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UniFi Video is a legacy product line.

This application and its related devices will no longer receive any manner of technical support, including functional and security updates. Additionally, there will be no further updates to Help Center content pertaining to UniFi Video.

UniFi Video - How to Reset a UniFi Video Installation for Windows

Overview

This article will outline how to reset a UniFi Video installation and how to restore recordings under the Windows operating system. The article for resetting a Linux installation (or our hardware NVR), can be found here.

NOTES & REQUIREMENTS:
Please note that this will clear out all settings and managed cameras but therecordings will remain. If you do not restore a configuration backup, it will be necessary to re-manage the cameras, set up motion zones/sensitivities, reconnect the install to the cloud, etc. This method should only be used after a database repair has been attempted and been advised by a Ubiquiti employee.

Table of Contents

  1. Steps: How to Reset a UFV Installation
  2. Steps: How to Restore Recordings
  3. Related Articles

Steps to Reset a UFV Installation

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For versions 3.10.1 or Earlier:

1. If you wish to restore your current configuration after the reset, ensure you have a configuration backup, or generate one from the Settings page in UniFi Video before proceeding.

2. Shutdown UniFi Video via the notification area icon.

3. Run Notepad as an Administrator.

ATTENTION:Do not use a rich text editor such as Word, or Wordpad when editing configuration files, as they will add hidden characters that may prevent UniFi Video to load the file correctly.

4. Select File > Open and navigate to C:\ProgramData\unifi-video\data\system.properties 

NOTE: The C:\ProgramData\ directory is hidden by default, so you may need to type in the path or configure Windows Explorer to show hidden files and folders.
Make sure to select All Files near the bottom right of your window to see the system.properties file.

5. Locate the line that reads: 

is_default=false

and change it to:

is_default=true

6. Restart UniFi Video via the notification area icon.

7. It will take a moment to wipe out the database and restart the web service.

8. Access the install as usual (https://[Your UniFi-Video IP address]:7443). The complete process of how to access the initial setup wizard can be found in the UniFi Video User Guide.

9. The initial setup wizard will appear. Either restore the backup saved prior to recover your configuration or complete the configuration wizard to configure the system.

10. As always, the first thing you should do after completing the wizard is to go to Settings > NVR Settings > Configure tab and check your storage path as well as the ‘Space to Keep Free’ setting.

For versions 3.10.2 or Later:

  1. If you wish to restore your current configuration after the reset, ensure you have a configuration backup. You can generate one from the Settings page in UniFi Video.
  2. Navigate to Settings > System Configuration > Configure > Tools > Controller - Check the Reset Box, and Click the Restart button. (You will need to be the Super Administrator to see this option.)
    Screen_Shot_2019-08-07_at_4.02.13_PM.png
  3. After a couple minutes, The initial setup wizard should appear (you may need to refresh your browser) - Either restore the backup saved prior to recover your configuration or complete the configuration wizard to configure the system.
  4. As always, the first thing you should do after completing the wizard is go to Settings > NVR Settings > Configure tab and check your storage path as well as the "Space to Keep Free" setting.

Steps to Restore Recordings

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The following methods demonstrate how to restore recordings.

ATTENTION:Please note that the analysis tool may actually remove the recordings. It is recommended to make a backup of your recordings prior to performing these steps.

For versions 3.9.0 or later:

  1. Go to Settings > NVR Settings > Configure tab > Expand Tools section.
  2. Check the "Restore Recordings" option, and click ANALYZE:
    Screen_Shot_2018-03-29_at_2.28.33_PM.png

For versions 3.8.5 or earlier:

  1. Edit the system.properties file (C:\ProgramData\unifi-video\data\system.properties) and add the following to the bottom:
    recording.recovery=true
  2. Restart the UniFi Video service via service unifi-video restart.
  3. Log in to the web interface.
  4. Go to Settings > NVR Settings > Configure tab > Expand Tools section > Click the Analyze button. Your recordings will only restore if the storage path is correct.
  5. Restoring recordings can take some time (anywhere from 30 minutes to 5+ hours depending on how many you have). You can continue to use the system as normal, as well as continue to manage your cameras and set up your configuration, but make sure you stay logged in while the analysis is complete.  A simple way to do this would be to open a Live Feed from a camera or a Live View to prevent the system from logging you out.

Related Articles

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UniFi-Video - How to Reset a UniFi-Video Installation for Linux/Hardware NVR

UniFi Video - Repairing a Database

Intro to Networking - How to Establish a Connection Using SSH

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