Make a backup copy of the original firmware file with the following command: If the results do not match these values – DO NOT PROCEED further. This should give a reasonable confidence level that the file is in a format that can be decoded. This can be 108 for NVR firmware that typically has a single CRAMFS image, and 1208 for camera firmware holding 26 files. The value is 64 bytes plus 44 bytes x (the number of files held in the main section). The tool will show the header raw data, the header decoded data, a summary of key values in the header, and the full decoded data including a list of the embedded files and their checksums.Īn important value to check in the summary of key values is that the ‘magic number’ is ‘0x484B5753’ and that the iLanguage value is 1 or 2 The iHeadTotalLen varies with the number of files in the main section of the firmware update file.

Assuming that the firmware filename is ‘digicap.dav, execute the following command: First check that the firmware file to be changed can be correctly decoded. Change the drive and directory to that holding the hiktools.exe program. On the Windows PC, start a command-line window, usually with ‘Start | CMD’. Ensure the NVR or IP camera is powered on and connected to the same local network as the PC, and ensure that you can log on to the web admin GUI with an administrator account (usually admin). This could be the same folder as used by the TFTP program. Store in a folder on the PC the NVR or IP camera firmware upgrade file that you would like to use, along with the ‘hiktools.exe’ firmware mod tool program. Have available a Windows PC, with the Hikvision Support Tools package available, which mainly consists of a TFTP server and the instructions on how this can be used to recover a failed firmware update on an NVR or IP camera. The steps are straightforward, but do need some care to be taken, and require an understanding that although the tool is reliable and has been tested, it may not take account of future changes such as the firmware update file structure being re-engineered, or new checksums being incorporated. The tool extracts all the individual files from the main section of the firmware upgrade file, making them available for inspection or changing. The tool scans and decodes the NVR or IP camera firmware update file that the user would like to use to update the device, and allows the ‘Language flag’ to be changed, such that ‘Language mismatch’ errors that occur on an attempted update can be eliminated. Sellers can modify internal region and language settings in various ways to cheaply sell products from one region in another region, in a way that can cause later problems for the buyer when updates are attempted.Īdvanced users can modify or add files to the firmware image, to customise the capabilities and behaviour of their IP camera or NVR. Hikvision applies ‘Region codes’ and ‘language flags’ to their IP cameras and NVRs and to the associated firmware updates, and tries to ensure their products are sold via their ‘Authorised Distributor Network’. It’s common that after purchasing Hikvision IP cameras and NVRs from low-cost sources such as Chinese internet-based sellers, users encounter some problems such as ‘Language mismatch’ when trying to integrate the devices or update the firmware. The tool can also re-package the updated changed or added contents into a new firmware update file that can be applied to the IP camera or NVR as a normal upgrade.

The tool also provides some advanced facilities to extract the contents from the main body of a firmware upgrade file for inspection or further development. The user does not need programming expertise to use this tool. It’s a short piece of code that makes it easily possible to change the ‘Language’ flag on the firmware update files that Hikvision provides for their range of NVRs and IP cameras. Firmware Mod Tool for Hikvision NVR and IP camera devices.

Hikvision ip camera utility