Can overwritten dash cam footage be recovered?
2 Answers
Overwritten dash cam footage cannot be recovered. Since dash cam content is automatically displayed in file packages, the first recorded image will be overwritten by subsequent recordings, which is equivalent to deleting the initial footage. Therefore, overwritten files cannot be restored. Additional information about dash cams: 1. Most dash cams use H.264 compression format. 2. Typically, a 1-minute 720p resolution clip occupies about 60MB of storage. 3. Properly selecting recording intervals and storage capacity helps collect evidence promptly during accidents. A 1-minute interval is generally recommended.
Last week, the footage from my car's camera was also overwritten, but I later figured out some tips after some thought. Most dashcams use loop recording mode, where new videos continuously replace old ones. However, the overwritten files aren’t completely gone—they’re just marked as space available for new recordings. If you stop using the memory card immediately, remove it, and scan it with data recovery software on a computer, you might still recover some of the lost footage. I successfully retrieved two clips using the free software DiskDrill. Of course, the success rate depends on how much content was overwritten. If the new recordings have completely occupied the space of the old files, even a miracle won’t bring them back. For daily use, remember to set the lock button as a one-touch save function—locking important videos right away is the safest bet.
