Topic: Disappearing cover art! (Read 6002 times)

Marty3d · « **on:** February 09, 2003, 06:46:55 am »

Just noticed something weird...some of my cover art has been deleted and instead inserted into my mp3's...or it's some kind of low res cache... anyone that could confirm this? A MOST disturbing behaviour, I must say!

I haven't touched anything like "store image inside files"...

Anyone??I don't know how this has happened and I don't know how to reproduce it, but I know it has something to do with MC, it's the only player I use and I'm the only one touching this computer...

----------------------------
Media Center Registered 9.0.106 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\

Microsoft Windows XP Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
AMD Athlon 1007 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 261 MB, Free - 52 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82 (xpsp1.020828-1920) / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1106 (xpsp1.020828-1920)
Shell32.dll: 6.00.2800.1145 (xpsp2.021108-1929) / wnaspi32.dll: Internal ASPI Layer

Ripping / Drive F: Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer CD Type:Auto Read speed:Max
Drive G: Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer CD Type:Auto Read speed:Max
Digital playback: Yes / Use YADB: Yes / Get cover art: No / Calc replay gain: No / Copy volume: 32767
Eject after ripping: No / Play sound after ripping: No

Burning / Drive F: PLEXTOR CD-R PX-W1210A Addr: 1:0:0 Speed:12 MaxSpeed:12 Use MJ Engine:Yes
Test mode: No / Eject after writing: Yes / Direct decoding: Yes / Write CD-Text: No
Use playback settings: No / Normalization: None

KingSparta · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2003, 07:06:53 am »

if you uninstall MC and the folders are deleted it does take the coverart if they are external.

I have not seen any problems of are vanishing.

fex · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2003, 08:46:53 am »

Quote

if you uninstall MC and the folders are deleted it does take the coverart if they are external.

I have not seen any problems of are vanishing.

There is a problem (or should i say a mess up?) with cover art. I deinstalled MC a few times. Nevertheless, everytime I add cover art, MC (not MJ) creates beside the right folder

"Media Center\Data\Thumbnails"

another one called

"Media Jukebox\Data\Cover Art"

where a part of the cover art is stored (only a part, and don't ask me why or when!). I don't have to mention, I deleted the "Media Jukebox"-folder before I installed MC...

Furthermore on my system it's not possible to store cover art in the files itself (and I checked the right "x"). If i check the tags, they say "image inside", but I do not have one image really saved within my files. I realize this, when I delete the images in the folders I mentioned above - no more images showed.

So there is a problem. And before you ask, yes, I once had MJ installed on my system

.

Fex

KingSparta · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2003, 09:01:52 am »

well you can save coverart to what ever folder you want so when you uninstall MC it does not remove the coverart like

C:\My Music\My Coverart\

MC will not remove the coverart

but if you leave it in the media center folder and then uninstall MC then yes all the coverart will be gone as it should be.

Marty3d · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2003, 12:17:25 pm »

Sorry, I should be more precise...

In this case, the cover art is stored as folder.jpg in each album's folder... and I've noticed that some of these actually ARE removed (not by me, not by anyone else and the only program using these are MC). Instead I believe that MC shows thumbnails from the folder C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\Data\Thumbnails, but I'm not sure...

EDIT:
Not done any uninstalls since early MJ8 betas...

Marty3d · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2003, 02:37:14 pm »

Noticed one other thing: The image location still points to folder.jpg in properties - Image ... strange...

Anyone at JRiver wants to say something?

Marty3d · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2003, 03:39:56 pm »

Found some possible connected parameters while backing up the remaining cover files:
- Very popular/played albums
- Albums played recently

Another thought that struck me... this COULD have happened when doing a full import media, but I'm not sure...haven't done that in a month or so...could also be when updating library (also approx a month ago...I think).

So, if you read this and use folder.jpg as your favourite way of storing cover art, please check that your files actually are there. If you use thumbnail mode in windows, go into each folder and check, the thumbs images on the folders still show album art!

Marty3d · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2003, 02:43:30 am »

Finally found some interesting stuff here...turning off "hide protected operating system files" in 'Tools - Folder options - View' showed what happened...sort of.

The files folder.jpg are still there...but hidden, scaled down to ca 200x200 px, exactly the size of this file (taken from Robbie Williams - Escapology):
AlbumArt_{03896CA4-2118-4420-8D4C-F22880C7DA17}_Large.jpg

Is this something MC is responsible for...or is it WMP9??

Please JRiver, respond! I want to know which precautions I must take to prevent this in the future, and knowledge is power

KingSparta · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2003, 03:09:44 am »

>> Is this something MC is responsible for...or is it >> WMP9??
No, both have no effect on this

Marty3d · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2003, 03:17:31 am »

Well King....then I'm outta ideas

Matt · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2003, 05:48:23 am »

I think that's how WinXP Explorer thumbnails a folder -- it makes a 200x200 hidden folder.jpg image.

It may be better to just keep all your cover art in one directory named as artist - album.jpg.

Then you can backup the whole lot and also quickly restore it in MC.

Marty3d · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2003, 06:05:36 am »

I figured out that WMP9 creates the AlbumArt_* files, but I've never experienced that WinXP converts an existing folder.jpg before.. I tried to make it do that by customizing the folder using different views on a correct folder, with no change on the folder.jpg.

Well....I sat last night backing up the rest of the cover arts, so I'll continue checking the folders for a while.

Yes Matt, I'm thinking about using the suggested way, but I kind of like showing the arts for my albums as a thumb-in-a-folder-thingy...Quite neat actually

Let's see what's happening in the next few days... Great thanks anyway!

/Martin

DocLotus · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2003, 01:24:20 pm »

I've had a lot of problems with disappearing cover art which I've reported on previously.

All my cover art is in a folder separate from MC. I have 293 album covers in all, but often many will just disappear (good thing I always keep a back up).

It is so bad that I no longer re-attach the covers to the ripped files as I know it will only happen again the next time MC requires a re-import all files.

I will simply wait until there is a more secure method of storing cover art in MC.

Matt · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2003, 01:29:24 pm »

I've had a lot of problems with disappearing cover art which I've reported on previously.

Doc, my understanding of your previous problem was:

1) no files were ever deleted -- just the links in MC to the files

2) this is because external image links aren't stored in the files tags with MC 9 -- not a bug, just a change

3) storing cover art in one of the two ways MC understands (single file in the directory of the music, or all in a central folder using artist-album) should solve the problem

Please correct any mistakes in my understanding of that old thread.

Marty3d · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2003, 01:30:54 pm »

DocLotus,

How does your covers disappear? Deleted or just detached from the audio files within the db?

And Matt, I just remembered another pro for having the cover art in the albums folder... when you import a new album, you don't have to assign the correct image, it's automatically!

Matt · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2003, 01:33:06 pm »

And Matt, I just remembered another pro for having the cover art in the albums folder... when you import a new album, you don't have to assign the correct image, it's automatically

It's automatic if you keep it in the central cover art directory too.

Polonio · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2003, 02:07:34 pm »

I do not know how to reproduce it, but I am pretty sure MC9 deletes cover arts under certain circumstances (yes, it deletes them from HD!).

So far, three or four persons have reported similar problem.

By the way, the files named like...

AlbumArt_{03896CA4-2118-4420-8D4C-F22880C7DA17}_Large.jpg

...are the thumbnails Windows XP use to display the preview. These file are the evidence that a "folder.jpg" was there, and if the picture are no longer present, it seems reasonable that someone delete them. Who?

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2003, 07:27:38 pm »

This is what happened to me (made a thread out of it)...

It thought it did not have cover art on albums it did have (but are located in the album folder) DL'ed new low rez crappy art... Changed links and even after re import that are still surviving..

Not sure if it has physically deleted art from my album folders as I have lots of image not found errors now and not looked closely... I am going to change the status of my media store to read only for a while...

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2003, 07:59:29 pm »

Just wanted to report that although I have had issues it appears as though nothing has actually been deleted...

Marty3d · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2003, 04:47:40 am »

Quote

I do not know how to reproduce it, but I am pretty sure MC9 deletes cover arts under certain circumstances (yes, it deletes them from HD!).

So far, three or four persons have reported similar problem.

By the way, the files named like...

AlbumArt_{03896CA4-2118-4420-8D4C-F22880C7DA17}_Large.jpg

...are the thumbnails Windows XP use to display the preview. These file are the evidence that a "folder.jpg" was there, and if the picture are no longer present, it seems reasonable that someone delete them. Who?

No, AlbumArt_* is not a native WinXP file, Windows uses the thumbs.db to store previews. Windows Media Player 9 creates the AlbumArt_* files. And I'm more and more convinced that it is WMP9 that messes up the folder.jpg files...I tried some situations but so far I had no luck to reproduce the errors...

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2003, 04:30:04 am »

Well 2 things to report...

Firstly I am getting currupted image files from previously fine cover art files... As yet no pattern I can recognise as to why...

Secondly when doing a clear library and re import it is NOT coming in totally fresh... I have cover art in album folders that is not being picked up (look in the folder with add and it is there !!) and also links to cover art in the \MJ\Cover Art\folder seem to be maintained... I think it is still keeping those links even after the actual cover art has been deleted (or moved) and ending with broken links but I need to double check that... For sure it is not working right though...

Lastly.. When moving an album with MJ using cut / copy or the tools to 'clean' and remove spaces etc it makes new folders and moves the audio APE files but leaves the cover art in the old folders... this way when you next re-import you have no cover art associated and a folder with the old name containing only the cover image and no media... if moveing it need to move ALL the associated files...

To be honest the cover art system if used with art in the album folder all seams a bit weak... EG how do I tell MC that I want to save any DL'ed art in the album folder NOT in the Cover art folder ? Why is MJ looking up new cover art when I already have an image in its system from the folder location import ?

rwf · « **Reply #21 on:** February 14, 2003, 12:16:48 pm »

I'm glad to find this thread - have just recently begun using MC9 (with WinPod) after using MMJB for about a year. I have 400+ CDs ripped, probably 3/4 of them have album art - some found automatically by MMJB, and some I hunted for myself (and placed in folder with the MP3 files for that CD). After the MC9 import, I noticed that all the album art wasn't 'found'.

Not such a huge deal really - but, I would like to get it all working like it seems it could/should. (And MC9 is so "elegant" in some areas, that glitches - which may be due to my lack of knowledge re: the program - are particularly striking). Seems like MC9 found the MMJB coverart folder (those are the jpgs with unintelligible file names of seemingly random letters and numbers), but doesn't seem to see the art when it's in the album folder (it, the art that I searched for myself, after MMJB didn't find it).

I didn't find any guidance in the MC9 help file (moderately frustrating!) as to how to import/insert (whatever the proper term is) cover art into a file or album - there must be a way to do it, but having looked at the various menus, etc I've not found it. Any help here would be very much appreciated.

I guess what I'm really looking for is an overview of how coverart is used/organized in MC9, and also what I just said about finding art myself (where should I put it & how to link it to the music files).

Thanks

JimH · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2003, 01:59:27 pm »

I wonder if some of the file types can't be read by MC.

To add an image, select a file or files and go to Properties (alt-enter) or menu. There you can switch to images. From there I think it will be obvious.

Griff · « **Reply #23 on:** February 14, 2003, 03:01:32 pm »

Hi JimH

Maybe you can help me out.

Beginning of Jan., I felt MC 9 was somewhat safe.

So I imported my MJ8 libary and copied my cover art over.

In MC9 a lot of my cover art was assigned unknown.jpg even though they were in Mj/data/cover art.

So no big deal, Ill just add them back.

Well with every ver of MC since, I have a prob. with add.

If I sel. all the the songs for the album,goto properties/tools/select add/select the right cover art everything is good.

Now if I do it a sec. time, it hangs when I hit tools. Tried diff. ways, but the only way I can add another album cover is with a reboot.

Well this is becoming a long process.

Still have around 40 to do.

Can you help me?

Thanks
Griff

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Author Topic: Disappearing cover art! (Read 6002 times)

fex