Corrupt Files

Legacy Products WD TV
1

I’m streaming movies from my PC to the Live Steaming player (using network share) and was wondering, is there any chance the player could corrupt my files? If yes, is there anything I could do to prevent it?

Same thing regarding using an external HDD, could the player corrupt the files whilst playing them from the external HDD…

I’ve been reading the latest firmware is causing a lot of problems and I’m worried the player might damage/corrupt my files.

I have over 1TB of movies, music, documents and pictures and if there’s potential for problems then I don’t want to risk it.

Thanks.

2

Welcome to the Community.

Yes, as with any other device accessing a data source, corruption can happen when communication is forcefully interrupted. What you could do to prevent it is to assign read-only permissions to shares holding your media. However, this is not fail-proof.

3

Trancer wrote:

Welcome to the Community.

 

Yes, as with any other device accessing a data source, corruption can happen when communication is forcefully interrupted. What you could do to prevent it is to assign read-only permissions to shares holding your media. However, this is not fail-proof.

What are the ways in which communication can be forcefully interrupted?

I’ve clicked on the network folder (through Windows) and opened advanced sharing then the permissions tab.

It says…

                                    Allow            Deny

Full Control                 blank            blank

Change                       blank            blank

Read                           ticked           blank

Is that enough to stop my files being corrupted or do I need to tick some of the deny boxes?

Also, If i right click one of the folders I’m sharing through the network folder (my videos for example)  and select propeties, the General tab has the option to tick read only. Do i tick that or just stick to what I mentioned above (permissions) instead?

      

Thanks.

Any other opinions are welcome aswell, I don’t bite:laughing:

4

Dropping the connection by Ethernet cable failure or removal during playback or a power outage during playback are examples of a forceful interruption.

Check “Deny” for Full Control and Change.

5

if your big concearn is that the device will corrupt files, it’s misfounded

the WD is just another computer, allbiet very lower power, and you can’t change the OS

so anything that could corrupt a file on a normal PC applies to the WD as well

the biggest possibility of corrupted files, is from not safely ejecting a usb drive

the second is a power failure

but again, it’s just a low power pc, so all the same PC stuff applies here

6

Trancer wrote:

Dropping the connection by Ethernet cable failure or removal during playback or a power outage during playback are examples of a forceful interruption.

 

Check “Deny” for Full Control and Change.

If I click  Deny  for Full control or Change then deny for read is ticked automatically.

It wont let me tick allow for read and deny for the others.

I see if I right click on properties on one of the network shared folders there’s a security tab Which has the following:

Authenticated Users

SYSTEM

Administrators

Users (My name/PC)

Do i have to fiddle about with allow and deny for those or is the permissions tab (through advanced sharing) the option which i need to concentrate on?

I just want to make sure the WDTV can only read files from My PC’s Hard Drive (through the nework share)  and not have the ability to write or modify any of my files.

Thanks guys.

7

SnakeEyes wrote:

 

I’ve clicked on the network folder (through Windows) and opened advanced sharing then the permissions tab.

 

It says…

                                    Allow            Deny

Full Control                 blank            blank

Change                       blank            blank

Read                           ticked           blank

 

Is that enough to stop my files being corrupted or do I need to tick some of the deny boxes?

Yes, that way WDTV can’t corrupt your files.

All files and/or subfolders inside that folder will inherit that read permission you gave.

If you want to do a simple test, put a test file in the shared folder, goto WDTV and try to delete it.

Keep in mind that you define that permission for a “group or user”, so make sure the “Group or Username” only has 1 entry that WDTV can use and the read permission is for that entry.

If you use the default “everyone” group, then everyone can access your folder, with the permission you defined for the everyone group.

If you don’t want to give share access to everyone, you must create a new windows user.

Create a normal user, named  “wdtv” and assign a password.

You don’t need to login with it in windows, but now you can add that user named wdtv to “Group or Username”, define read permission for it and delete the everyone group from your share.

This way, only this user/passwrd can access you shared folder with the permissions you defined for it.

Now, WDTV or anyone that wants to access your share needs to type that username/password.

8

Mr-Wolf wrote:

Yes, that way WDTV can’t corrupt your files.

All files and/or subfolders inside that folder will inherit that read permission you gave.

If you want to do a simple test, put a test file in the shared folder, goto WDTV and try to delete it.

 

Keep in mind that you define that permission for a “group or user”, so make sure the “Group or Username” only has 1 entry that WDTV can use and the read permission is for that entry.

 

If you use the default “everyone” group, then everyone can access your folder, with the permission you defined for the everyone group.

 

If you don’t want to give share access to everyone, you must create a new windows user.

Create a normal user, named  “wdtv” and assign a password.

You don’t need to login with it in windows, but now you can add that user named wdtv to “Group or Username”, define read permission for it and delete the everyone group from your share.

This way, only this user/passwrd can access you shared folder with the permissions you defined for it.

Now, WDTV or anyone that wants to access your share needs to type that username/password.

Thank you very much Mr Wolf (Pulp Fiction reference?)

 

Just to make sure we’re crystal…

 

If I leave the permissions (through the advanced sharing, permissions tab) on Group or users - Everyone and just leave  the Read box ticked is that enough or do I have to go into the permissions below aswell.

 

I see if I right click on properties on one of the network shared folders there’s a security tab Which has the following:

Authenticated Users

SYSTEM

Administrators

Users (My name/PC)

 

 

I’m the only one who uses the WD TV if that helps any.

 

 

9

You can call me Winston :slight_smile:

Sharing->advanced sharing->permissions are the network sharing permissions.

For network login these permissions apply.

Properties->security are users permissions to access the file system.

These permissions apply to local login users (windows login screen).

For network login these permissions also apply.

If a user/group has READ share permission, but no permission in the file system, it can’t access anything.

If a user/group has READ share permission and full control in the file system, it can only READ the share in the network, but has full control if he can login in the windows interface.

For security reasons it makes sense to give the same permissions, but they can be different if you need.

It would be better if you created a user/password with read access to the shared folder.

If you give everyone read access, then everyone (in your LAN) has access to your files.

EDIT: tried to summarize some parts.

10

Mr-Wolf wrote:

You can call me Winston :slight_smile:

 

Sharing->advanced sharing->permissions are the network sharing permissions.

For network login these permissions apply.

 

Properties->security are users permissions to access the file system.

These permissions apply to local login users (windows login screen).

For network login these permissions also apply.

 

If a user/group has READ share permission, but no permission in the file system, it can’t access anything.

If a user/group has READ share permission and full control in the file system, it can only READ the share in the network, but has full control if he can login in the windows interface.

For security reasons it makes sense to give the same permissions, but they can be different if you need.

 

It would be better if you created a user/password with read access to the shared folder.

If you give everyone read access, then everyone (in your LAN) has access to your files.

 

EDIT: tried to summarize some parts.

Great character even though he was only in the movie for 10 mins or so :smiley:

Funnily enough Harvey Keitel has been playing The “Wolf” character in UK TV adverts recently :laughing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZb3azkEiI

I’m the only one in my house who will be using the WD TV, so would there be a need to create a new user acount? If not, a read permission through advanced sharing will be enough to prevent the player corrupting my files, CORRECT? :laughing:

It was mentioned earlier in this thread power cuts can corrupt files. I have a UPS that my PC is connected to (upstairs). Would I need a UPS for the WD TV (downstairs) aswell or would the UPS for my PC be enough since that’s where the files are being streamed from? I will only be using network share and not using an external hdd.

Also, can any of my files be hacked through WD TV or the network share and is there any point for turning password protected sharing on or not?

Thanks again for your help.

11

It’s nice to see Harvey Keitel playing The “Wolf” character again :slight_smile:

Read permission in advanced sharing is enough to prevent the player corrupting your files.

As was said, we don’t expect WDTV to corrupt files, but this way it can’t happen.

As a bonus nobody can delete your files from WDTV interface.

If you are behind a router, internet users can’t see your share.

Adding account/password to your share, it’s only one more layer of security.

Problem now is that your LAN machines could still be compromised, if there are more computer users behind your router, you can’t be sure if they know what they are doing, if they install mallware your LAN can be exposed to internet and your files shared.

Maybe not your case, but a lot of people have laptops now, some of them will connect to free WIFI networks, if they don’t have a password they will share their files with everyone that way. windows has public and private networks, but not everyone knows what they are doing.

Your LAN security depends on your router configuration and what you run in your computers.

To increase your LAN security, make sure your router WIFI only uses WPA2-PSK/AES with a big random key, don’t open router ports (port forwarding), test if all your ports are stealth, disable WPS and UPNP.

Don’t run fishy software, install AV, update OS/firmware, etc. etc.

12

Mr-Wolf wrote:

It’s nice to see Harvey Keitel playing The “Wolf” character again :slight_smile:

 

Read permission in advanced sharing is enough to prevent the player corrupting your files.

As was said, we don’t expect WDTV to corrupt files, but this way it can’t happen.

As a bonus nobody can delete your files from WDTV interface.

 

If you are behind a router, internet users can’t see your share.

Adding account/password to your share, it’s only one more layer of security.

Problem now is that your LAN machines could still be compromised, if there are more computer users behind your router, you can’t be sure if they know what they are doing, if they install mallware your LAN can be exposed to internet and your files shared.

Maybe not your case, but a lot of people have laptops now, some of them will connect to free WIFI networks, if they don’t have a password they will share their files with everyone that way. windows has public and private networks, but not everyone knows what they are doing.

 

Your LAN security depends on your router configuration and what you run in your computers.

To increase your LAN security, make sure your router WIFI only uses WPA2-PSK/AES with a big random key, don’t open router ports (port forwarding), test if all your ports are stealth, disable WPS and UPNP.

Don’t run fishy software, install AV, update OS/firmware, etc. etc.

 

Ok thanks!

One last question :laughing:,

It was mentioned earlier in this thread power cuts can corrupt files. I have a UPS that my PC is connected to (upstairs). Would I need a UPS for the WD TV (downstairs) aswell or would the UPS for my PC be enough since that’s where the files are being streamed from? I will only be using network share and not using an external hdd.

13

All you say is correct, you don’t need a UPS for WDTV.

14

Thanks.

15

Going back to the original posters question: is there a possibility of the WD TVLS corrupting files shared out via a network share.

Well yes theoretically.

But it just doesn’t happen. If all u want is to browse around the raw file shares (no Media Liberary) and dont want to do any file Edits (Move,Copy or delete) on the box then yes u can set up this raft of permissions. Or maybe just have a read only share in the first place?

But…

I have never seen the box corrput any files it plays. It will open the file as a read only stream because it doesnt need to alter the bytes in it. It’s a player, not an editer. So though your share may be writeable, it will leave the avi, mp4 etc alone.

Of course, if u have the media library feature turned on - as I do for sorting by date (though not time!!:manfrustrated:) or want meta data pics and info stuff downloaded then it will need write access to these shared directories, in particular the .wd_tv hidden directory it stores the fragments of the library meta data in. But this is all another story covered elsewhere many times.

I’d be more worried about getting one last firmware out of WD to cure the darn memory leaks!

Enjoy and stop worying IMHO