Recovery Firmware for the HD SPOT Module
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Affected Roles: Administrator
Complexity: Medium
Last Edit: March 23, 2023
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System Recovery
In the event of system errors, software corruption, or display issues, recovery firmware files can be applied as a final troubleshooting step. By running the recovery process, the DW® Spot™ Monitoring Module will be defaulted and reverted to an older version of its firmware, resolving most operational issues. Once the recovery is complete, the device firmware can be upgraded back to the latest release.
This article will outline the recovery process for the DW HD Spot Module.
**NOTE: Running firmware recovery will completely default the system. As a result, setup will be required for the HD Spot Module.
Supported/Affected Devices
- DW® Spot™ Monitoring Module
Required Equipment
- USB Drive (FAT32 format)
- Display Monitor (connected to the HD Spot Module)
- USB Mouse (connected to the HD Spot Module)
**NOTE: It is recommended to avoid the use of Kingston and San Disk brand USB flash drive, if possible, as the unit may not recognize these USB brands.
Before You Begin
- When preparing the USB flash drive for firmware recovery, it is recommended to format the drive to FAT32 before beginning.
- When running the firmware recovery program, there should be no other items on the USB flash drive other than the recovery firmware files.
HD Spot Module Firmware Recovery Files
Determine which firmware recovery version is right for your unit. To determine the generation of your device, consider the model number of your HD Spot Module (4-channel or 16-channel) or the official release filename of the firmware.
- 1st Generation (firmware version starts with HS)
- 2nd Generation (firmware version starts with FS)
- 3rd Generation (firmware version starts with DW-HDSPOT)
|
Model |
Channels |
Serial Number (S/N) |
Firmware Filename |
||||
|
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
3rd Gen. |
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
3rd Gen. |
||
|
DW-HDSPOTMOD |
4 |
MOD |
MOD |
SMODxxx |
hs-1004 |
fs-1004C |
DW-HDSPOT04 x.x.x.x |
|
DW-HDSPOTMOD16 |
16 |
NMOD |
NMOD |
SNMODxxx |
hs-1016 |
fs-10016C |
DW-HDSPOT16 x.x.x.x |
Download Firmware Recovery
Use the following links to download the recovery files, according to the generation of your HD Spot Module.
1st Generation
2nd Generation
- DW-HDSPOTMOD 2nd Gen (4-CH)
- DW-HDSPOTMOD16 2nd Gen (16-CH) – N/A
3rd Generation
After downloading the firmware files, open and extract the zipped files from the compressed folder.
Recovering the System
To perform a firmware recovery, please follow these steps:
- After downloading and extracting the recovery files as denoted above, copy the recovery files to a blanks USB flash drive (FAT32 format).
Ensure that the files are not placed in a folder, as the system will be unable to locate the files if they are not placed directly into the root directory of the USB flash drive.
Once the files are copied to the USB flash drive, you may eject the USB flash drive from the computer.
**NOTE: When running the firmware recovery program, there should be no other items on the USB flash drive other than the recovery firmware files.
- Power off the HD Spot Module.
There is no power button on the HD Spot Module device. If you are unable to shutdown using the toolbar at the bottom of the user interface due to firmware corruption issues, disconnect the power cable to the HD Spot Module.
You will know that the device has powered off when there are no LED lights illuminated on the front panel of the HD Spot Module.
- Insert the USB flash drive into one of the two USB ports of the device. USB port location varies, depending on the hardware generation of your HD Spot Module.
- Power on the HD Spot Module.
Reconnect the power cable to the device. The HD Spot Module will recognize power input and begin to boot.
The NVR will begin running the recovery process from the USB flash drive automatically.
- Once the firmware recovery program has completed, the HD Spot Module will reboot automatically.
Disconnect the USB flash drive when the process is complete.
**NOTE: Following the recovery process, the HD Spot Module will have been factory defaulted and will be using an outdated firmware version (v1.3.5.2). Use the Startup Wizard to complete the initial setup process after allowing the unit to reboot. Click Here to download the Quick Setup Guide for the HD Spot Monitor Module.
Upgrading Firmware
Follow the instructions below to update the HD Spot Module to its latest firmware build:
- From a computer, open a web browser and visit the Digital Watchdog Resource Library.
Select the Model Number of your HD Spot Module (DW-HDSPOTMOD or DW-HDSPOTMOD16) then click the “Search” button.
The model information can be found on the sticker, physically located on the underside of the HD Spot Module hardware.
- Locate the “Firmware” section of the search results and download the correct firmware version for your HD Spot Module according to the hardware generation.
You can compare the new firmware version with the current firmware version on the device in the HD Spot Module’s System Information menu to confirm that you have the correct firmware generation.
- 1st Generation (firmware version starts with HS)
- 2nd Generation (firmware version starts with FS)
- 3rd Generation (firmware version starts with DW-HDSPOT)
|
Model |
Channels |
Serial Number (S/N) |
Firmware Filename |
||||
|
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
3rd Gen. |
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
3rd Gen. |
||
|
DW-HDSPOTMOD |
4 |
MOD |
MOD |
SMODxxx |
hs-1004 |
fs-1004C |
DW-HDSPOT04 x.x.x.x |
|
DW-HDSPOTMOD16 |
16 |
NMOD |
NMOD |
SNMODxxx |
hs-1016 |
fs-10016C |
DW-HDSPOT16 x.x.x.x |
- Insert a blank USB flash drive to the computer and copy the recovery files to a blanks USB flash drive (FAT32 format).
Ensure that the files are not placed in a folder, as the system will be unable to locate the files if they are not placed directly into the root directory of the USB flash drive.
Once the files are copied to the USB flash drive, you may eject the USB flash drive from the computer.
**NOTE: If you have just completed a firmware recovery, please remove the firmware recovery files from the USB flash drive. Only the firmware update files should be present on the USB flash drive at the time of the firmware upgrade.
- Insert the USB flash drive to the HD Spot Module.
Log in to the HD Spot Module as the Admin or as a user with Administrator privileges.
- Default User: Admin
- Default Password: <no password>
- At the HD Spot Module, right-click with the mouse and select Setup Menu.
Navigate to the System Information menu then click the Upgrade button (located next to the current firmware Version).
Set the Method to USB, then click the Scan button.
The HD Spot Module will detect the USB and firmware update file.
Click the Start button to begin the firmware upgrade. The upgrade process will display in the Progress bar. Allow the device to download and install the update. Once the firmware upgrade is complete, the HD Spot Module will reboot automatically and begin to use the new firmware.
- Remove the USB flash drive from the device once the update has completed and the unit has finished rebooting.
**NOTE: This completes the firmware recovery process. User and System settings will have been defaulted if you have performed a firmware recovery on the HD Spot Module.
If operational or system issues persist, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support for further assistance.
