Created file with invalid file name - cannot delete!

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Streaming
1

My WD TV Live SMP has created a file on one of my portable HDDs that has an invalid file name. I have tried a number of ways to rename and/or delete the file; including Windows Explorer, Bulk Rename Utility, and cmd.

None of them work - they all return messages to the effect that the file has an invalid name…

The file in question is:

flixster_lookup_cache_M*A*S*H_1970

It has no extension.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can delete this file?

TIA,

Jazfish

2

I’ve got a bunch of them as well … using Windows XP i just right click and delete without any problems :neutral_face:

But realise, when you delete it … (if you manage to delete it) … it will come back again (to haunt you) :smileyvery-happy:

Just kidding … it’s an auto generated cache file, so even if you delete it, it will eventually get re-generated again.

Personally, i would’nt worry about it … since there’s nothing you can do about it  * 

(Unless… you Rollback Firmware to the previous revision that did’nt feature Flixster / Rotten Tomatoes ratings / cache.)

* (it’s coded in the Firmware)

3

Thanks for the reply JoeySmyth,

If only it were that simple but, alas, right click and delete does not work. I had already tried that a number of times on more than one PC (both using Windows 7 if that has any bearing on things).  It returns the invalid file name error every time.

The file can’t/won’t come back again because my SMP can no longer connect to the internet (I generate all my metadata myself, so I don’t need an internet connection unless updating firmware) - that’ll teach it to create stupid files on my HDD!

I know it’s technically only a small thing, but it is still driving me bananas…

4

Hi, it’s the asterisks causing the problem as Windows doesn’t allow them in file names, but Linux does :wink:

I have a similar scenario where a PVR of mine records shows onto a thumb drive that sometimes have a colon : in the name. When I try to transfer the file to windows, it won’t let me saying file invalid. What I have to do when that happens is load up my bootable copy of Linux on CD and plug in the thumb drive. Linux allows me to rename the file to remove the colon, then the file plays ok. You could use Linux to delete the file from your portable HDD.  A drastic step I know, but if you are that desperate to delete the file then it will work if you can get your hands on Linux.

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5

oh, yes ronmaz you’re right !  about the “*”

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Thanks for the suggestion ronmaz.

I do know that it’s the ’ *’ causing the issue - my problem is rectifying it… :frowning:

JoeySmyth - yes I ran cmd as Administrator, though I didn’t right click - I just hit CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.  It still said Administrator in the program window and the warning came up asking if I wanted to allow the program to make changes, so I assume it’s just an alternative way to skin the same cat… :wink:

Just for the sake of it I connected the HDD to the WD, deleted the media library and let it rebuild - it didn’t delete the file…

7

looking into this …  i created a dummy movie and named it    MASH.mkv

Used get content info … and flixster get content and got this file …  

flixster_lookup_cache_MASH_1970

so i don’t know how you ended up with            flixster_lookup_cache_M*A*S*H_1970

anyways, as ronmaz said about Linux, a Linux Live CD will 100% solve the issue.

here’s a wild idea (someone said 7-zip was able to delete an ivalid file) worth a try i suppose ?

http://www.7-zip.org/

once installed goto Start > Programs > 7-zip File Manager > Browse for the file > Delete

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8

JACKPOT!

Ok, so I was doing some more googling and came across something that I thought I would try - and it worked.

Whilst running cmd in Administrator mode (not sure if this was necessary), I cd’d into the directory and ran chkdsk /V /f on the HDD.

It asked if it could be unmounted - which it could because it is an external/portable HDD. I said y and it ran through the process…

As part of the process it deleted the offending file!

Thanks everyone for all your help!

PS. ronmaz maybe you can use this method as well if you can’t be bothered with the linux option… :wink:

9

Nah, I don’t want to delete the file, I just want to remove the : character so I can play the file and Linux does that. Glad you got your file deleted though.

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10

Cool :smiley: happy to hear your problem sorted

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11

In regard to how it managed to create a file with M*A*S*H in it and not MASH, the only thing I could offer as an explanation is that it somehow referenced either th

MASH (1970).xml

or

MASH (1970).nfo

files for the movie, both of which nominate the movie title as M*A*S*H (that is what displays on the screen on my WD)…

Other than that I have no idea…