MacBook Pro creating .wmv files on it's own, no idea how or why

[leonie99]

I'm running 10.8.2 on a MacBook Pro.

For the last couple of weeks my Mac has been creating a number of .wmv files on my desktop whenever I wake my computer up from sleep and start using it and I have no idea what's causing this or how to stop it.

They go like this:

-1.wmv
-2.wmv
-3.wmv

etc etc - it just keeps adding files numerically until I delete them and then it starts from -1.wmv again. There is nothing in the files, they are zero bytes.

I've run the disk permissions and verify disk checks and everything appears to be normal.

Nothing else seems to be wrong with my computer but there's obviously something not right so am keen to figure this out.

Help!!

[simsaladimbamba]

Open Activity Monitor and select All Processes and then sort by Process Name to show you the processes in alphabetical order. Then Press CMD+P to print the view as PDF and then compress that PDF in Finder to get a ZIP, which you attach to your next post via the button two rows above the text entry field.
You can disable the User column via right clicking on its header and deselecting it, if you want to.
For further information about using Activity Monitor:

Using Activity Monitor to show you CPU and RAM usage

[leonie99]

Here's my activity monitor pdf - any ideas from this?

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

Here's my activity monitor pdf - any ideas from this?

Thanks.

It seems you have Flip Player installed, needed for playback of WMV files in QuickTime Player. There is also a process called "Flip Player Export Server" running, which might be still hung up on something.

Have you used Flip4Mac to create some WMV files in the past or had Flip4Mac installed and did something with it?

Do you need Flip4Mac or could you live with VLC Player playing your WMV files (if you have any)?

[leonie99]

no I don't need it, I have VLC which is fine so I'll get rid of Flip Player then - cross fingers!

So far so good, put it to sleep and back on and no more files appeared so I think this has worked.

Thanks!

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

no I don't need it, I have VLC which is fine so I'll get rid of Flip Player then - cross fingers!

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program without the need of any additional, inefficient applications

Visual presentation of the steps outlined in above link:

[leonie99]

Damn it's stlll happening. Unfortunately I do need Flip for Mac as I have to edit Microsoft files for work (embedded video files in PowerPoint won't play without this plugin), and it seems my computer was still creating these files last night and this morning after I deleted Flip for Mac so it can't be that.

Thought we had it there, any other ideas?

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

Damn it's stlll happening. Unfortunately I do need Flip for Mac as I have to edit Microsoft files for work (embedded video files in PowerPoint won't play without this plugin), and it seems my computer was still creating these files last night and this morning after I deleted Flip for Mac so it can't be that.

Thought we had it there, any other ideas?

Check the Console for hints around the time they get created.

[leonie99]

This looks like it occurred at the same time as one of the files appeared this morning, not sure what to do though.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

This looks like it occurred at the same time as one of the files appeared this morning, not sure what to do though.

How did you remove Flip4Mac and what actual version of Flip4Mac do you use?

Other than that, I am lost as to what could be the course, as I used the Flip4Mac Player on a lot of Macs and have never seen such behaviour.

[leonie99]

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

How did you remove Flip4Mac and what actual version of Flip4Mac do you use?

Other than that, I am lost as to what could be the course, as I used the Flip4Mac Player on a lot of Macs and have never seen such behaviour.

Looks like it's a bug with Flip4Mac, other people have had the same issue - I'll look into it there and might just have to try removing it again.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

Looks like it's a bug with Flip4Mac, other people have had the same issue - I'll look into it there and might just have to try removing it again.

Okay, I could not find something with my search tactics, which are normally quite brutal, but when you select to remove Flip4Mac, or whatever it is called now, use the methods I linked to to uninstall an application in order to completely remove every trace of that software.

Btw, why do you need WMV capabilities? Can they be replaced somehow?

[leonie99]

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

Okay, I could not find something with my search tactics, which are normally quite brutal, but when you select to remove Flip4Mac, or whatever it is called now, use the methods I linked to to uninstall an application in order to completely remove every trace of that software.

Btw, why do you need WMV capabilities? Can they be replaced somehow?

Will do - I have to deal with files that are ok to use on PC's as I'm the only Mac user in the office so have to be compatible with both, it's a pain in the butt! wmv seems to be the only file that will play embedded in PowerPoint on the PC's around here, annoying but true.

Will let you know how I get on - thanks.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

Will do - I have to deal with files that are ok to use on PC's as I'm the only Mac user in the office so have to be compatible with both, it's a pain in the butt! wmv seems to be the only file that will play embedded in PowerPoint on the PC's around here, annoying but true.

Will let you know how I get on - thanks.

Do MP4 files not work? I guess, those Windows PCs still run on old Windows XP and MS Office 1965 versions?

[leonie99]

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

Do MP4 files not work? I guess, those Windows PCs still run on old Windows XP and MS Office 1965 versions?

lol yes there are some old bods still on XP unfortunately, just have to go with it. I followed your uninstall method and nothing has appeared since so looking good and I'll have to find something else for those old PC's to use!

Thanks for all your help, really appreciate it.

[leonie99]

Originally Posted by leonie99

lol yes there are some old bods still on XP unfortunately, just have to go with it. I followed your uninstall method and nothing has appeared since so looking good and I'll have to find something else for those old PC's to use!

Thanks for all your help, really appreciate it.

I've done some more searching as the problem was still occurring so I had another look at the console log and it appears to be linked to Firefox taking it's automatic screenshots of websites for the New Tab Page. This is a privacy issue too (it takes screenshots of my banking for example - grrr), so I've worked out how to turn it off and cross fingers. Nothing for the last hour, will keep an eye on it and see how I go.

[leonie99]

Originally Posted by leonie99

I've done some more searching as the problem was still occurring so I had another look at the console log and it appears to be linked to Firefox taking it's automatic screenshots of websites for the New Tab Page. This is a privacy issue too (it takes screenshots of my banking for example - grrr), so I've worked out how to turn it off and cross fingers. Nothing for the last hour, will keep an eye on it and see how I go.

I finally figured it out it was one of my Add Ons in Fire fox (Video Download Manager) that was doing it.

Thanks for responding and now you know if anyone else has the same issue what it is.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by leonie99

I finally figured it out it was one of my Add Ons in Fire fox (Video Download Manager) that was doing it.

Thanks for responding and now you know if anyone else has the same issue what it is.

I guess there was something caught in a loop. Glad you figured it out, now you can reinstall all the crap ( ) you had before. Have a good night or evening, or even one of those fabled mornings travelers told me about.