Need help with hidden file

[Anthony5]

Today I was recording sound using windows 7 sound recorder. At one point the power goes off, after power comes on again file is gone.

I do a google for this and I'am able to find how to recover the file from temporary folder, so copy it to my documents. In properties the file permissions are grayed out, so I need to change them.

Dumb me makes a mistake and changes all permissions to deny and click ok. File gone.

I have show hidden files ticked and hide protected file unticked, but file is invisible.

Next I copy the temporary file again to my documents, but get the message that a file with that name is present already, so the new copied file get the name xxxx(2).

So the file which I have no permissions anymore is still in my documents but I can't see it to delete it.

I have tried searches for the file name, but it shows only xxxx(2).

How do I make it visible again, or be able to delete it ?

[Xircal]

You can try using a command prompt (CMD). So hit the Windows logo key and then type CMD in the Search field. When it appears at the top, right click it and choose "Run as administrator".

At the prompt, type: dir C:\Users\(User_Name)\Documents /A:H /B and hit Enter.

Substitute User_Name with whatever name you're logged in with. This will give you a list of all the hidden files in the My Documents folder.

From there, at the prompt, type: Del name of file where "name of file" represents whatever it's called.

To close the command prompt, type: Exit and hit Enter.

You might want to try using a free application called Audacity to record sound. Much easier to work with than Microsoft's sound recorder.

EDIT: Be sure you only delete hidden files which you know you created!

Edited February 13, 2015 by Xircal

[Anthony5]

Ok, I got around it by in the "arrange by" drop down menu of my documents you can choose "clear changes". Then the file became visible again and I could remove all the deny permissions and delete the file.

I also figured out how to give the file the right permissions.

Next problem, the file is 148 Mb and should be something over 3 hours of recording.

When I open the file in media player or any other player, it will start playing the file but I can't go fast forward. It will also not show the total duration of the file in the time tab.

When I go in properties > details it will show length 00:00:00

How can I fix this?

Edited February 13, 2015 by Anthony5

[RichCor]

A data corruption at the end of the file prevents media player from calculating the runtime, or correctly allow 'shuffling' within the file.

It you have another media/audio editor you can probably either load or import the file and then write the file back out to another name. This should correct both issues.

Some people like GoldWave. Sometimes VLC using Convert/Save.

[Anthony5]

A data corruption at the end of the file prevents media player from calculating the runtime, or correctly allow 'shuffling' within the file.

It you have another media/audio editor you can probably either load or import the file and then write the file back out to another name. This should correct both issues.

Some people like GoldWave. Sometimes VLC using Convert/Save.

Tried out the VLC options, as I have that one installed, but the conversion to mp3(mp4) stops at 74.9 mb, which is about 1/3th of the total length of the file.

Should I download another editor or does this mean that the file is damaged at that point?

[Xircal]

You could try Quick Media Converter.

I'd advise you to create a copy of your file though and experiment with that. If things go pear-shaped, you'll still have the original.

Right click / Copy and give it a different name.

[RichCor]

Same/similar suggestion as Xircal. Especially the COPY the file a couple times, and keep the broken original safe, part.

Either try another 'converter', or find/download a program that can 'repair' the original .wma file.

[astral]

Does anyone really use the My Documents folder?

Like piling junk on your desk then complaining you cannot find anything

Edited February 13, 2015 by astral

[NeverSure]

Does anyone really use the My Documents folder?

Like piling junk on your desk then complaining you cannot find anything

Apparently you haven't seen my desk 5555.

[Anthony5]

A data corruption at the end of the file prevents media player from calculating the runtime, or correctly allow 'shuffling' within the file.

It you have another media/audio editor you can probably either load or import the file and then write the file back out to another name. This should correct both issues.

Some people like GoldWave. Sometimes VLC using Convert/Save.

Got it sorted out using Goldwave, but jeez that program uses resources. It blocked eveything on my PC while it was saving the file, and it took at least 5 minutes after it had saved the file before my PC became usable again.

I have windows 7 x64 with i5 cpu and 4Gb ddr 3.

Thanks for your help everyone.

[Anthony5]

Now it gets interesting.

I got the hidden file issue solved. I have made 10 soundtests, from which I want to use 4. Initially I justed saved them as test 1 to 10.

The first 4 I delete as they are not usable, and rename test 7 to 1, test 8 to 2, test 9 to 3 and test 6 to 4.

Now when I start playing them in WM they all show a wrong duration time. Test 1 which should be 3.40.35 shows as 1.13.43, and same behavior with the other 3 files.

I Have emptied the trash can, cleaned up disk and restarted the PC several times. The files keep showing the wrong duration.

As soon as I rename them again to their original number they show the correct duration.

So I had previously copied those 4 files to memory stick already, and renamed them there also 1 > 4. I play them from memory stick and they show the correct duration.

Next I delete the 4 files from HDD, empty trash bin, and copy the files from memory stick to my HDD. Again they show the wrong duration.

Restart PC again, no change.

I now rename file 1, which I copied from Memory stick and showed the correct time on there, to file 7 and it shows the correct time.Rename it to file 1 again, and the time is incorrect again.

I've restarted the PC several times again since, but they keep showing incorrect time.

What's going on.