are also some self-tests you can run, the extended test in GSmartControl is a good one.

You don't need to read the data or format the drive to be able to test it

AH yes, sorry makes sense now. the mac did a first aid test which it passed, but getting the actual software would be better. Although, if it was the hard drive the system software should still show on the screen. Which makes me think the motherboard is now faulty. But good to rule out all.

[Snod Blatter]

What makes you think you should be able to see the system software? Can you even tell what filesystem it is?

[jedibiker]

What makes you think you should be able to see the system software? Can you even tell what filesystem it is?

because if you fitted a new drive the software asks if you want to format it so it can write to it. So the hard drive is only meant to be a storage device and not the system software drive. It starts to load the system then goes to a white screen. A bit like dos where the software is on the motherboard.

That's all a guess but is how I see it if adding a hard drive means the software cant use it unless formatted when installed.

[jedibiker]

Well, it turned out the power supply was insufficient, it was powering on the box but not enough to fully. And also the cameras.

The new box came and trying that power source proved all was ok. Realised when tried to use the old power on the new box.

Also, the clown who fitted it fitted a 2amp power and not 5. got 2 years out of it so not to bad. Just glad didn't need it for last week or so.