keep getting corrupted mkv files

[marhyo]

Hi!

I have this problem. I keep getting corrupted mkv files. I suspect it has something to do with usb in general (usb hard disk, usb flash drive). No matter the precaution some of the files get corrupted. For example: I download a file and put it on an external usb device and when I try to play it, it just either stops or simply skips to another file. Then I download it again and try to play it using internal HDD it works perfectly, I even compared the file size on both files (playable and unplayable) and they are exactly the same. This happens quite a lot. Especially when I try to move files from one laptop to another. Oh and one more thing. I even tried to use meteorite to fix the problematic file. Well...at the point the file skips, there is this corrupted image, colors mashed. Do you have any suggestions how to make it stop corrupting my mkv files?

BTW...so far I noticed that only mkv files get corrupted, avi files are always good...

[lowellriggsiam]

I don't think the files are corrupt I think you have bad sectors on you HDD.

[marhyo]

none of the USB HDDs have bad sectors, just checked them...

[oldfart13]

Checked your RAM? Mine is bad in one stick and may or may not cause a bit error on the files when I download them. Then the MD5 hash doesn't match and I get the dreaded "CRC error" and have to download the file again. Running checkdisk and defragging the drives also helps in case you are running out of space (happens once in awhile on my old 160 Gig drives which are maxed out). Sometimes you just have to put up with it...

[Nelson37]

Anything you download is a crapshoot. Comparing two seperately downloaded files is therefore a waste of time as a diagnostic tool.

Take a MKV from the internal HDD, which has played completely and is KNOWN GOOD. Copy this KNOWN GOOD file to the suspect USB drive, do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE, and test it. Repeat this process with at least two different files.

Assuming the files copied to the USB drive display errors, now repeat the process on another PC. First test narrows it down to the external drive, USB interface on PC, or USB interface on drive. Testing on a second PC will eliminate the PC interface, and leave you with the drive itself or the drive's interface.

You mention taking "precautions" when copying the file. Other than not hitting the PC with a hammer while copying, what exactly do you mean? Are any non-standard programs being used to copy the file?

[marhyo]

no no...just be sure that it was removed safely...the option in windows...and if it is in use, i shut the pc and then unplug the usb drive...

[rshackleford]

I'm having a similar problem. I don't think it's a hardware issue. I've tested this on a couple machines with a couple different mkv files. I download the mkv and check md5sum on the server and client-- yep, mismatch.

I think it has something to do with the mkv. If I tar it up and download the tar file the hash matches. I can tar -x and mkv file matches as well. It's a work around for now, but I'd like to know why this is happening and how to fix it.

btw: I'm using pure-ftp server and lftp client on ubuntu. lftp defaults to binary mode on transfers.