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Author Topic: Flac file Cover Art Problems  (Read 1880 times)

SixtusO

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Flac file Cover Art Problems
« on: March 16, 2021, 10:09:28 pm »

Ever since I upgraded to the newest version of Windows 10 64-bit (version 20H2), I am having a weird problem... every time I play a flac file in MC27, the embedded cover art disappears in Windows File Explorer. It still displays in MC27, and in MP3tag (which I use for tagging). However, it is a problem to not be able to see the cover art in file explorer. Any suggestions???
PS I attached a screenshot of File Explorer in which I played six songs at random. When I closed out of MC27. the cover art was missing in File Explorer...
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JJD

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2021, 12:58:19 pm »

I also upgraded to the Windows 10 version 20H2 yesterday and after reading the above post today, I checked the File Explorer folders of played songs and also found the cover art is no longer displayed.

FYI: I also had to reinstall JRiver this morning after the Windows 10 ver 20H2 upgrade because I couldn't play songs from my laptop over DLNA to my AVR. I don't think this is related, but I thought I'd mention it.
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JimH

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2021, 02:17:38 pm »

That shouldn't happen.  Do you have MC set to store the cover art in the tag?
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SixtusO

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2021, 03:49:27 pm »

Thank you, and yes, I have the 'store images in file's tag" checked. When I rip songs, I fully edit the tags (including cover art) with MP3tag. It works well, so the cover art files are already there.

Further to my post, I tried playing songs in Microsoft's Groove, and the same phenomenon happened! So, I am beginning to believe this is a problem with Microsoft's update!

Any way, any info you can offer I will appreciate!
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MikeO

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2021, 10:06:20 am »

What is your video card ? Have you tried installing the manufacture’s driver not the Windows provided one ?

Also have you rebooted since the upgrade , I had a funny today where Windows demanded a password when configured not too. A reboot fixed it

Windows is causing some funnies at the moment 😎
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zybex

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2021, 10:44:48 am »

Sixtus, can we please do this to determine if MC is changing the file?
- make a copy of one of the good FLACs to some other folder, rename as "ok.flac"
- play the file with MC
- check if the cover is now gone
- copy the file to the same folder, copy it "bad.flac"

Now we need to compare the files to see if they're still the same. If it changed, then it may be an issue with MC corrupting the tag. If not, then it's windows locking the file and preventing the thumbnail preview.

To compare, open a CMD prompt and type:
Code: [Select]
CD c:\folder\with\the\files
fc /b ok.flac bad.flac

You can also check if the cover reappears on the copied file.
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markf2748

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2021, 06:35:40 pm »

Long shot:

Is a blank image getting added to your image tags?  This can easily be checked in Mp3tag.

Here is a thumbnail weirdness I just posted that makes me ask:

https://community.mp3tag.de/t/windows-10-displays-wrong-artwork-in-file-thumbnails/52458
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JimH

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2021, 07:20:48 pm »

Thanks for posting that.  Something odd is going on lately.  Seems like it started about two weeks ago.
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markf2748

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2021, 10:22:48 pm »

Thanks for posting that.  Something odd is going on lately.  Seems like it started about two weeks ago.

11 days ago my Win10 PCs each received 8 Microsoft updates, including 6 application/security updates plus KB4023057 and KB5000802 Cumulative Updates for Windows 10 Version 20H2 x64 based systems.  But I normally don't view Explorer or WMP thumbnails since I live inside JRiver, until seeing the OP at which point I took a look.
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MikeO

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2021, 11:17:10 pm »

I have Intel integrated graphics and don't see any funnies in my Cover Art folder.

Please reinstall your video drivers from the original manufacture's site . There have been several equivalent funnies in Roon where the GPU is heavily utilized which were fixed by doing this , its worth a try ?

It seems to be windows upgrades causing it installing its own video driver
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markf2748

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2021, 11:13:41 pm »

My newest PC, which exhibits the problem, is an Intel NUC8i5BEH with integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 with latest driver per the Intel Web Site and also Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

The other PC which exhibits the problem is an old (2013 vintage) but updated Dell Inspiron 15R SE7520 laptop.  It has Intel HD Graphics 4000 with latest driver per Intel Driver & Support Assistant.  It also has AMD Radeon HD7700M Series graphics with what seems to be the latest AMD driver.

I don't think this issue is graphics related.  Note that I don't use a Cover Art folder - all images are embedded directly in the flac file tags.

For latest report, please see my post on the Mp3tag forum linked above.

Thanks.


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zybex

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2021, 03:54:21 am »

You can try a different Thumbnail provider for FLAC:
https://www.videohelp.com/software/Icaros

dbPowerAmp also installs its own thumbnail provider. Other apps may do so as well; so it's possible that the problem comes from some other application which you installed and doesn't support all FLAC tag variants. Windows 10 ships with its own thumbnail provider, you can also google on how to restore that as the default.
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markf2748

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2021, 02:31:05 pm »

You can try a different Thumbnail provider for FLAC...
Windows 10 ships with its own thumbnail provider....

My goal is to have Windows Explorer use the the album cover image stored in my flac files for their file thumbnail and album folder thumbnail, with no additional effort on my part.

Currently, Windows 10 by default does a fine job of this, except when the flac contains more than one image and the album cover is not the last image added by Mp3tag.  Windows apparently treats flac image tags as a "last in, first out" stack.  It simply does not respect the ID3 Embedded Image Extension which I dutifully add with Mp3tag to identify the front cover image unambiguously (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3#ID3v2).

Until Microsoft gets its act together (cold day in hell?), my workaround is to use the default Shell Integration features of dBpoweramp Music Converter.  dBpa automatically manages my desired thumbnail displays based solely on the typed flac image tag.  No other side files (album.jpg, cover.jpg, folder.jpg, visible or hidden, caches, etc) are needed.  Works 100% on flacs.  Also works on their folder thumbnails, but note that it does not always correct old wrong folder thumbnails.  In those cases, I can delete the folder and recreate it after the dBpoweramp install (actually, I deleted the entire music library, installed dBpoweramp, and copied from backup in one fell swoop).



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zybex

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Re: Flac file Cover Art Problems
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2021, 02:34:51 pm »

Windows shows the thumbnails in Explorer using what is called a "Thumbnail provider". Windows 10 ships with such a provider for FLACs.
What I was trying to tell you is that there are other providers (applications) to do the same thing and, for all you know, you may actually be running some non-default provider which got installed with some other application like dbPowerAmp. There's no easy way to tell, as the functionality is identical from you PoV. Maybe it stopped working correctly precisely because it's no longer the default Win10 provider that is generating the thumbnails. There are tools to check what is the current provider (NirSoft has one, I think).

So, I suggested you try Icaros, which is a well known thumbnail provider for FLAC and others, probably better than the default Win10 one. It works just as the default - thumbnails should become visible in Explorer.

PS: re-reading your post, it sounds like dbPowerAmp is in control of the thumbnails. So don't be too quick in blaming Microsoft.
PS2: I note that you are not SixtusO :) My solution is for SixtusO problem, it sounds like you have your own workflow already. Stop hijacking the thread!  ;D
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