How to Recover Tesla Dashcam Footage | Here are 5 Ways!

Lost your Tesla Dashcam footage? Don’t worry, this article will introduce 5 workable ways to recover Tesla Dashcam footage and ensure you regain access to your critical video recording.

By @Lori Last Updated December 26, 2024

Tesla vehicles come with a built-in Dashcam system that continuously records videos captured by multiple cameras around the car. These videos are saved on a USB drive that is plugged into one of the car's USB ports. These videos are essential for safety, accident evidence, or reliving your journey.

If you have lost important Dashcam videos from your Tesla, you are not alone, and don't worry. In this guide, we will explore 5 effective ways to recover Tesla Dashcam footage and videos. Let's get started!

Can You Retrieve Deleted Tesla Dashcam Footage?

Yes, you can usually recover deleted Dashcam video, including recover deleted Tesla Dashcam footage. Let's look at how to do this based on different storage types:

1️⃣ Tesla USB Drives: Tesla vehicles save dashcam footage on USB flash drives. Only one hour of footage is stored unless you manually save a clip. Even if the footage is no longer visible, data recovery software can usually recover it. The best tools can recover files from formatted, corrupted, or deleted USB drives.

2️⃣ SD Card Dash Cams: SD cards are popular in dash cams for their convenience and large storage capacity. Issues such as file corruption, accidental deletion, or formatting issues can cause footage to be lost. These issues can occur due to improper ejection, card malfunction, or file errors. Specialized data recovery software can help recover deleted videos from SD cards.

3️⃣ Internal Storage: Some dash cams have internal storage that is easy to use. It is also possible to recover data from internal storage using data recovery software or by contacting a professional data recovery service.

4️⃣ Cloud Storage: For dash cams that use cloud storage, the recovery process is different. Since the data is stored remotely, you will need to contact the cloud service provider. Many cloud services offer options to recover deleted files or access previous versions of data.

How to Recover Tesla Dashcam Footage (5 Ways)

Now that you know you can recover lost Tesla Dashcam footage, you might be wondering how. How do I recover Dash cam footage? In the following sections, we’ll explore 5 effective ways to recover lost footage and get you back on track.

Way 1. Recover Tesla Dashcam Footage with MyRecover

The best way to recover deleted or lost Tesla Dashcam footage is to use the powerful and user-friendly data recovery software – MyRecover. It can retrieve lost/deleted files from various storage devices and retain their original quality.

  • Support various video formats, including recover MP4/MPEG/MPG, MOV, AVI/NAVI, ASF, WMV, RM/RMX, FLV/F4V QSV, etc., and other 200+ file types, including photos, documents, audios, email, and more.
  • Advanced scanning method: Quick & Deep Scan can search all the recoverable Tesla Dashcam footage thoroughly. You can filter your lost videos by filename, saved path, date, or size, and preview videos before recovery.
  • Apply to all data loss scenarios, such as accidental deletion, formatted disks, virus infection, system crash, etc.
  • Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Server.

MyRecover is easy to use and can be used even by a novice. You can use it to recover files up to 500MB without paying anything. Now, just download this video recovery software and install it on your computer. Follow the simple 3 steps below to recover Tesla Dashcam footage easily.

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
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Step 1. Launch MyRecover and start scan

Connect the USB drive or SD card used for your Tesla Dashcam to your computer. Run MyRecover, hover over the USB drive/SD card, and click Scan.

Step 2. Find and preview lost data

MyRecover will perform a Quick Scan & Deep Scan of your storage device to locate lost or deleted Tesla Dashcam footage. Once the scan is complete, you can preview the recoverable files to ensure they are the correct ones.

🤞 Tip: You can filter files depending on Files Type, Size, Date, etc.

  • Type: Select the file type (Videos, Documents, Images, Audios, Mails, Webpages, Compressed files, etc.)
  • Date Modified: Set the date (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, etc.)
  • Size: Filter the file size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, 512MB above, etc.)

Step 3. Recover Your Footage

Select the Tesla Dashcam videos you want to recover and choose a safe location on your computer to save them. Click Recover X Files to restore your lost footage.

🤞 Tips:

  • Once exceed 500MB, please upgrade to MyRecover Pro/Tech to enjoy unlimited file recovery options.
  • Also, this powerful data recovery software can easily recover accidentally formatted hard drive, SSDs, SD cards, USB flash drives, etc.

Way 2. Assign a New Drive Letter to Recover Tesla Dashcam Videos

Usually, Windows automatically assigns a drive letter to all connected storage drives. If you're struggling to access your Tesla Dashcam footage, you can assign a new drive letter to your USB stick. To do this:

Step 1. Connect the USB stick to your computer. Right-click the Start menu and select "Disk Management" or press Windows + R, type "diskmgmt.msc", and hit Enter.

Step 2. Right-click your USB drive and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths". Click "Change" and select an available drive letter.

Step 3. Select “Add” to assign a new drive letter to your drive.

Step 4. Select “Assign the following drive letter”. Please ensure your chosen drive letter is different from all the existing drive letters.

Way 3. Run CHKDSK to Recover Tesla Dashcam Footage

If you are unable to access your Tesla Dashcam recordings due to corruption or file system issues, the CHKDSK utility can repair logical errors and make the contents of the storage device accessible again. To use CHKDSK and recover Tesla Dashcam recordings, follow these steps:

Step 1. Connect the storage device to your computer. Type "cmd" in the search box, and click "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type the command “chkdsk *: /f /r” (replace * with the letter of your storage device), and press Enter.

Way 4. Reinstall Drivers to Retrieve Tesla Dashcam Footage

Sometimes your USB drive cannot be recognized in Windows, it may be due to a corrupted disk driver, you can download the latest driver from the official website of the drive manufacturer.

Step 1. Type “Device Manager” in the search bar and open it Locate and right-click your storage device, and choose "Update Driver". (Also, you can choose “Uninstall Device”.)

Step 2. Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software". When finished, disconnect and reconnect to your computer.

Way 5. Contact a Professional Data Recovery Service

If the above methods fail to recover your data, your best option is to consult a professional data recovery service, such as Geek Squad. These experts specialize in severe data loss situations and are equipped with advanced tools that allow them to handle a variety of recovery tasks efficiently.

The process is simple. First, send your damaged or corrupted storage device to the service. The expert will assess the damage and provide a quote. Once you approve the quote, they will proceed with the recovery, which can take varying amounts of time depending on the complexity of the case. Once the recovery is complete, the recovered data will be returned to you on a new storage device or via a secure online download.

How to Protect Dashcam Video Recordings

Dashcam video recordings can provide critical evidence in the event of an accident. To keep your recordings safe, follow these simple steps:

Save recent video recordings: Save any recent video recordings immediately to prevent them from being overwritten. For Tesla owners, check the support page for specific instructions.

Remove storage devices: Carefully remove the storage device (USB stick, SD card, etc.) from the dash cam. If possible, turn off the dash cam before removing the device.

Store the device safely: Place the storage device in a safe place away from extreme temperatures, moisture, or magnetic fields, as these can damage the data.

Use cloud backup: Premium dash cams, such as those from brands like Tesla or BlackVue, offer cloud backups. Make sure your video recordings are uploaded in full, as cloud storage is a secure way to protect your recordings.

Summary

Recovering deleted footage from a Tesla or other Dashami is possible as long as you use the right methods and take timely action. The above five practical ways to recover Tesla Dashami footage apply to data loss caused by corruption, software errors, or other logical problems.

We recommend starting with professional data recovery software such as MyRecover. With its user-friendly interface and powerful recovery features, MyRecover can recover Tesla Dashami footage and other files. It can also effectively recover deleted files in Windows 10. Don't let lost files ruin your day - take action now and use MyRecover to recover up to 500MB of files for free!

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

To protect your Tesla dashcam footage, always use a high-quality USB drive and format it correctly to FAT32. Regularly transfer important footage to another device or cloud storage for safekeeping. Or, consider using free backup software for Windows, such as AOMEI Backupper Standard, to ensure your data is always protected.

FAQs About Recovering Tesla Dashcam Footage

1. How do I see past Tesla footage?

To view recorded footage, ensure your Model Y is in Park. Access the footage by touching the Dashcam icon in the app launcher. You'll find a list of all video clips, organized by location and timestamp. You can pause, rewind, fast forward, and delete clips as needed.

2. Does Tesla save Dashcam footage?

For privacy protection, video recordings are saved locally to a formatted USB flash drive. Recordings are not sent to Tesla.

3. How to recover overwritten Tesla Dashcam footage?

Unfortunately, overwritten dashcam footage cannot be recovered. Once new data replaces the original footage on the storage medium, the previous data is permanently lost. To prevent loss, some Tesla models, like the Model 3, automatically upload dashcam footage to the cloud when unusual events occur.

4. How to retrieve video from Tesla Model Y/3?

Select the camera icon in the top-right corner of your touchscreen > Select Launch Viewer >Browse through your available footage and find the video you need

5. Do Tesla cameras always record?

Dashcam automatically enables recording if set to Auto, Manual, or On Honk, but it may not be actively saving footage depending on your preferences.