How Do I Remove A Rogue File Preventing A Series Recording?

L

lancer

Member
Using the file editor under the diagnostics function in cf, I have discovered there is a rogue series file that appears under .series that is not visible under the media/video list in either cf or on the box itself

I believe this entry is preventing the series in question from being recorded. What currently happens is that the ring goes red, the program shows it is being recorded in the epg, but there is no folder created and no recording findable at the end to watch.

So, how can I delete this rogue entry viewable in file editor? If I try and select it for editing it just produces the red text message saying it is ‘..…not a plain file (application/octet-stream)’, which means nothing to me!
 
.series is a flag file used to designate the folder that contains it as a target for a series recording. I don't know why Humax chose to do that, but it is perfectly normal and not the source of your problem. You should find one in every series folder you have.

If you want, you can remove it from the command line: rm .series... but it will simply get recreated next time a recording is made.

You've not provided much to go on, but something which would cause your symptoms is if the file system has gone read-only. Your first port of call in any situation like this should be fixdisk.
 
Last edited:
Thanks BH. Pardon the ignorance, but how exactly do I create the command line. Not done it before.

I think this file is a rogue. It appears among the root directory recordings in the file editor rather than with other series folders.

Also, I don’t think it is being recreated in the way you suggest. I think it’s stuck there. I’ve noticed that in the activity log the red light on/off is shown for the series recording in question but it shows no actual recording taking place in the log. I think this file is acting as a block for some reason. No other series recording is a problem.
 
lancer said:
how exactly do I create the command line
Click to expand...
From a reply to one of your own posts only yesterday:
Black Hole said:
You can do that using the webshell package, or by Telnet. For Telnet see https://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Telnet, or for webshell install the package, reboot, then WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Command Line.
Click to expand...
(let alone forum search)

lancer said:
I think this file is a rogue.
Click to expand...
I guess it might be a fault, if that file is supposed to be in the target folder. Run fixdisk... that's the place to start.

This counts as a file system problem, so: Quick Guide to Disk Recovery (click). That will tell you exactly what to do, including the use of the command line.
 
I have examined a .series file, and (in accord with experience) confirm it contains nothing which could have any bearing on making a recording:

Code: 
HDRFOX1# cd "media/My Video/The Story of Maths"
HDRFOX1# hexdump -Cv .series                                                                    
00000000  04 00 00 00 01 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000010  00 00 00 00 54 68 65 20  53 74 6f 72 79 20 6f 66  |....The Story of|                  
00000020  20 4d 61 74 68 73 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  | Maths..........|                  
00000030  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000040  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000050  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000060  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000070  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000080  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000090  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000a0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000b0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000c0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000d0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000e0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
000000f0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000100  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|                  
00000110  00 00 00 00                                       |....|                              
00000114                                                                                        
HDRFOX1#

I've wondered why it's there at all*, but the fact remains: when a series recording is made, if the nominated folder does not exist it gets created, .series is inserted, and the recording is made into the folder. There are a number of things which have the potential to baulk that, which come under the category "file system error" (hence fixdisk).

Have you by any chance been fiddling with the destination folder setting via WebIF >> Scheduled Events > Recording List? If, somehow, the series destination folder has been set to root (My Video), that might well fail, because the HDR-FOX will not make a series recording to anywhere other than a Level 1 sub-folder of My Video.

* My best guess is .series was an idea for extra functionality which never got implemented.
 
Black Hole said:
I've wondered why it's there at all*,
Click to expand...
The .series file contains the number of unwatched episodes for display in the recordings view.
Historically it could get out of sync with reality but the webif auto processing now keeps it up to date, maybe other functionality was planned.

It certainly has nothing to do with failed recordings, recordings are controlled by the rsv.db and the op needs to compare the list of crids scheduled to be recorded with the epg. Sometimes broadcasters change the scheduled episodes and the humax fails to catch up and attempts to record something different from the broadcast programme.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top