Tvheadend

I am trying to update my PogoPlug to provide both a Tvheadend backend and a Samba server. (The Samba will only provide computer backup services running in the early morning hours, so the Pogoplug will not be taxed with too many active services running at once.)

The original install was done several years ago, and I believe it was something like version 2.12. Anyway, the files in .hts/dvr/log have numeric names with only three digits, like "549". I am now attempting to run 4.2.4 which has very long hex file names. If I just copy the old three digit files into the log folder, then nothing appears in the finished recording list. If I create a dummy recording and then edit the long hex named file with the old data, I can create what appears to be a working converted recording.

In the old version, if I created a new three digit named file and then manually populated it with info, Tvheadend would pick up the addition on the next boot and it worked fine. In 4.2.4, those long hex named files are somehow specific, as when I tried to create my own, it crashed Tvheadend when I restarted the service. I had to delete my added file to get it working again.

I have the original boot USB and HD from the old 2.12 install, so I can go back to that version temporarily if I need any additional files other than what was in /dvr/log and the actual *.ts files.

Questions:
1. Is there a method to produce a good unique name for these files in log? ( My workaround, would be to create bogus recordings to create the needed log files, but that is very time consuming.)
2. The log folder has about ten of these files in it, but only three point to real recordings, the rest a failed recordings because I did not have the ownership of folders correct. These extra logs appear no where in the GUI. Can I safely delete these?
3. Am I doing this a stupid way? Is there any tutorial on dealing with this sort of transfer?

Thanks.