Hikvision DS-7616NI-Q2/16P keeps losing all settings and returns to activation screen after every restart

xsinese

xsinese

n3wb
Mar 21, 2021
4
1
Lagos
Hi everyone,


I’m trying to troubleshoot a Hikvision DS-7616NI-Q2/16P that is about 4 years old. I originally installed it for a client, and it was running with a UPS, but the client later removed the UPS. I suspect the intermittent power cuts and power cycling may have caused the problem.

It first started complaining about an RTC/CMOS battery problem. I replaced the battery, but the RTC issue continued.

Now the bigger problem is that the NVR will not retain any configuration. I can activate it, configure everything, save the settings, and it works normally. But as soon as I restart it, all settings are gone and it comes back to the initial activation screen as if it were a brand-new NVR.

I have already tried:
  • Replacing the RTC/CMOS battery
  • Factory resetting it
  • Removing all HDDs and testing without them
  • Reconfiguring it from scratch
  • Trying to upgrade the firmware
  • Trying to re-flash the same firmware
The firmware upgrade gives "Failed to get the upgrade status."

The current firmware is V4.75.207 build 240604.

I came across some discussions mentioning possible NVRAM/flash storage failure or internal configuration storage failure.

Has anyone experienced this with this model, and is there a way to repair/reprogram the configuration storage, or is this likely a mainboard replacement situation?

Any advice or experience with this particular failure would be greatly appreciated.
 
Since the coin cell is already new and it still drops back to the activation wizard every reboot, this usually means the flash that holds the config (and often the upgrade path) has failed, not just the RTC battery.

The "Failed to get the upgrade status" message fits that: the unit cannot reliably write firmware or settings to non-volatile storage. A few last checks before you write it off:

1. Measure the new cell under load if you can; a dead-on-arrival CR1220/CR2032 or wrong polarity still shows this pattern.
2. Try the matching DS-7616NI-Q2/16P package once more from Hikvision via SADP / Batch Configuration Config Tool (not only the NVR's own Upgrade menu). If that also dies on upgrade status, the flash is gone.
3. Leave HDDs out, disconnect the LAN, complete setup, power-cycle, and see whether anything sticks. If it still lands on activation, there is no software fix.

At that point a mainboard swap (or a replacement NVR) is the realistic path. These Q2 units do this when the onboard flash wears out after years of power events.
 
jeremyx said:
Since the coin cell is already new and it still drops back to the activation wizard every reboot, this usually means the flash that holds the config (and often the upgrade path) has failed, not just the RTC battery.

The "Failed to get the upgrade status" message fits that: the unit cannot reliably write firmware or settings to non-volatile storage. A few last checks before you write it off:

1. Measure the new cell under load if you can; a dead-on-arrival CR1220/CR2032 or wrong polarity still shows this pattern.
2. Try the matching DS-7616NI-Q2/16P package once more from Hikvision via SADP / Batch Configuration Config Tool (not only the NVR's own Upgrade menu). If that also dies on upgrade status, the flash is gone.
3. Leave HDDs out, disconnect the LAN, complete setup, power-cycle, and see whether anything sticks. If it still lands on activation, there is no software fix.

At that point a mainboard swap (or a replacement NVR) is the realistic path. These Q2 units do this when the onboard flash wears out after years of power events.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will do just that and get back.
 
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