How-to: How do I update HikVision Firmware in just nine simple steps? - updated 17th November 2023

[Phil]

Updated 17-11-23 - corrected the link to the portal as Hikvision changed their url (again). Otherwise all is good. We use this method every day. Now viewed over 188,000 times.

Here's how to upgrade your HikVision camera or NVR to the latest firmware version in just nine simple steps:

Step 1: Download the latest HikVision firmware to your PC:
The new preferred method to find the latest firmware for your Hikvision device is to visit the web page for your product at Hikvision's website in your region (it is now required that updates for products can be found via the manufacturer's product page, hence Hikvision's portals tend to be less well kept).

See this example product page for the 2387G2 turret camera on Hikvision's UK website (scroll down to find the latest firmware and lots of other related information):

DS-2CD2387G2-LSU/SL

Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2-LSU/SL 8 MP ColorVu Strobe Light and Audible Warning Fixed Turret Network Camera

www.hikvision.com

Hikvision's UK website
Hikvision's EU website
Click on the 'Products' tab in the top menu bar and then navigate to your product to find its web page and the latest firmware.


The traditional Hikvision portals for finding device firmware:
UK Portal - https://www.hikvisioneurope.com/uk/portal/?dir=portal
EU Portal - https://www.hikvisioneurope.com/eu/portal/?dir=portal



Step 2: Extract the digicap.dav file (which is the actual firmware file) from the zipped file you downloaded.

Step 3: Copy that digicap.dav file to your PC’s root folder e.g. C://

Step 4: Browse to your NVR, camera, etc - using Internet Explorer:

Step 5: Login and navigate to Config -> Maintenance (screenshot attached below)

Step 6: Scroll to the bottom of the screen you’ll see Upgrade Firmware.

Step 7: Click the Browse button at the right-hand side.

Step 8: Browse to and select the digicap.dav file in your C:// drive

Step 9: Click 'Upgrade'.

I have seen reports that you cannot leap updates, but not encountered the problem myself for some time (applies to old firmware of older models). If you do not succeed in upgrading from your current version to the latest version in a single step, please try interim releases.

Additional helpful tips:

1. Use a PC
2. Use a wired connection - PC and camera/NVR wired to your network
3. Use Internet Explorer browser (not Edge)
4. Move the digicap.dav file to your C:// folder (root of your HDD)
5. If you select/download firmware for the wrong camera family or device you will see an error message which states - "The type of upgrade file mismatches"

If you need any help finding the latest Hikvision firmware for your device:

• Finding the Latest Firmware for your Camera
• Finding the Latest Firmware for your NVR
• Finding the Latest Firmware for your PTZ

Tutorial videos from HikVision Technical Support:

HikVision Firmware Update using Internet Explorer on your PC

HikVision Firmware Update using a monitor connected to your NVR

NVR Firmware update using a USB memory stick

Upgrade devices using IVMS-4200

NB We cannot guarantee outcomes - if you are one of our customers you will of course have our full support. We have only ever supplied official UK version HikVision cameras & NVRs. If you sourced your HikVision products from another supplier you may want to check their recommendations.

 

[Phil]

A further tip - sometimes after updating, on your first return login, you will find the Configuration menu scrambled, you simply need to clear/refresh the cache on your browser to resolve this i.e. Ctrl + F5

https://forum.use-ip.co.uk/threads/hikvision-configuration-menu-jumbled.1338/

I have seen this symptom reported by both PC and Mac users.

 

[Phil23]

Hi Phil,

I'm not seeing the video links in you above posts.

Cheers.

 

[Phil]

They're still there and working for me - 4x embedded videos in the first post (from HikVision's Tech Support YouTube channel)

Ah - they were fine in Chrome & Firefox, but not in Edge nor IE.

Fixed now (I hope) - every day's a school day!

 

[Ayhan]

Ive upgraded my cameras that are connected to my network over wifi or plugged into my router just fine.
I'm able to connect to each one directly via their IP addresses.

But how do I upgrade the firmware on the cameras that are connected Directly to the ports on my NVR - DS-7608NI-K28P?
I'm not able to connect to these cameras because they are on the NVR's network.
Thanks

 

[Phil]

You can do it via the NVR and a USB stick.

However, may I recommend Virtual Host as a generally useful tool that every HikVision NVR owner should enable to provide you with direct browser access to each camera and all its settings:
https://forum.use-ip.co.uk/threads/tutorial-using-a-hikvision-nvrs-virtual-host-feature.610/

 

[WebDev]

Does anyone else find the HikVision Download Portal difficult to navigate?
Specifically I am trying to discover the latest firmware version for my DS-2CD2442FWD-IW

I expect to browse by my Product Number and work backwards from there to see if my current V5.4.5 build 170124 is the latest. Instead I get confused by their product tree and naming conventions. :-/

 

[amcross]

totally agree their website is a minefield and if you use the wrong firmware due to their poor site you may brick your device

 

[amcross]

DOWNLOAD PORTAL


i would say this is your camera

later version of firmware is available than what you have installed

 

[Phil]

Hi @amcross is correct, your 2442 camera is from HikVision R6 family (the latest firmware version currently is V5.5.0).
HikVision do offer a spreadsheet which you can search to check what model is in which family / needs what firmware, but unfortunately they're not great at keeping it up to date. It's available from the bottom of the list on this page (last updated 5th July 2017):
DOWNLOAD PORTAL

 

[jedidomal]

Hello! Thx for the tutorial!
Unfortunately, I'm having a problem with a dvr hickvision device, and I have not managed to find a solution. If anyone could help me, i would be very grateful. My case is:
I have a hikvision 7208HVI-SH DVR, which came with a very old software, version 2.12, which did not support hik-connect technology.
I recently upgraded it with a firmware available, which according to hickvision's realease notes "Conventional SD DVR deletes Hiddns and IP Server function, newly supported Hik-Connect."
But when updating via WEB browser, none of this happened. The firmware apparently remains the same, apparently it just updated the version shown on the device. No hik-connect option was added in the menus, and hiddns continue to appear in the options.

The firmware used was:
DVR_KN33_KN35_N20_EUROPEAN-ML_STD_V3.1.6_build170613.zip
Downloaded from site: hikvisioneurope
with upload date: July of 2017

Would anyone know if I need any specific procedure for the update to actually be applied?

Method used to install: Installed via web browser, the most recent firmware version, when it did not work, I installed the older versions of the available fimware until I reached the current one. The problem persists.

Best regards,,

 

[Phil]

Assuming your DVR is a UK / European version you should download your firmware from here:
DOWNLOAD PORTAL

HikVision products do not normally let you apply the wrong firmware i.e. firmware for the wrong device (you will receive a clear error message).
When you updated to the latest did you check Configuration -> System to see that it was now showing the correct / latest firmware version to be running in your DVR.
If so, I'd obviously expect it to make the latest features as per the release notes available.

 

[jedidomal]

Thx for the attention Phil!
I did exactly as you said, and the checked version on the system menu is showing okay, but the release notes, unfortunately, were not applied = /. I have already tried to go back to the factory mode to see if anything change, but the hik-connect option still does not appear.
Follow the realese notes if you want to check.

http://www.hikvisioneurope.com/port...V3.1.6_build170613 Release Notes_External.pdf

 

[Phil]

I've never known of a device updating but not actually showing the expected features.
Are you looking in the right place?
This is from a different model NVR, but you should see something like the below to enable Hik-Connect access:

 

[Ken Welham]

Here's how to upgrade your HikVision camera or NVR to the latest firmware version in just nine simple steps:

Step 1: Download the latest HikVision firmware to your PC.

Step 2: Extract the digicap.dav file (which is the actual firmware file) from the zipped file you downloaded.

Step 3: Copy that digicap.dav file to your PC’s root folder e.g. C://

Step 4: Browse to your NVR, camera, etc - using Internet Explorer:

Step 5: Login and navigate to Config -> Maintenance (screenshot attached below)

Step 6: Scroll to the bottom of the screen you’ll see Upgrade Firmware.

Step 7: Click the Browse button at the right-hand side.

Step 8: Browse to and select the digicap.dav file in your C:// drive

Step 9: Click 'Upgrade'.

View attachment 331

I have seen reports that you cannot leap updates, but not encountered the problem myself for some time (applies to old firmware of older models). If you do not succeed in upgrading from your current version to the latest version in a single step, please try interim releases.

Additional helpful tips:

1. Use a PC
2. Use a wired connection - PC and camera/NVR wired to your network
3. Use Internet Explorer browser (not Edge)
4. Move the digicap.dav file to your C:// folder (root of your HDD)
5. If you select/download firmware for the wrong camera family or device you will see an error message which states - "The type of upgrade file mismatches"

Tutorial videos from HikVision Technical Support:

HikVision Firmware Update using Internet Explorer on your PC

HikVision Firmware Update using a monitor connected to your NVR

NVR Firmware update using a USB memory stick

Upgrade devices using IVMS-4200

NB We cannot guarantee outcomes - if you are one of our customers you will of course have our full support. We have only ever supplied official UK version HikVision cameras & NVRs. If you sourced your HikVision products from another supplier you may want to check their recommendations.

I'm getting nowhere. I found the list of items quite confusing in your link above and so I contacted you online and downloaded a file suggested by either yourself or Gilly. This was called digicap.dav and after a number of unsuccessful trials I finally transferred this file to a USB stick. I accessed my NVR via the appropriate maintenance page from my Safari browser. From this you will gather that I run aMac computer which has the latest High Sierra operating system. However, when I click the upgrade button I get an immediate message which says "firmware update failed" Hikvision UK have failed to reply to my online request for details what how to upgrade NVR firmware when using a Mac Computer. Perhaps I downloaded the wrong file from the list contained in the link you sent me within your online chat page. It was suggested I downloaded the file with the most recent date and so that it is what I did. Perhaps it was the wrong one.

 

[amcross]

i would certainely in this case plug the usb stick with the digicap file directly into the nvr

and use a monitor and usb mouse plugged into the nvr to update the unit that way

that will be the easiest and would rule out the mac being the issue

 

[Ken Welham]

i would certainely in this case plug the usb stick with the digicab file directly into the nvr

and use a monitor and usb mouse plugged into the nvr to update the unit that way

that will be the easiest and would rule out the mac being the issue

Thanks. That worked and my NVR is now upgraded. Now, if I can only remember how to get Live View back on both my iVMS-4200 and my web browser...!!!

 

[Ken Welham]

i would certainely in this case plug the usb stick with the digicap file directly into the nvr

and use a monitor and usb mouse plugged into the nvr to update the unit that way

that will be the easiest and would rule out the mac being the issue

Thanks again, and forget my previous post. For some reason, the upgrade caused stream encryption to be turned on. I have now turned encryption off and I've got my live view back.

 

[jedidomal]

I've never known of a device updating but not actually showing the expected features.
Are you looking in the right place?
This is from a different model NVR, but you should see something like the below to enable Hik-Connect access:

View attachment 475

Thanks for the attention again Phil!
Yes, my model is a bit different, but clearly has no similar option. If you can take a look at this photo, you'll see what I'm saying:

 

[allsys]

Helo I have a camera model DS-2cd3125FV2-I chinese only, the owner is a chinese national and he buy stuff on taobao all the time(far cheaper than here in Argentina...) but he has a NVR and several cameras working whit latin america firmware version and this new cheap camera keeps failing to connect due to language errors, is there a way to turn this ting to a english firmware??