UPD files

[Davidk]

Whenever I create a video file, a successful final result seems to be 2 files - the <name>.mpg file one anticipates, and a <name>.upd file. The upd file being 1Kb large regardless of how big the mpg file is. One thing I have noticed over time is that the upd file is created last, in the last 1% of the rendered activity (based on comparisons of good renders with various crashes at different rendered percentages, all the latter leaving an incomplete .mpg file and no upd file). The absence of those upd files in failed conditions left me wondering what they were for.

On various occasions curiosity has driven me to search for an explanation of a .upd file - what it is for and what sort of information is in it. Wikipaedia simply says that filetype extension ia a dBase update file (!! 25 years since that dinosaur was around), and google does the same, expands on the product usage somewhat, but video editors are not included. However, for VS to create an update file written at the same time as, and on the same subject as, a successfully rendered video file looks 'prima facie' to be illogical. But there has to be a reason for their creation, or why do it?

I've also searched the forum for any info on this, and the results I see indicate quite a few users have seen them, and no one seems to know what they are for. Most - like me - just ignore them.

Does anyone know - or can get Corel to tell - what Corel generates these .upd files for?

Davidk

[BrianCee]

Well I can tell you what upd stands for - Ulead Private Data - but all that is in there appears to be the file path and file name and a few odd graphical symbols.

if you change the file extension to .txt notepad will open it and show you the contents - but as to WHY it is created I have no idea - I wonder if any one still at Corel knows since it would appear to be part of the Ulead legacy programming.

[Davidk]

Brian,
Indeed. Thank you for one small step, etc. While I've always been a great fan of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school, I don't know many programmers who could resist changing something. And its at least 6 years since Corel took over Ulead, so there cannot be much of that legacy programming left . . I guess curiosity is not going to be satisfied.

Davidk

[BrianCee]

If you do a search of the VideoStudio X6 programme folder for 'Ulead' you will be very surprised at how many returns you get.

and I gave up counting how many files within all the subfolders start with the letters uv such as "uvCapModuleNotify" - - I suspect from lead videostudio

spread further and search your whole hard drive for Ulead and you will think Ulead are still in business