Recovery Firmware For The VMAX® A1 Plus (5 MP)
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Affected Roles: Administrator
Complexity: Medium
Last Edit: July 30, 2024
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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 program, the VMAX® A1 Plus will be defaulted and reverted to an older version of its firmware, resolving most operational issues. Once the recovery is complete, the DVR firmware can be upgraded back to the latest release.
This article will guide you through the recovery process for the VMAX® A1 Plus.
Supported/Affected Devices
- VMAX® A1 Plus Series (5 MP)
Required Equipment
- USB Stick (FAT32 format; should not exceed 32 GB)
- Display Monitor (connected to the VMAX® A1 Plus)
- USB Mouse (connected to the VMAX® A1 Plus)
**Note: It is recommended to avoid the use of Kingston and San Disk brand USB sticks, as the DVR may experience an issue while allocating the firmware files from the USB.
Downloading Recovery Files
To download the recovery files Click Here.
Click the Download button to acquire the firmware recovery files.
**Note: When running the recovery program, there should be no other items on the USB stick other than the recovery firmware file. Ensure that the file is not placed in a folder, as the system will be unable to locate the file if it is not placed directly into the root directory.
Recovering The System
To perform a firmware recovery, please follow these steps:
- Download the recovery firmware files from the link above.
- Extract the contents of the downloaded folder.
All three (3) versions of the recovery firmware will be downloaded. Copy the correct recovery file for your model to a blank USB stick (FAT32 format) for you unit. If you include the incorrect version or more than one version on the USB, the recovery program will not run.
- VMAX® A1 Plus 4-channel – recovery_ft-3004.fhs
- VMAX® A1 Plus 8-channel – recovery_ft-3008.fhs
- VMAX® A1 Plus 16-channel – recovery_ft-3016.fhs
**Note: If you do not know the number of channels that your DVR supports, you can inspect the sticker on top of the VMAX® A1 Plus for the model number.
- Power off the VMAX® A1 Plus.
There is no power button on the DVR. To shut down the unit, click on the power icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen, then select Shutdown. Otherwise, you may disconnect the power cable.
You will know that the DVR has powered off completely when there are no LED lights illuminated on the front panel of the VMAX® A1 Plus.
- Insert the USB stick to the rear USB port of the DVR, then power the unit back up.
There is no power button on the DVR. To power the unit back up, reconnect the power cable to the unit. The system will recognize power input and begin to boot.
- The VMAX® A1 Plus will begin running the recovery program automatically. Do not remove the USB stick from the unit until it has completed the recovery process. This process can take up to five minutes to complete.
- Once the firmware recovery process has completed, the DVR will reboot automatically.
Please disconnect the USB stick from the DVR at this time.
Upgrading Firmware
The DVR is currently using an outdated version of firmware as a result of running the recovery program. It is recommended to upgrade your system back to the latest firmware version before resuming normal operation.
To learn more about the upgrading process, you can read Upgrading Firmware For A VMAX A1 Plus.
This completes the Firmware Recovery process. User and System settings will have been defaulted as a result of recovering the system.
If operational or System issues persist, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support for further assistance.
