Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

2010-01-04 16:26:32

I just got some "help" from my corporate IT department, and have spent much of the past two weeks trying to pick up the pieces.  One problem I'm still having is that Windows doesn't seem to recognize tags on any MP3 files any more.  I've loaded new files onto the machine (which I know have valid tags - ID3V2|v1), and can see the tags (and sort, etc.) using foobar2k - but when I right-click on the file in Explorer and select Properties, I can't see any of the metadata associated with the MP3 file.  (When I do this on a different computer, I can see track number, artist, etc.)  When I try to read these files in WMP 11, they all appear as "generic" files - they are named with the filename of the file, but artist / album / track / etc. info isn't there.  And if I use WMP to edit the file's properties (using "Advanced Tag Editor"), WMP remembers the change - but I still don't see the change when right-clicking on the file in Explorer.

Again - I know the files have tag information, that other computers can read the tags on these files, and that foobar2k can read these tags on this machine.  But the operating system (and, by extension, WMP) doesn't seem to be able to read them.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

Reply #1 – 2010-01-04 19:26:08

Windows and WMP do not support ID3v2.4, which is the default ID3v2 tag version that Foobar writes.

You can convert the tags to the supported ID3v2.3 format.

Foobar can do it on a tag write when its so called "compatibility" mode is enabled, but I'd recommend using Mp3tag.

Mp3tag offers three different ID3v2 versions. Probably the most compatible version is ID3v2.3 ISO-8859-1, but if you need to store characters that are not included in the standard ISO/Latin set you can use the v2.3 UTF-16 Unicode setting (I have never personally tested UTF-16, but if I have understood correctly it is Windows/WMP compatible). Typical European accented and other special characters do not need Unicode.

In order to convert the tags with Mp3tag you can simply load the files to the program, select all, and press the Save button. It will rewrite the tags in the format that is set in its options.

Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

Reply #2 – 2010-01-05 14:59:22

Unfortunately, the files I'm working with are already ID3v2.3 (the tags were written with LAME via EAC).  And I can read the tags on these files on a different windows computer, and was able to read them on this computer before my "upgrade."  So I think the problem is with the computer (or some dll, or some registry setting, or...), and not with the file itself.  (My reference to foobar was only to show that the tags were still on the file). 

Just to be sure, I did load the files into MP3Tag, selected all and saved - and still have the same problem.

Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

Reply #3 – 2010-08-10 04:55:02

hello there, i had the exact same problem and was googling in hopes of a solution for it when i stumbled across this page. thanks to alex b's insight, i was able to have the system show the tags again, hooray! what i did was go to tools, then options, then mpeg (under tags). in the "write" section, i changed it to ID3v2.3 ISO-8859-1; something else had been preselected before this. after clicking ok and resaving the tags on my mp3, everything showed up fine for me! i know this problem was posted ages ago, but i hope this information will be useful to someone, maybe in the future, all the same.

EDIT: oh, and i forgot to leave my thanks to alex b for figuring out the support issues in the first place!

Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

Reply #4 – 2010-08-11 13:57:09

If possible, you could just install Audio Shell and then you won't have to work within the Windows shell and you'll see your tags.

Windows doesn't recognize MP3 Tags any more

Reply #5 – 2010-08-16 21:05:04

Thanks to both of you, but unfortunately neither of these addresses the problem.  This is a system problem with XP, not a tagging formatting problem.  The same files (with the current tag format) are read properly on another system, and changing the tag format does not allow me to read the tags using Widows Explorer / WMP on the problem system.  I'm already using a work around (I'm playing in Foobar2k and looking at / modifying tags in other programs), so I'm able to work with the files - but not using the Windows shell (not a major problem, but an indication that something is still "not right"). 

Thanks for the help from you both - but unfortunately I still have the same problem...