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Thread: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

  1. #1

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    Exclamation Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    Hello,
    I came here to complain about the way that dBpoweramp Windows Shell Extension/Property Hanlder works. The main problem is with RATING value. Normally, Windows internal property handler for mp3 files writes rating not as just straight values which are number of chosen stars, but use specific let's say "encoding". So for example 5 stars means that value written in tag is "99", 4 stars means that value written in tag is "75" and so on. As far as I know it is called "popularimeter" and for mp3 files it is stored in POPM flame of ID3 tags. Unfortunately, for FLAC files dBpoweramp writes just numbers corresponding to the number of stars clicked in Explorer. And this is currently huge problem for me which has a story behind, and the beginning of further problems and complaints about dBpoweramp.
    The story goes like this: I was looking for property handler for FLAC files. I found "AJD FLAC Property Handler" which was OK. But I wanted more - I wanted property handler for AIFF files. I was told, that dBpoweramp offers such property handler and I installed it. I was told that I can choose whether I want to still use AJD or dBpoweramp property handler for FLAC files. I looked into configuration dialog and I set checkboxes. And here we have first problem. dBpoweamp offers "Exclusions list" instead of normal list where you choose what you want to enable rather than disable... I left FLAC unchecked as I thought that this means it wouldn't be enabled... This is very tricky and I think it SHOULD be changed. This dialog should show options to enable given property handlers and not to "left them disabled". This is very bad behavior - it seems that dBpoweramp is relatively aggressive with installing every functionality that it can handle, regarding of what user have currently installed in his system and it causes a mess. But this is not the end. I figured out what is going on after some time and I tried to disable FLAC property handler in dBpoweramp but with no results. Whatever I checked or unchecked, Explorer used always dBpa property handler for FLAC files... Another RealPlayer? But OK, I gave up. I decided that property handler provider is not the most important thing - it should just work.
    But here we have 2nd problem. dBpa property handler uses "YEAR" field instead of "DATE" field to store Windows Explorer property "Year of release". I was mad, but I decided to REBUILD MY WHOLE LIBRARY (which is quite large) and use YEAR field instead of DATE field. I changed this in EVERY FILE on my PC. I started using DATE field for "Exact date" - consisting of year, month and day. And then I realized third problem, the one with rating... I edit metadata mostly in foobar. And I continuously have problems with RATING field. I have to fill it differently for FLAC files and differently for mp3 files - still make mistakes. I could try to curse dBpa property handler for FLAC files, but this will require that I rebuild my library again to its previous state and I remember how many problems it generated for the first time... So I think you have achieved your goal... I am stuck with dBpa.
    In this case I require and officially request that this broken behavior with RATING will be fixed and for every supported files dBpa will add values like it is done in ID3 "popularimeter" frame. This will be additionally consistent in way that AJD FLAC Property Handler works. And it will make values of RATING tag consistent for all file types.

    EDIT:
    Nice. Today I updated dBpa from 14.3 to 14.4. Now I see that despite my settings to disable both FLAC and MP3 property handler from dBpa, they both are working. Very nice. Good software. F***ng recommended. Thank you.
    Last edited by Epic; 08-18-2013 at 12:08 PM.

  2. #2

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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    You don't have to do anything. I just uninstalled it completely. Forever. Reason: dBpoweramp enforces its property handlers regardless of exclusions settings. Good work guys.

  3. #3
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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    FLAC has no standard for star rating, so it is wrong to assume it should follow mp3's rating system.

    Different audio formats have different internal standards.

    >But here we have 2nd problem. dBpa property handler uses "YEAR" field instead of "DATE"

    you can configure this on the dBpoweramp Configuration >> Codecs >> Advanced

    For 8 years we used DATE as standard (following the voribs standard) and took so much 'flac' for it (at a certain point there was one message a week on the forum), eventually we defaulted to what everyone else uses...year.

    The property handlers can be globally disabled in the dBpoweramp configuration program, for some audio formats it is not possible to disable for that format if it is shared with other audio formats (internally mp3 might be grouped with wave, by a player).

  4. #4

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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    I came back to say "sorry". I can forget about all those problems with inconsistent rating values, year tags, messed dates etc. Even the fact that mp3 property handler was enforced by dBpa wasn't that bad. Despite enforcing anything above user requested configuration is very bad behavior of any application, in this case I don't mind and I installed back dBpa. Reason? dBpa mp3 property handler doesn't break my custom tags and doesn't break and thus effectively remove ReplayGain tags from mp3 files. Damn, Microsoft is so shitty corporation, those dumbs can't even properly handle ID3v2.3 and all its frames... dBpa property handler just do it properly. Anyway I got a question - is there a way to use only dBpa property handlers without whole dBpa? I mean - is it possible to install it separately, without dBpa and dMC (or uninstall dBpa without uninstalling property handlers)? I just need good property handler. I use foobar for playing and converting music and EAC for ripping and encoding CDs - I don't need any other functionality of dBpa than its property handlers. Maybe it is possible to re-register some files that they could still be used by Windows Explorer even if whole app is removed?

  5. #5
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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    It is not possible to only have the shell extensions, the other files will only take up 10MB of hdd space, and do not run unless you start the programs.

  6. #6

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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    OK, I got another question, this time regarding license. I wanted to use dBpa property handler on my laptop, owned by company that I work in. Am I understand it correctly, that this require purchasing license? This is company laptop but in general this app is intended there just for my personal use, connected only with my few private files on its hard disk. In this case who should buy that license - me, Honeywell, or maybe it just doesn't matter who purchased it - only the fact that license is valid matters?

  7. #7
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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    If used privately then you do not need a license.

  8. #8

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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    Thank you for your quick answer . I hope our IT team will take your opinion into account in case of software audit

  9. #9

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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    Hello again.
    I didn't want to start new thread, as my new concern is highly connected with those exposed before.
    I found strange thing. dBpa property handler for FLAC works only if I install AJD FLAC Property handler first... I mean - dBpa can show artwork in explorer and that floating tip window above selected file, but if I want to edit FLAC metadata in explorer's preview pane I need to have AJD property handler installed... Funny thing is that if installed alone, AJD uses rating range 1-99 for FLAC files, but when I install both AJD and dBpa, then rating range changes to 1-5 (problem mentioned before). So both property handlers interact/interfere which each other. Is it meant to be like that? In the end I accepted final result of this interaction (possibility of viewing/editing metadata in explorer's preview pane and limited rating range to 1-5 when clicking on stars), but I wanted to know if it's normal. Maybe something needs to be updated/added to dBpa so this could work like that without additional software?
    I use Win7 Pro PL x64 SP1 with all windows updates installed, under AMD990FX chipset. If any other config info is required then please leave a message.

  10. #10
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    Re: Shell extension/property handler problem and request

    dBp does not need this additional software to function, however the addition of additional software which does the same thing (even if removed, perhaps uncleanly) might interfere with dBp from operating.

    There can only be one system wide property handler for a given file type.

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