Why Does My DVR or NVR Keep Rebooting Itself?

ByMisha Rofeim

Have you ever had a security camera system that keeps rebooting itself? If so, you’re not alone. Many people have experienced this issue, and it can be pretty frustrating. This blog post will explore why some security camera systems reboot themselves and what you can do about it. Stay tuned!

Why does my DVR/NVR keep rebooting by itself? The main reasons a DVR or NVR reboots by itself are that the device is overheating, the hard drive is failing, the recording resolution or frame rate is set too high, an auto-maintain configuration is set up to reboot, or a faulty power supply.

Internal hard drive failure causing the DVR or NVR to reboot

The first reason your DVR or NVR may reboot itself is an internal hard drive failure. If the hard drive inside your recording device fails, it will cause the device to reboot to try and fix the problem.

Sometimes, the hard drive may be too damaged, and the device will keep rebooting until it can no longer function. If you suspect that your DVR or NVR is rebooting due to a hard drive failure, the best action is to format or replace the hard drive.

Formatting the hard drive

Formatting the hard drive will delete all of the footage recorded so far, so be sure to back up your footage before taking this step.

You can format the hard drive through the DVR or NVR’s menu. To do this:

  1. Open the menu and go to Setup.
  2. Click on Storage or HDD.
  3. Select the hard drive
  4. Click on Format or Initialize.
  5. Click “OK” to confirm that you want to format the hard drive

Once the process is complete, all the footage on the hard drive will be erased, and you can start recording again.

Replacing the hard drive

If formatting the hard drive does not work or you do not want to lose your recordings, you can try replacing the hard drive. You must purchase a new internal hard drive compatible with your DVR or NVR.

Once you have the new hard drive, you can install it by opening up the case of your recording device and swapping out the old hard drive for the new one.

I recommend replacing the hard drive with the Seagate Skyhawk hard drive specially designed for video surveillance recording. These hard drives are designed to record 24/7 and last much longer than standard hard drives.

Once the new hard drive is installed, you will first have to format it before you can start using it to record footage

You can format the hard drive through the DVR or NVR’s menu. To do this:

  1. Open the menu and go to Setup.
  2. Click on Storage or HDD.
  3. Select the hard drive.
  4. Click on Format or Initialize.
  5. Click “OK” to confirm that you want to format the hard drive.

The DVR/NVR is overheating

There are a few reasons why your security camera system might be overheating.

  • The system is located in a hot environment
  • Internal fan failure
  • CPU fan failure
  • power supply failure

The DVR/NVR is located in a hot environment

Digital video recorders produce a lot of heat; therefore, they should be installed in a well-ventilated area.

Installing a DVR in a cabinet with little or no ventilation can cause the device to overheat and shut down.

If your DVR or NVR is installed in a hot environment, I recommend moving the device to a cooler location. If that’s not possible, try installing additional fans in the cabinet or at least leave the cabinet doors open to allow air to flow.

Internal fan failure

If the system has an internal fan, it might be failing. A failed fan can cause the system to overheat, leading to frequent reboots.

You will find a small fan inside most DVRs and NVRs. This fan is designed to pull air from one side of the recorder and out of the other side.

If this fan fails, the motherboard will overheat and cause the DVR or NVR to shut down.

You will often hear a loud grinding noise from the DVR. This noise usually comes from the internal fan or the fan mounted on top of the CPU.

These internal fans are replaceable. Open the cover to the recorder and look for the fan’s model number.

You can find most replacement fans on Amazon.

CPU fan failure

Another possibility is that the CPU fan is failing. This can also cause the system to overheat and reboot frequently.

Some DVRs or NVRs have a fan mounted on the CPU to keep the processor cool. Sometimes after many years of constant use, the CPU fan fails and causes the processor to overheat.

Most DVRs or NVRs are designed to shut down automatically to prevent any damage to the CPU.

To solve this problem, you’ll have to purchase a replacement fan from the manufacturer to solve this problem.

The replacement of the CPU fan is simple. Power down the recorder first, unscrew the old fan, and screw in the new one.

Power supply failure

DVRs and NVRs have large power supplies that power the motherboard and the hard drives.

These power supplies work constantly and will fail after many years of use. A defective power supply tends to overheat and turn itself off to prevent damage to the motherboard and hard drives.

When the power supply cools, it resets itself and reboots the DVR.

It is possible to replace the power supply but often the replacement cost is more than that of a new DVR or NVR.

The recording parameters are set too high, CPU is overheating

Another possibility is that the recording resolution or frame rate is too high. If the system tries to record at a higher resolution than it’s designed for, it may reboot to prevent damage.

This is typical in new installations where the system reboots itself shortly after the initial power-up.

I’ve had this issue several times, and I had to upgrade the firmware in a couple of DVRs and lower the frame rate on another DVR to resolve the problem.

Weekly maintenance

All modern DVRs and NVRs have a feature called auto maintenance, where the device reboots itself on a set schedule.

Like any computer, security camera systems run much better when rebooted periodically.

This is because many of the security system’s features are running in the background and can start to bog down the system after a while.

Auto maintenance is typically set for once a week but can be changed to whatever you like.

To change the auto maintenance schedule, go into the configuration menu and look for the setting under the maintenance tab.

Conclusion

These are the most common reasons why DVRs and NVRs will reboot themselves.

Most of the time, it’s not a big deal and can be easily fixed with some simple troubleshooting.

But if the problem persists, you may have to replace some hardware.