WMP Changing ID Tags by itself?!

[shanndogg]

I have ripped a cd to MP3 and everything seems to be fine. I see in the folder it has the correct track titles, album name, etc. However, when I open Windows media player or media center it will only stay "normal" for a minute, then all of a sudden tracks from within the album appear as separate tracks with other album names associated with it.

I have tried this with three different albums. Two of which as compilation/greatest hits. The one that isn't seems to stay as it should, but the compilation albums have some of their tracks separated into another album (an album the track also on, but obviously I did not rip it from that album).

What I see happening is, I open WMP and when I open the album icon, I see all of the tracks double listed - meaning there are two track *blooper*1's, two *blooper*2's, etc. Then different album icons start to pop up in the album view. For example, I ripped James Brown greatest hits. Then there is Best of James Brown [Japan] that appears and "takes" one of the tracks from the greatest hits.

Going back into the folder of the album (greatest hits) and looking at the info, I see the ID tag information has actually changed- it no longer has the correct album name (greatest hits) like it did before I opened WMP, it now has the one WMP assigned to it.

I do not have "overwrite all media information" checked in the options under library. I do have "only missing information" checked.

Is there a way to stop WMP from doing this, or even better, is there a way to lock the info (id tag) after it has been ripped so nothing can change it?

Thanks!

[shanndogg]

Re: WMP Changing ID Tags by itself?!

OK, here is something even more strange. I changed the save file path in DBpoweramp to my other hard drive (D) and it works fine. I tried it again saving to the default "My Music" folder- and it totally messes up (separates the tracks, creates other albums, etc.).

Looking closer at the two mp3 saved folders, I see the one in my D drive shows the "folder.jpg" save of the album art, but the one in "My Music" does not.

After launching the D drive save in WMP it keeps the album intact and shows the album art. When opening the "My Music" folder in WMP, it has the generic musical note icon, does it's updating, and splits the songs out to other musical note icon albums, then updates them with the new album art, as well as changing the tagged data to the track.

WTH?

[shanndogg]

Re: WMP Changing ID Tags by itself?!

After more research I found out that apparently WMP automatically "takes" your album art and downsizes it to 200x200 or less and then "hides" the folder.jpg as a system file so you can't see it unless you check off show hidden system files. Wow, why would Microsoft have it do that? Anyway, I guess that solves the "missing" folder.jpg.

But, the big question that still remains is how WMP goes in and alters the MP3 Id info. Is there anyway to prevent it or any other program from doing that? In simplistic terms: can the MP3 info be locked?

[timw0932]

Re: WMP Changing ID Tags by itself?!

After more research I found out that apparently WMP automatically "takes" your album art and downsizes it to 200x200 or less and then "hides" the folder.jpg as a system file so you can't see it unless you check off show hidden system files. Wow, why would Microsoft have it do that? Anyway, I guess that solves the "missing" folder.jpg.

But, the big question that still remains is how WMP goes in and alters the MP3 Id info. Is there anyway to prevent it or any other program from doing that? In simplistic terms: can the MP3 info be locked?

1. Go into WMP and disable all options about downloading information from the Internet, adding missing information, adding files to the WMP library when played, etc. This should always be done.

2. Make the files read-only. (Hard to maintain, and I no longer do it, but keep reading.)

3. The best thing you can do in Windows 7 is to remove all folders from your Music "Library" and use a good program like foobar2000 or iTunes 10 for music. In addition to removing all chance of WMP modifying your files, it will remove yet another Microsoft process that likes to endlessly grovel your hard drive. I still recommend doing (1) for good measure, and it's something I do right after installing Windows, but you can let (2) slide. Also, by using foobar or iTunes, you will be upgrading to a player that can reliably perform gapless playback.