permanently delete files from Library, my head is exploding

[catalogue]

How do I stop a Windows 7 library from displaying files that I have deleted from my computer?

More precisely, how do stop them from showing up on my flat-screen TV which is connected to my home network with DLNA (which is just a fancy abbreviation for a TV that can read audio and video files from your computer)

This is driving me completely bonkers. I've spent hours trying so many solutions from forums, I can't even keep track. I even used a registry hack the disables libraries entirely and the files *still* show up.

It gets worse...

Files that are completely *deleted* from my computer show up in the folder as viewed on the TV, though they don't play.

Files that have been *renamed and moved to non-shared, non-library folders* will still play on the TV!

WTF is going on here? I'm desperate.

I also did a total reset on the TV back to factory defaults, in case it had some sort of cache. Didn't work.

 

[AddRAM]

Have you deleted all the public folders or as it says removed them from your pc?

 

[catalogue]

Have you deleted all the public folders or as it says removed them from your pc?

I'm not sure what 'public folders' means in this context. Can you explain?

 

[seavixen32]

The first thing you need to understand is that a library is not a folder in the true sense, but is a container for multiple folders and their contents. If you were to delete all the folders in question then they would not show up in a library.

Think of it as an actual physical library that lends books. It may have the same book title in different locations, but if one book is removed the others are still there, albeit in the same library.

These FAQs may help you to understand how libraries work in Windows 7: Windows 7 Libraries: Frequently Asked Questions

These links may help too: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ee449433(WS.10).aspx

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Customize-a-library

 

[catalogue]

If you were to delete all the folders in question then they would not show up in a library.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Customize-a-library

It doesn't sound like you read all the way through my post. I've tried deleting files and folders, renaming files and moving them to other folders, and running a registry hack that totally, completely removes the entire Libraries function from the OS -

and *still* the files show up on my TV which is networked to the computer -

and, for the files that were not deleted, but renamed and moved to a non-shared folder:

The TV's folder shows them with their original name and still plays them.

It's just like if you renamed a file on your computer, then did a search and the computer turned up the file with the old name. Anyone would tell you that a computer simply can not do such a thing. Renaming is renaming... except that my TV doesn't 'acknowledge' that you've renamed the file.

 

[seavixen32]

As a matter of fact, I did read through your post and offered you some links to read through the information in them.

However, if you choose not to that's up to you.

Like all the volunteers on here I give of my time of my own free will. If the advice I offer is not up to the high standards you obviously require, then perhaps someone else will be along shortly to give you a better answer.

 

[DavidE]

how do stop them from showing up on my flat-screen TV which is connected to my home network with DLNA

I'm not sure what you have for a home network, and how everything is connected.

How is the TV physically connected?
i.e.

• with an HDMI cable connected to "my PC".
• with a network cable connected to the router.

Can you connect another monitor to your PC?
If so, can you see these files on that monitor?

Do you have other devices on the home network such as a server, more PC's?
If so, are there any copies/cache on those devices for these files?

After you delete a file from your PC, if you search for it do you find it on that PC?

EDIT:
Are you using some media program to serve/stream these files?
If so, maybe that program has a cache that is not updated when a file is deleted.

 

[AddRAM]

Possibly and by that I mean this is a shot in the dark but... Does your tv have any method of storing things ? I know my Sony Bravia does. Try disconnecting the tv then do a search and see if these images are on it somewhere.

 

[whs]

Clear your temp files - e.g. with CCleaner.

 

[Jacee]

See if RecycleBinEx works for what you want to do RecycleBinEx - Enhanced Windows Recycle Bin Manager

 

[catalogue]

I'm not sure what you have for a home network, and how everything is connected.

Great questions... thanks. Answers marked by >>>

How is the TV physically connected?

>>> Through a USB wireless adapter. The TV has USB ports and came with an external USB wireless adapter (no idea why they didn't just build it in).

>>> Not sure if this is relevant, but - I have an Apple Airport Express connected to my cable modem by an ethernet cable. If I'm not mistaken, both my wireless internet and computer networking go through the Airport Express. I don't see how this could be an Airport issue but I did try unplugging the modem and Airport and restarting, just in case. Didn't help.

Can you connect another monitor to your PC?
>>> I don't have another monitor.

Do you have other devices on the home network such as a server, more PC's?

>>> No, only the one computer.


After you delete a file from your PC, if you search for it do you find it on that PC?
>>> No, I don't find it.

Are you using some media program to serve/stream these files?


>>> No media program. Just to clarify: the TV is 'computer-ready', for lack of a better term. It can read audio, video and images (jpegs) from a home network, either wired or wireless. You access them via a file manager which is like a simple bare-bones version of Windows Explorer (see attached photo – that's a picture of the TV screen in DLNA mode). The TV plays the audio or video with its own internal player; it's not Windows Media Player or anything like that.

http://s15.postimage.org/gzvp2te7v/032220121518.jpg

 

[catalogue]

Clear your temp files - e.g. with CCleaner.

Good idea. Tried it already, didn't help. Tried it again, just in case. Still no difference.

I even used CCleaner's registry cleaning function which nowadays some antivirus forums tell you is unnecessary and could be harmful.

 

[fseal]

I can't help wondering if that is not in fact just a bug in the code on the TV?

Have you tried googling this problem but include the TV name/model. Maybe there's even a firmware update you can DL for it?

[Edit]If you have another computer that you can look at the shared libraries with, do they appear there as well? or only on the TV?[/edit]

 

[catalogue]

See if RecycleBinEx works for what you want to do RecycleBinEx - Enhanced Windows Recycle Bin Manager

Thanks, I didn't know about this program. Didn't change anything but was worth a try!

 

[chev65]

In general deleting files from the User folder should work for you.

Computer>Local disk C>Users>User name>Delete from Video's folder there.
Or if you added other drives or folder locations to your Library's you would need to go into the User folders of those drives and delete the files from there.

Unless your TV has some type of storage device this should be working for you.

 

[catalogue]

In general deleting files from the User folder should work for you.

Computer>Local disk C>Users>User name>Delete from Video's folder there.
Or if you added other drives or folder locations to your Library's you would need to go into the User folders of those drives and delete the files from there.

Unless your TV has some type of storage device this should be working for you.

I did that, and the files still show up on the TV's file manager although they don't play. And as I was saying, if instead of deleting I move the files to another folder AND rename them, the TV still shows the old location and filename and will play them which I know sounds impossible.

The TV absolutely definitely has no storage.

 

[catalogue]

I can't help wondering if that is not in fact just a bug in the code on the TV?

Have you tried googling this problem but include the TV name/model. Maybe there's even a firmware update you can DL for it?

[Edit]If you have another computer that you can look at the shared libraries with, do they appear there as well? or only on the TV?[/edit]

Good suggestions... thanks!

Yes, a bug in the TV's code seems plausible, but when you think about, no more plausible than a Windows Library having some link to a file buried so deep in the OS that it can't be deleted or altered and refuses to die even if you change the original file's name and location (i.e. move it from one real, non-Library folder to another).

I did google; couldn't find anything. Firmware updates are done through the TV's own networking capability. It's a networked TV that can do things like access Netflix directly through your internet connection. So to update the firmware you just click on an option in the setup menu (which I did).

I don't have another computer.

Finally... see my new post below.

 

[catalogue]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.

I have now gotten the files to stop showing up on the TV but the side effect was to destroy the TV's connection to the computer entirely.

If anyone here knows how to wipe all my Win 7 networks clean (both Home- and Workgroup) so I can set one up starting from scratch, that would be great.

What happened was...

My network had been a Workgroup. I tried setting up a Homegroup (for the first time ever), in hopes that this would stop the TV from showing the deleted files. It worked, but as I said now the TV doesn't recognize the computer at all.

The TV definitely is connected to the internet because its built-in Netflix, Hulu, etc all work fine. What it can no longer do is see the computer; I get a message "DLNA server not found"

I then tried deleting the Homegroup network entirely; this should in theory bring it back to the earlier state where it was my computer files via the Workgroup, but that's not happening.

Google turns up no similar problems. I did a total wipeout factory reset on the TV and disabled and re-enabled the computer's networks (also with and without renaming them), and with restarts in between. Still no functioning Homegroup or Workgroup.

Although the computer continues to connect to the wireless printer just fine.

 

[quickdraw2011]

Just stopped in here. Looks like a real head scratcher!

So, I had a couple of questions to add.

Is problem comming from the computer or the monitor?

Have you tried another monitor, to eleminate that device from the mix.

For the TV, I'd unplug it for 30 minutes to erase the memory.

For the computer, Back up my personal stuff, then I'd reformat, if the monitor is not the problem.

Quickdraw

 

[catalogue]

partial solution found!

I discovered by accident how to get the 'phantom' files to stop showing up on the TV's file manager:

They were in the Windows Media Player Library, and I had to delete them there. Yes, they were in the WMP library even though they were not in the Windows 7 'Library' folders (or anywhere else on the computer).

I never, ever use WMP and I don't even know why I randomly opened it, but I did. It certainly is not used for managing the DLNA. It's not mentioned in the TV's manual nor did the five or so Panasonic techs I spoke to ever mention it.

However this has revealed a very different problem which will go in a new thread.