[All cameras] What to do when the camera stops recording in the SD card?

Question

What to do when the camera stops recording in the SD card?

Answer

Most VIVOTEK cameras can perform local recording onto an SD card. If you find that the camera has suddenly stopped recording, please check the following:

1. Check the SD card status:

The first thing to do is to check if the SD card can still be detected by the camera. To do so, you will need to access the camera configuration interface by going to Storage > Storage Manager > SD card management and check the "SD card status:" section.

If it shows "Detached", it might be due to a faulty SD card. You can try to remove the SD card from the camera and reinserting it again (will need to reboot the camera after reinserting the card). 

2. Check if the SD card is full:

If you didn't select "Enable cyclic storage" or "Enable automatic disk cleanup" in the SD card management page, the SD card may become full and cause recording to stop. To verify this, go to Storage > Storage Manager > SD card management and check if the usage percentage in SD card status is close to 90%.

To solve this issue please do the following:

(1) Copy all recordings from SD card first; delete all recordings in SD card or format SD card.
(2) If the oldest recording videos are not important, choose "Enable cyclic storage" or "Enable automatic disk cleanup" to automatically delete the oldest videos.

If you have no idea how to copy all recordings, you can refer to this article:

• [All cameras] How to access the local storage (SD card) of the camera via FTP URL?

Note: Be sure to enable the FTP function otherwise you won’t be able to connect to the camera FTP server.

3. Check the SD card write/read status:

SD cards contain many memory blocks that are used to store data. However, the lifespan of these memory blocks can be affected by repeated writing or sudden power downs during recording.

Additionally, not all SD cards are created equal, and some may have a longer lifespan than others. Regularly formatting the SD card can help extend its lifespan and prevent bad blocks from forming.

If the camera writes to bad blocks, recording will stop and the SD card may need to be replaced. In such a situation, it's recommended to replace the SD card with a new one to ensure continued reliable recording.

If after following the steps mentioned below the camera is still not recording, please contact Technical Support for assistance.