How to factory reset a Sibell recorder
Where the reset lives, what it clears, and the two settings it deliberately leaves alone.
Where the setting is
On Sibell recorders the path is Start → Settings → System → Maintenance → Factory Default. The screen lets you choose which groups of settings to restore rather than forcing an all-or-nothing reset, which is useful when you want to clear a tangled network configuration without rebuilding schedules and camera settings from scratch.
Two things it does not change
Restoring defaults does not reset the time zone or the video format. That is worth knowing in both directions: you will not have to set the time zone again, and if you are resetting because the video format is wrong, the reset will not fix it. Change that setting directly instead.
What you should expect to lose
Network configuration, including any static IP address and the NAT setting, generally goes back to defaults — which means remote viewing will stop working until you enable NAT again. User accounts and passwords, recording schedules, motion and detection rules, and camera configuration are all candidates depending on which groups you select. Recorded footage on the hard drive is a separate matter from settings, but do not treat a reset as guaranteed safe for your recordings; export anything you need first.
Before you reset
Write down the network settings, note which cameras are on which channels, and export any footage you need to keep. A reset is quick; reconstructing a system's configuration from memory is not. If you are resetting to solve a remote access problem, work through the AutoNAT checklist first — most of those faults are network configuration rather than anything a reset will clear.
Model differences
Menu wording and the available reset groups vary between recorder generations and firmware versions. Check the manual for your exact model before relying on the path above, and confirm anything ambiguous with the reseller rather than guessing on a live system.
Menu paths follow the Sibell recorder documentation. Wording and available options vary by model and firmware version — check the manual for your exact product, and confirm anything ambiguous with the authorized reseller before changing settings on a live system.