[coolvibe]

Hey guys,
I am using Kodi Skin Black Glass Nova , after searching thru online Forums etc, I am trying to confirm a basic function cannot seem to find.
How to delete MP4 videos from Kodi playlist "only" and not from ext USB Drive?
Everytime , I discover I do not have correct video file or no longer want a particular MP4 video in my one of Kodi playlists, if I delete file from Kodi playlists, Kodi also deletes it from my ext USB drive, which is what I do not want.

I tried going to in Appearance and unchecking the (File rename & Delete) option, but with this unchecked, this does not allow me to Rename or edit playlists any more. I need to be able to add to or delete or re-arrange video files in my Kodi playlists at any time, without effecting files directly on my Ext usb drive. Is there any way around this problem? Thanks for the help!

[coolvibe]

Was really hoping to have heard back something by now. Is there any way possible to do this basic function in KODI guys?? Thanks!

(How to delete videos from Kodi playlist only, but not from connected ext USB Drive?)

[trogggy]

Are you talking about Smart playlists or Basic playlists?

[coolvibe]

Just my created Basic playlists made from external USB drive connected to Kodi. If I delete or remove one of my MP4 files from Kodi playlist, for some reason, Kodi also deletes MP4 file from external drive, gone forever.Thks!

[technisol]

I have to admit it sounds a little whacked to delete a file because it's removed from a playlist -sounds like a bug. Seems to me you've already discovered at least one workaround, simply uncheck 'file rename and delete' until you actually need to delete something and then set it back off when done deleting... etc.

Just for giggles, since you pointed out that you're using a different skin, how does it work with plain old Confluence? If it works with that, maybe it's really a skin problem? I'm guessing, don't have a clue really, never created a skin, so forth and so on...

[Ned Scott]

Kodi cannot delete your files by simply removing something from a playlist. It is also not required to have "file deletion" turned on in order to edit or rename playlists. Trying it for myself, this does not happen for me. I am unable to reproduce the issue you described, but that doesn't come as a surprise to me since it shouldn't be possible in the first place.

[coolvibe]

Hello Technisol,
Thanks for the reply, at least your response was helpful.
I finally got a chance to test if my previously edited MP4 video files removed from Kodi playlists, that are also being permanently deleted at the same time from my connected External USB drive, to see if were just happening in my Favorite Black Glass Skin, I also switched back to the Kodi very basic Confluence Skin, same major issue there too, after creating a test playlist there, and removed a couple mp4 files from test playlist, and sure enough Kodi also deleted files, from, and this time tried a different USB drive as well. (Even get a KODI Confirm deletion window, where it says these files will be deleted from, and shows my connected USB drive, with NO other options I could find, to just simply remove from Kodi playlists only. Very frustrating indeed.
Another gliche I found in kODI, is that after deleting file from playlists, the file thumbnail and info still remains in playlists, but will not play of course, these can also big a big headache if replacing mp4 files with updated versions with same or similiar file names, especially in my larger video playlists, because now it looks like you have Duplicate files in the same playlists.

Hoping someone can give me a real solid solution to this huge problem for me, as I do not want accidentally lose my time consuming edited video mp4 files thru Kodi. Very scary!
Even though this would be very inconvenient & time consuming to have to do, Do I need to scan all files on any external drive I connect to Kodi, to a KODI file or in library, to avoid Kodi deleting my files being simply removed from any Kodi playlists??

Sorry for the lengthy reply, but wanted to give as much info as possible to hopefully finally resolve! Many Thanks!!!

[technisol]

You got responses from a couple of people I consider more knowledgeable about KODI than myself -just from reading their posts over the last few months and/or because of levels of involvement with KODI, so I think you may be doing yourself a very solid disservice by ignoring their requests for information... Or not wondering very much why one of them is saying it can't happen that way.

Differing methods/versions, etc. at play here, sense I. Sorry for the Yoda speak, but someone/something/an annoyed universe with a sick sense of humor bumped me to "Senior member", and it must be because of my very moderately advanced years(?), so I figure I occasionally have to attempt to sound the part. ;-) Deal with it.

Occam's Razor persuades me to strongly believe that because you're being told it can't happen that way by someone(Ned) doing it the correct way(hypothesis approaching certainty), you should question if there is another proper procedure you're skirting or you just haven't found the proper method to edit the playlist without affecting the files...

Why not define how you're building the playlists, then spell out exactly how you are deleting and maybe they can offer an alternative that you are not seeing as obvious...

As to other points like why thumbs get left behind, KODI doesn't seem to have been blessed with garbage collection as yet, and it is a work in progress, so likely has much to do with it. OTOH, you have to realize it is envisioned as the front end for a person's library that is unlikely to change often enough to require too much in the way of cleaning up behind one. Your usage case probably falls a bit outside the Developer's goals. OTOH(relax, I have lot's of them -we're all four dimensional[at least]), I can agree that a little(?) garbage collection would be a welcome thing. I suspect some/most of your troubles may be related to not scraping the sources.

[coolvibe]

Ok cool Technisol, if you're not sure about what is causing the issue, no problemo, I know everyone cannot know the answers to all Kodi issues, not sure what you mean by not responding to any addtl requested info on this issue, I pretty have responded to all , as far as I know including you.
There was nothing to basically respond to Ned's statement of: since it does not happen with his Kodi, it is impossible to happen at all, all I can say to that is, ok, good to know you do not have this issue on your Kodi.....

I Appreciate your responses still anyway Technisol, and congrats on your recent Kodi promotion. Thks!

[technisol]

Hey, my apology, you did answer Trogggy re: smart or basic, my bad entirely.

I suspect Ned has not reproduced the issue on his setup because you and he are doing things differently somehow, or because you have different versions or you may have a custom version? What hardware and version of KODI are you running?

I think that because there is simply so much capability in KODI that at times it is less than obvious how what appears to be a correct method simply does not work the way one thinks it might. The classic example is the difference between adding a source from the Programs section of the menu and from SYSTEM: File manager if you're trying to download/install a repo... one simply does not work. Sure looks like it did at first blush, but does not work.

I just went to Video:Filesdb1:HD:The Wild Wild West:Season3 and picked a few episodes by clicking the Menu button(all "buttons" on IR remote), then selecting "Queue item" to create a simple playlist... I accessed the playlist by clicking the left arrow button a few times until the LHS(Left Hand Side?) menu opened and selected "current playlist", from there, all play fine. Pressing menu while the playlist is open and then "Remove" merely removes items from the playlist... However, going back to the season three thumbnail screen and pressing Menu then "Delete" would cause quite another result. Isengard beta 2 here. You want "REMOVE" not DELETE from wherever you are selecting it, I suspect.

I'm not sure where you are selecting Delete instead of Remove, but I suspect minor changes to make the options: "Remove" become Remove Item, or Remove Playlist Item, and "Delete" become "Delete File" might help make the point for some if this is just a case of somehow selecting the wrong action from two similar choices?

[Ned Scott]

Ok cool Technisol, if you're not sure about what is causing the issue, no problemo, I know everyone cannot know the answers to all Kodi issues, not sure what you mean by not responding to any addtl requested info on this issue, I pretty have responded to all , as far as I know including you.
There was nothing to basically respond to Ned's statement of: since it does not happen with his Kodi, it is impossible to happen at all, all I can say to that is, ok, good to know you do not have this issue on your Kodi.....

I Appreciate your responses still anyway Technisol, and congrats on your recent Kodi promotion. Thks!

What you describe is, in fact, impossible. What is actually happening is that you are mistaken about the commands you are using. You are using the "file delete" command to remove things from a playlist instead of selecting "remove" from the context menu.

Turn file deletion off in Kodi. You will never, ever, need to use this to edit playlists.

You can only edit the "now playing" video playlist, or any music playlists. Already saved basic video playlists cannot be edited. This is probably why you were looking for a remove command but could only find the file delete command.

[coolvibe]

Ok good stuff Ned & Technisol.
After some addtl testing Ned, that was the missing pieces I needed. After saving playlists in Kodi, cannot just go into playlist and edit directly, I must always be in "Current" playlist Mode to edit or only a remove a file from a playlist, and not delete file from connected Drive.
I would have never known that, I wish Kodi just provided the options once in a playlist, the ability to either remove file from playlist only, and the other option to delete file from connected drive if would like to. Now if I can only get Kodi to remove the old Thumbnail & Filename on a deleted or removed File from a playlists, this info still remains in playlist, even though file has been removed or deleted for some reason, even after selecting Update library afterwards, it just makes any updated playlists look jumbled and messy still seeing the old deleted files names & info there etc....

I guess I am just used to a little more playlist friendlier programs that allow you to easily edit playlists, like Drag N Drop files around, and clearly giving both options to remove file from playlist only (without seeing old file info still in playlist), or from library, or from Android Box all together.
Will look for in Forum possibly where can send these basic playlist features to Kodi developers to make Kodi even better!

Thanks again guys, appreciate the help!!!

[technisol]

I think the lesson to be learned here is that as a poster, if you would detail exactly what you are doing and where from in the interface and what hardware and version of software, etc., others can help you much more quickly and easily. I went through step by step laying the process out until it became obvious and typed it all out here to make a point, because you wouldn't Coolvibe.

Coolvibe, I am not picking on you. Glad the light has come on. This is in the way of a general message to my fellow posters.

I don't think anyone reading the forum can really claim telepathy or remote-viewing as a skillset. I successfully remotely performed about 96% of the troubleshooting for my company back in the days when the height of ubiquitous technology was the thermal fax machine, the telephone was still key, and computers connected to bulletin boards at often something under 28.8K, and there are times I am still forced to wonder just what the hell some people are talking about from forum posts I read here. The disadvantage here is the difficulty and time delay of needing to ask questions and wait for responses.

Spell it the heck out, make it obvious, BELABOR a point now and then, READ what you wrote like a person who has never heard of your problem or it's description before, USE YOUR WORDS, Details, Details, Details, if in doubt, tell us what it's not so we don't have to wonder what you meant, and maybe you'll get help without all the 'round and 'round the mulberry bush nonsense... Most posts require far too many assumptions to be made for anyone to even extrapolate and attempt to reproduce or resolve an issue because of the complexity of all that is this marvelous beast called KODI. That's why some "simple" questions get no response, or simply because the poster refuses to do the work of researching the forum or detailing the specific issue.

Ultimately, help others to help you.

[coolvibe]

As said on my original post Technisol, I did search the forums for some time, but could not quite find anything to hit on this particular issue for me, as a business owner, I just do not have the hours and hours to sit around and scour every single Forum topic out there.
It was just a simple post, nothing more, if any addtl info requested or possibly needed to diagnose the issue that I may have overlooked, was responded too, so basically I should leave a full Bio for a simple playlist feature? No worries, not that serious bro, but I will be mindful in the future of a few points you made in your very lengthy response.......Cheers!