Overview

This document explains Evercam’s public policy and process for storing, retaining and recovering video footage from an Evercam HDD. The client acts as the Data Controller and should decide whether footage must be retained before the disk reaches capacity.

Storage baseline

Each applicable installation includes at least 16 TB of HDD storage, providing approximately one year of continuous recording under standard Evercam resolution and compression settings. Actual capacity and retention vary with the recording configuration.

What happens when the disk becomes full

Clients can choose how recorded footage is managed once the HDD reaches capacity.

Overwrite mode — default

The oldest footage is automatically overwritten so recording can continue. No action or replacement fee is required, but overwritten footage cannot be recovered.

Self-replacement — chargeable

Evercam supplies a replacement disk and instructions. The client replaces the disk and either retains the removed disk or returns it for secure storage, depending on the agreed arrangement and applicable charge.

Engineer replacement — chargeable

An engineer attends the site and replaces the disk. The removed disk can be left with the client or returned for secure storage, depending on the agreed arrangement and applicable charge.

Notification and client choice

• Evercam’s current policy is to notify the client approximately 30 days before the disk is expected to become full.

• Reply to the notification email and confirm whether you want overwrite mode, self-replacement or engineer replacement.

• If no alternative is agreed, overwrite mode remains the default.

• Replacement timing depends on the site location and engineer availability.

Accessing files on a removed Evercam HDD

Before you begin

• Connect the removed HDD directly by SATA or by using a suitable external HDD reader or dock.

• The disk uses the EXT4 file system.

• Do not initialise, erase or reformat the disk if your computer prompts you to do so.

• Copy the required footage to another drive before editing it, and preserve the originals until the result has been verified.

Linux — step by step

1. Connect the HDD to the computer.

2. Open the file manager. The disk and its files should normally appear automatically.

3. Browse to the required folders and copy the footage to working storage.

4. When finished, safely eject or unmount the disk before disconnecting it.

For advanced users, lsblk can be used to identify the device. If it does not mount automatically, it can be mounted with a command such as sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/evercam_hdd. Replace /dev/sdX1 with the correct partition for the connected disk.

Windows — step by step

1. Install an EXT4-compatible reader, such as Ext2Read.

2. Connect the HDD by SATA or through a suitable external reader.

3. If Windows asks you to initialise or format the disk, select Cancel.

4. Open the EXT4 reader, select the Evercam disk and browse to the required folders.

5. Copy the required footage to working storage.

6. Close the reader and safely eject the disk before disconnecting it.

macOS — step by step

1. Install an EXT4-compatible reader, such as ext4fuse.

2. Connect the HDD using a suitable SATA connection, reader or dock.

3. If macOS asks you to initialise or format the disk, select Ignore or Cancel.

4. Use the EXT4 reader to mount the disk in read-only mode where possible.

5. Browse to the required folders and copy the footage to working storage.

6. Unmount the disk safely before disconnecting it.

Extracting footage from an ExNVR disk without metadata

When an ExNVR disk is accessed outside the recorder, footage may appear as raw MP4 files without the usual NVR folder labels or metadata. The files are normally short segments of approximately one minute.

Folder structure

The footage is stored in a structure similar to:

/media/ex_nvr/ex_nvr/<device-id>/hi_quality/<year>/<month>/<day>/<hour>/<files.mp4>

Example:

/media/ex_nvr/ex_nvr/9549d1fb-dc34-4fe1-9228-16c1dac6c3eb/hi_quality/2025/11/04/10/1762250403462139.mp4

Extraction — step by step

1. Identify the folder for the required camera using its <device-id>.

2. Open the hi_quality folder, then navigate through the year, month, day and hour folders for the required period.

3. Copy the relevant hour folder or MP4 segments to working storage. Do not edit the originals on the HDD.

4. Sort the copied MP4 files in chronological order.

5. Combine the segments into a single video if a continuous clip is required.

Combining segments in CapCut

1. Create a new CapCut project.

2. Import all required MP4 segments.

3. Drag the segments onto the timeline in chronological order.

4. Check that the clips are continuous and cover the required period.

5. Export the timeline as a single MP4 file.

6. Open and verify the exported file before deleting or returning any working copies.

You can use another desktop video editor instead. Experienced users may also combine the files with ffmpeg. In all cases, preserve the original segments until the final output has been verified.

Frequently asked questions

How will I know when the HDD is nearly full?

Evercam’s current policy is to notify the client approximately 30 days before the disk is expected to reach capacity.

How do I request a replacement?

Reply to the notification email and confirm whether you want a self-replacement or an engineer replacement. Evercam will confirm the applicable charge and arrangement.

What happens if I do nothing?

Overwrite mode remains the default. The oldest footage will be permanently overwritten so recording can continue.

Will I be charged if my project runs for longer than the available storage period?

There is no replacement charge if you continue in overwrite mode. A charge applies if you request a replacement HDD or an engineer visit.

What happens to the old footage after a disk replacement?

The removed disk may be retained by the client or returned for secure storage and possible footage extraction, depending on the agreed arrangement and applicable charge.

Can overwritten footage be retrieved?

No. Once footage has been overwritten, it cannot be recovered.

#How long does a disk replacement take to arrange?

Timing depends on the site location, disk availability and, for engineer replacement, engineer availability.

Can I read the disk on any computer?

The disk uses EXT4. Linux normally supports it directly; Windows and macOS generally require an EXT4-compatible reader.

Should I initialise or format the disk if my computer asks me to?

No. Cancel or ignore the prompt. Initialising, erasing or reformatting the disk may destroy the stored footage.

Need help?

Contact support@evercam.io before removing or accessing a disk if you are unsure of the correct procedure.

#Document control