Strange files generated by DJI Fly

[rscheff]

I occasionally get strange looking files that appear to be generated by the DJI Fly program. I will attach a screen shot of a folder that I put them in. The day that it happened I only had 4 videos on the storage card but there was 25 of these strange files, all start with AQT and cannot be opened. It does not always happen and at first I thought it was caused by the "Dronelink" program because I was using it and it is a Beta program but Dronelink techs say it is not caused by them, in fact they say the are explicitly denied access to the micro SD card. Any one have an idea of what these files are, they take up a lot of space.

 

[DanMan32]

What model AC, and are these on the SD mounted on the AC, or on your phone? The app doesn't really directly touch the SD on the AC, the AC's firmware does that.
What's the folder path? Android or iOS?

 

[rscheff]

It is the DJI Mini and the files are on the SD card right along with the videos I took. My phone is a Samsung S9 but I don't see how that is relevant because the files are on the card. Folder path I believe is not relevant also because they are going right to the card. The picture I sent is not really accurate. The SD card had only 4 video files and the 25 weird files. I just wanted people to see the 25 strange files, I just happened to put them all in the same folder on my computer.

 

[DanMan32]

I assume MM1?

I don't have those files, definitely don't have "orbit"
Follow doesn't make sense since follow is not a flight option on the MM1

There are folders with log files. Nobody knows what they are about. I suspect those caused boot hang last year after a firmware update.

Since you mentioned Fly app, I had to ask all the questions.

You didn't provide paths to those files. That is relevant since even the media files (video and photos) are three folders deep from root.

Dronelink tends to make sense since DL worked even before the SDK was released and provided Orbit and Follow though it doesn't make sense an app would itself be able to access storage on the AC. But then if DL could work before SDK, it must be doing something at low level.

 

[Meta4]

I occasionally get strange looking files that appear to be generated by the DJI Fly program. I will attach a screen shot of a folder that I put them in. The day that it happened I only had 4 videos on the storage card but there was 25 of these strange files, all start with AQT and cannot be opened. It does not always happen and at first I thought it was caused by the "Dronelink" program because I was using it and it is a Beta program but Dronelink techs say it is not caused by them, in fact they say the are explicitly denied access to the micro SD card. Any one have an idea of what these files are, they take up a lot of space.View attachment 117737

It's hard to guess what they might be since you only show their names without the file extensions.
But if they were on the SD card, and they aren't your image or video files, they can be wiped.

 

[DanMan32]

As a curiosity, try formatting the card, then use DroneLink. See if these strange files appear.

Reformat then use Fly only and check card contents.

I'm betting they are DL files/folders that manage to use hidden firmware features, particularly when Orbit and Follow don't exist in Fly, but I believe they do in DL, and DL worked before SDK was released.

 

[rscheff]

I will try to get everything in this msg.
1) I am flying the Mavic Mini (one not two)
2) Using Samsung S9 phone
3) Using both DJI Fly program and Dronelink (separately of course)
4) Files have generated, randomly, while using DJI Fly and Dronelink Alpha and (Beta) programs, Follow, orbit, and focus.
5) Using 2 different 32 GB SD cards (has happened on both cards)in the drone.
6) Contacted Dronelink and they say they have no physical access to the drone mounted SD card. They are physically and contractually not allowed access to the SD card.
7) As far as a path for the files, I have no idea, I will send a screen shot of what I see.

 

[Meta4]

I will try to get everything in this msg.

It's hard to guess without being able to see file extensions in your screenshot.
Going by the file size, maybe cached low-res video files?

But the only files of any use to you are your stills and video files.
Format your cards to get rid of the junk as it's taking up a lot of space.

 

[rscheff]

Those files are not on my Micro SD card now they are in a folder on my desktop computer. I just kept them to show people what keeps generating on the card. I usually just delete them, if I didn't I would not have any space on the card. I just want to know what keeps making them. I use 2 cards and alternate them an it happens on both cards. I am going to format the cards maybe that will help but I find it very unusual that both cards have something wrong with them. I have an e-mail into DJI but I am not holding my breath for their response.

 

[Meta4]

I just want to know what keeps making them.

SInce they aren't showing up for most flyers, you should look through your app settings and see if you have something selected to save cache files to your SD card, or something like that.

I find it very unusual that both cards have something wrong with them.

There's nothing wrong with the cards.

 

[rscheff]

I just formatted both cards and flew 2 short missions in the backyard, pitch black here so only a minute or two and both recorded fine. I will look for a setting issue but I do not think that is it because if I had inadvertently switched something on wouldn't it happen all the time? Right now I might go a whole week flying everyday and it will not happen, then all of a sudden I end up 25 of those stupid files. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for when it happens.

 

[Meta4]

I just formatted both cards and flew 2 short missions in the backyard, pitch black here so only a minute or two and both recorded fine. .... There seems to be no rhyme or reason for when it happens.

Did you shoot any video?
If they are video cache files, they would appear whenever you shoot video.
You can easily test that on your desk without flying at all.

 

[rscheff]

Yeah I shoot video almost every day and like I said the files show up on a random basis. I did like you said I went into the DJI Fly settings and found under camera a setting "create cache files when recording" and there was a choice to turn it on or off. It was set to on so I shut it off. I will fly tomorrow and see what that does but I still don't understand why it happens randomly. What is the purpose of a video cache file anyway? My son also has the same drone and I asked him to check his settings but I can't go see because he's in quarantine for Covid, practically my whole family is. My wife and I are going to be eating a lot of turkey, we'll probably be delivering meals and leaving on doorsteps. I just read up on Cache and I should probably leave it on because it is my understanding that whatever I am recording, video or pictures it is saved to my phone and I might someday need it for DJI in case of a warranty or repair issue. But nothing I reviewed said that the cache is sent to my SD card in fact that would negate the reason that it is sent back to my phone, in case I lose the drone and the card with it. So I still have a mystery, why are the files showing up on my card?

 

[EyesWideShut]

In addition to using the DJI Fly App with your mini, do you occasionally use a 3rd party app like Litchi, Dronelink, Mavic Maven or Red Waypoint? Flying with one of them might be generating files on your SD card.

 

[DanMan32]

Wait, is this the SD card on the AC, or on the Samsung? I was going by these files being on the SD card on the AC, which I admit didn't make sense.

If on the SD mounted on the Samsung, having the file path(s) would be VERY helpful.
If this is from a search or file app that gathers similar files, it could be from any app on the Samsung or even gathered from main storage.

 

[DanMan32]

In Go app, by default cache videos are stored in device main storage. Go provides an option to relocate the cache folder to a mounted SD card. I don't believe Fly has that option.

Also with Androids, you can mount an SD so that it is separate from main storage and readable on another system.
You can also mount it so that it is an extension to main storage and it's contents not readable externally. System and apps can put all sorts of things in main storage.

But as an example of what I mean by file path. When you have Go relocate the cache video, it is stored in /DJI/dji.go.v4/DJI_RECORD on the SD card. I also found FlightRecord under dgi.go.v4, but I may have copied or moved that folder from main storage.

Android throws a bunch of folders onto SD, even if the card is mounted as external storage. At least my HTC 10 does.