VLC Creates Containers That Are Not Real Folders.

[eniwetok]

This is something that has happened to me before and I assume that a folder in Windows had become corrupted. But I just replicated the problem and it's connected with how VLC interacts with Windows. So this isn't trouble shooting... it's more of a Windows only bug.

I save VLC snapshots in a folder called Captured Frames. A few months ago I noticed that this was no longer a folder I could open... but it would grow in size if I took more video snapshots. Well, it happened again... and this time I know why. I'd moved the replacement Captured Frames folder to another drive. Forgetting this I took some more video frames and I again ended up with the same corrupted "folder".

When I delete something in Windows... then delete the folder it was in... but try to restore the item... Windows will create a new folder. But when VLC isn't finding the folder designated for snapshots, VLC creates a replacement container that's not a real folder. It's a container that Windows can't access. When I click on it, I get a list of apps to choose from to open it. Yet Windows considers it a folder and I can't have the VLC container AND a real folder with the same names.

So I want to report this as a bug... but also ask if anyone has ideas on whether the contents of these containers can ever be salvaged.

Thanks!

Using Win 8.1 and VLC 2.2.1

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I have no clue what that could be, tbh.

[eniwetok]

Thanks for responding. I spoke to a couple of Windows IT people and they don't know what's happening either.

[eniwetok]

I have no clue what that could be, tbh.

Have you tried to duplicate this odd bug?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I have no clue what that could be, tbh.

Have you tried to duplicate this odd bug?

Not managed to reproduce.

[eniwetok]

Sorry for the delay in getting back... I just reproduced it again... and reliably so, with v2.2.4.

Steps... I create a folder... link VLC to it for the screenshot function.

I change the name of that existing folder... and obviously VLC still is instructed to place screenshots there. So when new screenshots are saved... VLC creates something like a folder that can grow as new files are added... but Win 8.1 and Win 10 can't access. Its properties say it's a "file" as opposed to a "file folder" and if I try to rename my original folder back... Win detects the new container as a folder and asks if I want the same name as an existing folder. Windows also does not detect it as a folder in that it doesn't assign a typical folder icon.

[eniwetok]

This might help. I uploaded one of these odd containers... to


http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/kl1PYVmq/file.html

It has some screenshots from the movie Snowden.

I had to click on the download button 4 times to start the download. The first three clicks brought up ads.

Feel free to run your own test at http://virustotal.com

I did... https://virustotal.com/en/file/d5998813 ... 482789913/

I'm really curious WTF these containers are.

[eniwetok]

I used a DIR command in the cmd function and it shows no files when there should be 4-5 jpg screenshots.

I can not move any files into these containers EXCEPT though the VLC screenshot function.

If I use VLC to open a folder... it doesn't show up on the list.

[eniwetok]

SOLVED... These aren't containers after all... and when I was seeing what I thought were containers grow in size, it was because I had been increased screen resolutions of the source files used for screenshots. These are jpegs without extensions... and VLC just would overwrite the existing file giving it differing file sizes each time.

So I want to give myself a big kick in the ass for not catching on earlier.

Thanks JBK for checking into this.