How to Format a DVR Hard Drive and How to Connect a DVR Hard Drive to a Computer

4 Ways to Fix DVR Hard Drive Formatting Issue in Windows 11/10/8/7 (UTF-8)

Whenever you use a digital video recorder (DVR), it will usually come with a hard drive to store the videos. This is called a DVR hard drive. If you want to use this hard drive with your Windows PC, you'll need to connect the DVR to your computer and format the DVR hard drive as outlined below.

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How to Connect a DVR Hard Drive to a Computer

To connect a DVR hard drive to your computer, you'll need a crosshead screwdriver. Then, you can remove and attach the DVR hard drive to your Windows computer's hard drive following these steps.

Step 1: Unplug the computer from the wall. Remove the side panel screws with a Phillips-head screwdriver.

1. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws on the edge of the empty hard drive bay near the top of your computer's interior. Pull the drive caddy out of the bay. Then, use the screwdriver to remove the two screws on the sides of the drive caddy. Slot the DVR hard drive's connector into the slot on the caddy. Replace the screws.

< strong > Step 3 : Remove the power and data cables from the hard drive caddy. Plug the power cable into the power socket on the back of the DVR. Plug the data connector into the data socket on the back of the DVR.

Step 4: Put the drive tray back into its slot in the drive bay and reinstall the screw. Replace the side panel and any other parts you removed.

Then you can turn on the computer and begin the DVR formatting process.

Tip 1: Format the DVR hard drive using a professional disk formatting tool

How to format DVR hard drive on Windows? It's not a big deal if you know this third-party partition magic software, AOMEI Partition Assistant. It's a user-friendly hard disk formatting tool. With it, you can easily convert the hard drive to NTFS or FAT32 with simple steps. Plus, it supports various file system types, including NTFS/EXT3/EXT2/FAT32/FAT16/FAT12/ReFS.

Aside from formatting, you can use it to partition a hard drive, merge partitions, and clone a hard drive. To format a DVR hard drive to Windows 11/10/8/7, download and install the Partition Master tool on your computer.

How to Format a CCTV Hard Drive

Launch Partition Master, right-click the hard drive partition that you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2: In the new window, set the label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the formatted partition, then click “OK”.

Step 3: You'll see a warning; click “Yes” to proceed.

4. Click “Perform 1 Task” to review your changes, then click “Apply” to begin formatting your hard drive partition.

Formatting the hard drive will also delete your data, so remember to back up your hard drive first if necessary (see How to Backup Your Computer Before Formatting). Otherwise, you can proceed directly with DVR Data Recovery.

Tip 2: Format DVR hard drive with Windows Disk Management

If you don't want to download any software, you can use the Disk Management tool to format your DVR hard drive. This is a built-in Windows utility that lets you create, delete, extend, shrink, and format partitions. Here's how to format a DVR using Disk Management:

Format a hard drive:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon and select “Disk Management.”

Step 2. Right-click on the DVR hard drive and select "Format."

Step 3. Choose a file system and cluster size. (Windows users will typically use NTFS or FAT32.)

Click “OK” to format the drive.

Tip 3: Format DVR Hard Drive in File Explorer on Windows 11/10

Another easy way is to format the DVR hard drive using a File Explorer. You can format the DVR hard drive with simple steps.

Step 1: Right-click "This PC", and then click on "Format" for the connected DVR hard drive partition.

Step 2. In the formatting window, select the file system you want to use for the device.

Step 3: Check the "Quick format" box and click "Start."

Format DVR using File Manager

Click “OK” to confirm and complete the formatting. If you have multiple partitions, repeat these steps for each one.

Tip 4: Format DVR Hard Drive via Command Prompt

If you're comfortable with the command prompt, this is an option, but proceed with caution as any missteps can cause serious problems.

Step 1: Type cmd in the Windows 11/10 search box, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

Step 2. Type diskpart at the command prompt, and press Enter.

Step 3. Enter the following commands one at a time, pressing «Enter» after each:

• List disks
• Select disk + disk number (for example, select disk 2)
• List volumes
• Select volume + volume number
• Format fs=ntfs

Then type “exit” and press “Enter” to complete the DVR formatting process.

Why isn't my DVR hard drive recognized by my computer?

Likewise, it's quite common to find a healthy DVR hard drive won't power on or boot when inserted into a regular Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 PC. As long as the HDD works fine inside its original DVR box, there's nothing to worry about. Once you figure out the exact file system of the DVR hard drive, you can easily resolve the issue and use it successfully on your computer.

In general, depending on the type of DVR (such as Dish or DirecTV), the hard drive may already be preformatted with the XFS file system, which is based on a Linux filesystem.

If you have a PC or laptop with Linux, you could try mounting the DVR hard drive to see if Linux can recognize it. However, since most people use Windows, you would need to format the DVR hard drive to the NTFS or FAT file system if you want to use it on a PC, so that Windows can detect, read, and write to it.

Conclusions

That's all about how to format DVR hard drive for PC. If you want to format DVR drive for Linux device, you can create a bootable USB drive and then format DVR hard drive on the Linux device. Disk management tool like this offers you the best solution.

Frequently Asked Questions About Formatting DVR Hard Drives

If you have other questions about formatting a DVR hard drive, read through the following questions and answers.

What format does DVR use? Check DVR hard drive format

While it is true that DVR systems are very efficient, it is also important to choose the right DVR box, as it must ensure that all your security needs are met. Some DVRs work with Windows, while others are compatible with Linux. DVRs generally support H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VOB, and ISO video recordings, along with MP3 and AC3 audio tracks.

Can a surveillance hard drive be used for a desktop?

While surveillance hard drives may perform better than desktop hard drives, that doesn't mean you should use them in a personal computer. Both types of drives are designed for different tasks, so if you're building a PC, you should stick with a desktop hard drive. If you're setting up a CCTV system, however, you'll want to choose a surveillance drive optimized for video.

How do I format my hard drive forcefully?

Four Tips for Formatting a DVR Hard Drive:

• Tips 1. Format DVR Hard Drive with Professional Tool
• Tips 2. Format DVR Hard Drive with Windows Disk Management
• Tips 3. Format DVR Hard Drive with File Explorer in Windows 11/10
• Tips 4. Run Command Prompt to Format DVR Hard Drive

Can I use an SSD (Solid State Drive) in my DVR (Digital Video Recorder)?

Depending on how many shows you record (and whether your DVR supports live buffering), an SSD might make sense in there, too.