Top 3 Ways to Reset Hikvision Camera/DVR/NVR Password

Hikvision products are known for being of high quality. Naturally, this means they are a bit costly as well. We tend to buy expensive things because we expect to get our money's worth so it's always frustrating when you discover the expensive camera you bought has some glaring flaw.

After some Hikvision vulnerabilities were discovered by Internet security organizations, Hikvision released quick updates to repair them. The fix works whether your device is IP camera, DVR, or NVR. It will make your devices much more secure, however, it makes password changes harder. If you have applied the fix and you're having trouble with updating your Hikvision product's password this article is meant for you.

There are several ways you can go about resetting the password on your Hikvision devices. You can reset the password by using the Hikvision SADP tool, which you can find on either CD or on the Hikvision official website. Also, you should be able to download camera's XML file then submit it to Hikvision's technical support team, they will contact you quickly and they'll give you an alternative password to use in the meantime.

Reset your password via the SADP tool

To use the SADP too you must connect the device to the local network and run the SADP program to find online devices. Once your device has been located, select the device and hit "Forget Password".

It will display a dialog window informing you that you need to enter a security code to restore the default password. After you enter the security code, press "confirm" to reset the password.

Where do I find this security code?

You see, that's the tricky part. Unfortunately, there is no password tool which allows you to automatically generate a security code on the internet. You must copy the Start Time and Device Serial Number and then submit them to the Hikvision technical support staff. They will run the password tool and generate the security code according to the date/time and serial code data.

And if you think to get that security code is complex and you don't know how to do that pay attention to this part. The security camera will display a pop-up dialog which can export the XML file. Press the "Export" button to download the XML file, send the XML file to the Hikvision technical support staff. Then they will send you an encrypted file or forward your request to a local distributor. If you opt for the encrypted file, simply enter your new password and click "Confirm" when prompted and your password will be reset.

Besides exporting the XML file, the dialog also supplies you with a QR code. You may wonder what the QR code is for? Well, instead of exporting an XML file, you can take a photo of the QR code instead and then send it to the Hikvision technical support team. They will send you a digital key which allows you to enter a new password.

How to reset your password for DVR/NVR/IVMS

There are other ways to reset your password if you have –E/-K/-I series NVR from V3.4.90, and Turbo 3.0 DVR (DS-HG/HQ/HUHI-F series) from V3.4.80. With this method, clients are able to reset the device password on their own.

Note: All of the password resetting methods listed below only work in local area networks. Local GUI, SADP, iVMS-4200, and Web client support the new password resetting method. The security code method does not work anymore, however.

First method - export the GUID file

Users can export the GUID file in advance and reset the password by importing the GUID file whenever the need to. Just don't forget to key in the old password before exporting the GUID file. Keep in mind that if the admin password is altered or the GUID file has been used it will be rendered invalid.

If you forget your device password, enter a new password resetting the interface by clicking on "Forget password". Find your exported GUID file, then import it to reset device password.

Second method - Validation questions

You can set up validation questions and reset the password by answering the pre-set questions correctly.

Should you forget your device's password, enter a new password resetting the interface by clicking on "Forget password" like in the previous method. After answering all the questions correctly, you will be able to reset your device's password.

Password Reset Troubleshooting in the event of errors

In the event that case that you fail despite following the steps correctly try this.

If you get an error message that reads "Reset password failed" you must make sure that all of your Hikvision devices (computers, laptops, cameras, recorders, switches, DVRs, and more) are connected to same IP range in your LAN.

If you have a laptop which is connected to the same switch via a network cable instead of a WI-FI connection, make sure that your WI-FI adapter is disabled. And restart the SADP tool and try again. Also, if you have changed your IP address while using the SADP tool you must reset it and try again.