EPG123 Perform Garbage Cleanup

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Bewick Place

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EPG123 Perform Garbage Cleanup

#1

Post by Bewick Place » Mon Jul 20, 2020 1:11 pm

Hi,

I'm a long standing user of Windows Media Center and am grateful to EPG123 filling the gap that Microsoft left behind and continuing to keep WMC alive. I've been using the app for well over 18 months.

My setup is on Windows 10.
I've just upgraded from v1.3.6.? to v1.3.9.10.

I have a client/server configuration and run the scheduled task under the User admin to avoid network share issues and this works fine.

My only problem is the status ICON is showing Red. There are no issues in the Server trace, but the client trace is showing an error:

[ERROR] Could not verify when garbage cleanup was last run.

This also causes Garbage Cleanup to be run every time which is overkill, fortunately it only takes 10 mins as opposed to the 1hr 30mins it took first time. Each time repeats with the same error.

What is my problem? Is it a permissions thing, or could I have a missing registry key?
All help appreciated.

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garyan2

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#2

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:58 pm

This is probably going to be related to using the user Admin, but not sure why. I haven't tried that. EPG123 checks a registry entry for the next time to run dbgc. If it can't read it, or can't write to it when dbgc completes, then you will get this error. The registry is:

Code: Select all

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\EPG
"dbgc:next run time"
Last edited by garyan2 on Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

Bewick Place

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#3

Post by Bewick Place » Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:06 pm

Thanks for your support on this.

I have checked the registry (using the shorter key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\EPG "dbgc:next run time")
and it does exist with a current value of: 07/25/2020 01:04:56.

Running the scheduled task once again the same behaviour is seen and the value of the key does change to: 07/25/2020 05:18:22. Note the task was run @ 17:18.

So processes clearly have write access to the registry key, just that it fails to read it up front?

As an aside I had to perform the most recent update running the task directly, in the task scheduler, as opposed to requesting a guide listing update, as that
failed with the message (A download of the latest Guide Listings is currently in progress.) - another registry issue?

Code: Select all

[20/07/2020 10:29:56] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 10:29:56]  Activating the epg123 client GUI. version 1.3.9.10
[20/07/2020 10:29:56] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 10:30:00] [ INFO] Successfully queried the Task Scheduler for status. Ready. Last Run 19/07/2020 22:07:21; Exit: 0x00000000
[20/07/2020 10:30:12] [ INFO] Successfully deleted the daily update task from Task Scheduler.
[20/07/2020 10:30:13] [ INFO] Successfully queried the Task Scheduler for status. No task is scheduled to run.
[20/07/2020 10:30:32] [ INFO] Successfully created the daily update task in Task Scheduler.
[20/07/2020 10:30:34] [ INFO] Successfully queried the Task Scheduler for status. Ready.The task has not yet run. Exit: 0x00041303
[20/07/2020 10:32:15] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 10:32:15]  Beginning epg123 client execution. version 1.3.9.10
[20/07/2020 10:32:15] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 10:32:15] [ INFO] Beginning epg123 client execution. 2020-07-20 09:32:15Z
[20/07/2020 10:32:15] [ INFO] Import: True , Match: True , NoLogo: False , Force: False , ShowProgress: False
[20/07/2020 10:32:15] Entering PerformGarbageCleanup().
[20/07/2020 12:53:21] [ INFO] Successfully complete garbage cleanup. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 12:53:21] Exiting PerformGarbageCleanup(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 12:53:27] Entering importMxfFile() for file "\\bewick_server\network_disk\epg123\output\epg123.mxf"
[20/07/2020 12:59:07] [ INFO] Successfully imported .mxf file into Media Center database. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 12:59:07] Exiting importMxfFile(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] [ INFO] Skipped matching ITVBPFV to channel 58 due to channel already having an assigned listing.
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] [ INFO] Completed the automatch of lineup stations to tuner channels.
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] [ INFO] Completed lineup refresh.
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] Entering runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot)
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] [ INFO] SUCCESS: Attempted to run the scheduled task "Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ReindexSearchRoot".
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] [ INFO] Successfully started the ReindexSearchRoot task. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 12:59:09] Exiting runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 12:59:10] [ INFO] Completed EPG123 client execution.
[20/07/2020 12:59:10] [ INFO] EPG123 client execution time was 02:26:54.5786022.
[20/07/2020 13:04:54] [ INFO] **** Attempting to kick off the epg123_update task on demand. Exit Code: 0 ****
[20/07/2020 13:04:55] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 13:04:55]  Beginning epg123 client execution. version 1.3.9.10
[20/07/2020 13:04:55] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 13:04:55] [ INFO] Beginning epg123 client execution. 2020-07-20 12:04:55Z
[20/07/2020 13:04:55] [ INFO] Import: True , Match: True , NoLogo: False , Force: False , ShowProgress: False
[20/07/2020 13:04:56] [ERROR] Could not verify when garbage cleanup was last run.
[20/07/2020 13:04:56] Entering PerformGarbageCleanup().
[20/07/2020 13:04:58] [ INFO] **** Intercepted "mcupdate.exe -u -nogc" call. Ignored. ****
[20/07/2020 13:31:02] [ INFO] Successfully complete garbage cleanup. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 13:31:02] Exiting PerformGarbageCleanup(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 13:31:04] Entering importMxfFile() for file "\\bewick_server\network_disk\epg123\output\epg123.mxf"
[20/07/2020 13:36:34] [ INFO] Successfully imported .mxf file into Media Center database. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 13:36:34] Exiting importMxfFile(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 13:36:36] [ INFO] Skipped matching ITVBPFV to channel 58 due to channel already having an assigned listing.
[20/07/2020 13:36:36] [ INFO] Completed the automatch of lineup stations to tuner channels.
[20/07/2020 13:36:36] [ INFO] Completed lineup refresh.
[20/07/2020 13:36:36] Entering runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot)
[20/07/2020 13:36:37] [ INFO] SUCCESS: Attempted to run the scheduled task "Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ReindexSearchRoot".
[20/07/2020 13:36:37] [ INFO] Successfully started the ReindexSearchRoot task. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 13:36:37] Exiting runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 13:36:37] [ INFO] Completed EPG123 client execution.
[20/07/2020 13:36:37] [ INFO] EPG123 client execution time was 00:31:41.5853112.
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 17:18:22]  Beginning epg123 client execution. version 1.3.9.10
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] ===============================================================================
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] [ INFO] Beginning epg123 client execution. 2020-07-20 16:18:22Z
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] [ INFO] Import: True , Match: True , NoLogo: False , Force: False , ShowProgress: False
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] [ERROR] Could not verify when garbage cleanup was last run.
[20/07/2020 17:18:22] Entering PerformGarbageCleanup().
[20/07/2020 17:18:24] [ INFO] **** Intercepted "mcupdate.exe -u -nogc" call. Ignored. ****
[20/07/2020 17:43:40] [ INFO] Successfully complete garbage cleanup. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 17:43:40] Exiting PerformGarbageCleanup(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 17:43:42] Entering importMxfFile() for file "\\bewick_server\network_disk\epg123\output\epg123.mxf"
[20/07/2020 17:49:27] [ INFO] Successfully imported .mxf file into Media Center database. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 17:49:27] Exiting importMxfFile(). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] [ INFO] Skipped matching ITVBPFV to channel 58 due to channel already having an assigned listing.
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] [ INFO] Completed the automatch of lineup stations to tuner channels.
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] [ INFO] Completed lineup refresh.
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] Entering runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot)
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] [ INFO] SUCCESS: Attempted to run the scheduled task "Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ReindexSearchRoot".
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] [ INFO] Successfully started the ReindexSearchRoot task. Exit code: 0
[20/07/2020 17:49:29] Exiting runWmcTask(ReindexSearchRoot). SUCCESS.
[20/07/2020 17:49:30] [ INFO] Completed EPG123 client execution.
[20/07/2020 17:49:30] [ INFO] EPG123 client execution time was 00:31:07.4161283.

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garyan2

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#4

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:27 pm

Sorry about the registry path I provided. Looks like I pasted twice.

I think I might know the issue. It may not be parsing the date correctly. As a test, could you change your "dgbc:next run time" value to "25/07/2020 05:18:22" and try again? I had expected that to be the value in your registry and not "07/25/...".

EPG123 will not allow, without an override, to import the MXF file while there is a recording in progress. This is intentional since doing so may abort those recordings.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#5

Post by Bewick Place » Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:58 pm

Thanks for the quick reply. That has worked.

For completeness I attach the full set of EPG registry entries.
Attachments
Annotation 2020-07-20 185210.png

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garyan2

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#6

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:11 pm

Okay, good. I just posted an updated on the website to release v1.3.9.20 with this corrected.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#7

Post by Bewick Place » Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:04 pm

Unfortunately installing v1.3.9.20 doesn't work for me.

The date format is still 07/25... and results in the same error.

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garyan2

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#8

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:09 pm

??? I'll look into it further later today. I guess I'm going to have to force a date format rather than expect the machine to parse in the same format that it writes.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#9

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:42 pm

Oops, I changed the wrong line of code for writing the datatime of the dbgc. New version later tonight.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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garyan2

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#10

Post by garyan2 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:53 pm

Bewick Place wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:04 pm Unfortunately installing v1.3.9.20 doesn't work for me.

The date format is still 07/25... and results in the same error.
Try this one. https://epg123.garyan2.net/downloads/ep ... 3.9.30.zip

It should run garbage cleanup on the first run but then be okay when you try a second run. I am now writing in a universal time format rather than using whatever the systems culture may be for a guaranteed correct parsing of the registry key.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#11

Post by Bewick Place » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:33 am

That seems to do the job....Thanks.

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#12

Post by StinkyImp » Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:51 pm

garyan2 wrote: Mon Jul 20, 2020 9:53 pmI am now writing in a universal time format rather than using whatever the systems culture may be for a guaranteed correct parsing of the registry key.
A few years ago when I was trying to figure out how to parse the trace.log dates for ALL Windows users (no matter how they were formatted) I looked and looked for a common denominator. The only one I could find was that Windows absolutely LOVES the YYYY.MM.DD.hh.mm.ss format no matter where in the world the machine is located.

I used the following registry keys to read the date format for the user's system and convert them "on the fly" to the YYYY.MM.DD.hh.mm.ss format. It added virtually no overhead to the processing.
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International\sLongDate
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International\sShortDate
Once I was able to determine the position of the date elements and the separators, I wrote a fairly detailed "calculator" to make the conversion. After that it didn't matter where the machine was or what date format they were using.

Disclaimer -> This may, or may not, be useful. As usual, this is worth two cents (or less)...

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