[RevoCenter]

Hi guys,

I was about to open a thread posting my debug log and asking a XBMC specific question but just a few minutes ago, I was able to rule out XBMC as the source of the error.

My problem is: when watching episodes or movies in XBMC, they would randomly (not always) stop playing. I have read a lot of threads here about XBMC randomly stopping playback but most seem to be related to network/streaming issues. I am not playing over network. The way I watch is:

download a show on my desktop --> copy to external USB HDD --> this drive is a source in XBMC on my HTPC, so I watch there after updating

Both machines run Win7. The weird thing and my real problem: after randomly stopping playback, I'm not able to resume or watch past this point anymore

Even when I try watching the copied file on another machine or with VLC or MPC HC, it will give an error or just stop at the same position.

I have tried re-downloading, copying to different external HDDs or USB drives. Today I was able to narrow down the problem to the following situation:

I re-downloaded the episode on my desktop. Watched it on the desktop from the drive (DRIVE D) it was downloaded to using MPC-HC. It played fine from beginning to end (approx. 43 min).

Then copied this file to external HDD (DRIVE E) using TeraCopy with CRC check after copying and no errors. Then tried watching the file on DRIVE E on the desktop with MPC HC and even though the file is 357 MB, the player only showed 03:54 min of playback and stopped there. What is freaking me out: even the untouched, original file is now not 43 mins long anymore, but only 03:54 min exactly like the "broken" copy.

So this definitely seems to be an issue with copying from one drive to another. But I never in my almost 20 years of PC use heard of files being damaged by copying them. I only started using TeraCopy to rule out that CRC errors occur during copying, I had the same issues before when using only windows explorer.

My wild guess is some weird RAM issue, but if you have any suggestions please help!

Thanks!
Revo

[artrafael]

Just a SWAG, but could those files be DRM protected perhaps?

[RevoCenter]

no, happens with regeular .avi and .mkv files.

[TugboatBill]

I suggest getting a CRC program and determine the CRC at different places; your PC, the USB HDD, and again from your HTPC. Also try turning off all AV or set it up to not scan that file type.

[k4sh1n]

Are you using the same USB drive, have you tried to eliminate that it is a hardware issue by testing on a different USB hard drive, or alternately formatting the USB drive to lessen corrupt sectors if any? Then copy the video and re-test playing.

[RevoCenter]

Hi guys, thanks for your answers and sorry for the late reply, I was on a vacation...

I had already tested copying to different external drives, two HDDs and a thumbdrive, all with no luck. I have now confirmed that there must be some problem with the dektop I am using for downloading.

When I download directly on the home theater PC and watch there, I never get any errors. So the question that remains is how can I fix the desktop machine, I'm still guessing RAM issue, any tips on how to make sure it's RAM before I spend $ on new RAM and end up with the same problems?

[Hitcher]

I had the same thing a long time ago and ever since then I've used TeraCopy.

[RevoCenter]

Then copied this file to external HDD (DRIVE E) using TeraCopy with CRC check after copying and no errors.

as said in my original post, sadly TeraCopy didn't help here

[TugboatBill]

When I download directly on the home theater PC and watch there, I never get any errors. So the question that remains is how can I fix the desktop machine, I'm still guessing RAM issue, any tips on how to make sure it's RAM before I spend $ on new RAM and end up with the same problems?

http://memtest86.com/