VLC won't open files from hard disk

[timewaves]

Hi,

I have an NFTS 1TB HD with .mkv files on it. VLC can play the video files on it, except those in a specific folder that were copied from a mac with NTFS drivers. When I try I get the error:

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'K:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 1\[AHQ] Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 1st GIG - 01 - Section 9.mkv'. Check the log for details.

When I copy one of these files over to another drive and try to play them, they play.
When I copy one over to another drive, rename it, then copy it back, they play.
When I rename one and try to play it, it doesn't.

Anybody know how I can fix this?

Thanks in advance.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

We need more logs, from the message dialog.

[timewaves]

Thanks for replying.

This is all the message dialog says:

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'L:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 1\[AHQ] Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 1st GIG - 20 - Re-view.mkv'. Check the log for details.
Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 1st GIG - 20 - Re-view.mkv'. Check the log for details.

Thank you

[VLC_help]

Tools -> Messages (set Verbosity to 2) before you start playback.

[timewaves]

Here is the verbose output:

main debug: looking for access_demux module: 3 candidates
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
dvdnav warning: cannot open dvdnav
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 40.000 ms - Total 40.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 40.000 ms)
main debug: creating access '' path='S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].mkv'
main debug: looking for access module: 5 candidates
vcd debug: trying .cue file: S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].cue
vcd debug: could not find .cue file
access_file debug: opening file `S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].mkv'
access_file error: failed to read (One or more parameters are invalid)
cdda debug: trying .cue file: S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].cue
cdda debug: could not find .cue file
cdda warning: could not open S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].mkv
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 2.000 ms - Total 2.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 2.000 ms)
main error: open of `S:\Videos\TV\Ghost in the Shell\Season 2\Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].mkv' failed: no suitable access module
main debug: finished input
main debug: thread ended
main debug: dead input
main debug: thread times: real 0m0.042968s, kernel 0m0.015625s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: changing item without a request (current 1/2)
main debug: nothing to play
qt4 debug: IM: Deleting the input
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
main debug: TIMER input launching for 'Ghost_In_The_Shell_SAC_2nd_GIG_06.DVD(H264.AC3_5.1)[KAA][FF798F14].mkv' : 112.000 ms - Total 112.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 112.000 ms)

I have noticed that when I make a copy (copy+paste) in the same folder, that copy plays but the original still does not. I should note that these files were copied to this hard disk via a mac using NTFS drivers

[VLC_help]

access_file error: failed to read (One or more parameters are invalid)

I would guess some problem with access rights.

[timewaves]

Maybe, but files copied into that folder work; I am listed as the owner; and when those files are copies the copies play just fine. That is a pretty cryptic error. Also note that these were copied over via mac NTFS drivers, so that might be a bug in that code there.

Any way you think this can be solved? I can play these files other ways it is just a nuisance to have to copy thgem over to somewhere else first haha.

Thanks for the reply!

[VLC_help]

It is Windows or filesystem that prevents the opening. VLC cannot really change that.

[randybruder]

This happens to me too, but only with files copied to an external NTFS hard drive from a mac using NTFS-3g. The video file works in every other video player I have (Media Player Classic, DivX Player, Windows Media Player) just not in VLC.

It 's somehow the combination of "file created through NTFS-3g" + "VLC" that equals no video playback.

[VLC_help]

Have you tried to change file access rights with Windows Explorer?

[loadme]

i have had the same issue with 1.1.0 and even the same after upgrading to 1.1.4
(using win7x64 )

i used VLC to try to access a network file, that maybe was currently locked or somehow assigned to another network player
VLC came up with:

filesystem error: failed to read (One or more parameters are invalid)
main error: open of `file://tower/series/name/season%202/episodename.avi' failed: (null)

i thought there must be an error, but figured out, that EVERY episode within this folder throws the same error.
but every other episode of other folders work as intended.

so i thought it must really be an issue of access rights and created a copy with drag n drop onto my local desktop

i started the file again with VLC and the message remained:

filesystem error: failed to read (One or more parameters are invalid)
main error: open of `file:///C:/Users/me/Desktop/episodename.avi' failed: (null)

-> every file from this network folder can be copied, but i have no rights to write there at the moment.
my guess is that i have to reboot my network-server.

but never the less,
windows media player is able to run the copys and the live files.

is VLC creating some sort of hidden cache within the network folder?
and why is no playback possible after creating a local copy or even after renaming it?

i used 1.1.4 for a very long time and on regular bases. it never occurred before, but i never have had 2 players on one network file at the same time before.
although i can't say for sure, that this would be the trigger

[loadme]

i'm pretty sure right now, that media player from MS was locking the folder content to its own usage and preventing VLC from playing it.
unfortunatly i have deleted any file.
(but i found out 2 days later, that there is an invisible process in background, that has still used this files for its own playlist. must be related to WMP

[dcollis]

I had this same issue and noticed that the files that wouldn't open didn't have a Modified Date stamp. As my files were on my Nas box I could just use the "touch" command to fix this problem on all my files at once.
If you're in Windows there are apparently various tricks you can employ to accomplish the same thing as a touch: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5143 ... ch-command. But I suppose you could also open the file in a hexeditor, movie editor (something where you don't modify the contents) and immediately save.

Hope this helps someone.

[ThankfulInternetUser]

I had this same issue and noticed that the files that wouldn't open didn't have a Modified Date stamp. As my files were on my Nas box I could just use the "touch" command to fix this problem on all my files at once.
If you're in Windows there are apparently various tricks you can employ to accomplish the same thing as a touch: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5143 ... ch-command. But I suppose you could also open the file in a hexeditor, movie editor (something where you don't modify the contents) and immediately save.

Hope this helps someone.

I just went through the whole (painful) registration process to thank you for your effort.

Best Regards

A very thankful Internet User

Oh and btw, if your NAS runs Linux:
find . -exec touch {} \;
in the directory u wanna touch, worked like a charm for me!

[ahdvd]

Had this very issue myself today, seem to have found a much easier resolution, so decided to register and post.

Mine was also a mkv file (several in a folder) that VLC would not open with this error but windows media player would. Files were on a NAS (netgear readynas 104), i was using windows 8.1, accessing the files through windows explorer (as i always do, and could still play any other mkv files, just not this bunch). These files as mentioned above did not have a "date modified" date, so that may be something to look for if you think you have this problem.
Copying the files to my local hard drive from the NAS through windows explorer did not fix the problem. I was already suspecting a rights issue, but had no way to fix it other than trying to recode the mkv to create a new file - which takes time and loss of quality from re-encoding.
but...
I logged in to the NAS web interface using chrome (i expect any browser will do) and browsed to the files in the NAS interface. I then downloaded the files from the NAS (locally via the i.p. and not via the internet, so it was practically immediate) to my local hard drive, and voila. Because you 'download' the files through the web browser, you're not creating exact copies, you're creating 'your' copies of the file, and so it fixes all the rights issues. Your saved files should now have modified dates and be playable through VLC. I just deleted the originals and re-transfered them back to the NAS after that and they still played fine.

Hope that helps.

[ratchat620]

Hey there, I know I'm years too late to reply to this but for anyone stumbling across this while searching for a solution, here ya go.

It might sound weird but the cause could just be that your filename is too long...
It probably has something to do with bits and stuff but apparently when the file name is longer than 259 characters a lot of programs are gonna have difficulty accessing it.
It sounded insane and stupid to me too but when i changed the filename i managed to open the files in VLC again and didn't get any errors.

Hope this helps!

[SVM]

Hey there, I know I'm years too late to reply to this but for anyone stumbling across this while searching for a solution, here ya go.

It might sound weird but the cause could just be that your filename is too long...
It probably has something to do with bits and stuff but apparently when the file name is longer than 259 characters a lot of programs are gonna have difficulty accessing it.
It sounded insane and stupid to me too but when i changed the filename i managed to open the files in VLC again and didn't get any errors.

Hope this helps!

THIS THIS THIS for --please stay polite--'s sake I spent hours going mad until you said this. Thank you. I registered just to thank you.