Windows Media Player and File Explorer show mp3s as "unknown"

[allied_aviation]

Hopefully someone can help with this odd problem.
Everything was fine until the other day.

Then I noticed that a few songs in Windows Media Player were no longer showing Artist or Album info.
So I rebuilt the WMP library, and now NONE of my mp3s have ANY info. But m4a files still do.

And this is also a problem in File Explorer.

But when I look at the mp3s in Mp3tag all the info is there as ID3v2.3 tags.

Also, all the info displays OK in VLC:

Any ideas?



WMP: v12.0.7601.23930

OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Service Pack 1, 64 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3930K CPU @ 3.20GHz, Intel64 Family 6 Model 45 Stepping 7
Processor Count: 12
RAM: 32718 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, 1280 Mb
Hard Drives: A: 0 GB (0 GB Free); C: 465 GB (63 GB Free); E: 1862 GB (692 GB Free); F: 3725 GB (246 GB Free); G: 3725 GB (2424 GB Free); H: 3725 GB (448 GB Free); I: 931 GB (375 GB Free); J: 0 GB (0 GB Free); L: 3725 GB (1244 GB Free);
Motherboard: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC., P9X79 PRO

 

[Dave8671]

Right click a mp3 file and go to properties what application does it have for the default? If it's not WMP change it. Once you change one they all will change to WMP.

 

[allied_aviation]

Right click a mp3 file and go to properties what application does it have for the default? If it's not WMP change it. Once you change one they all will change to WMP.

Hi Dave8671,

It has Windows Media Player as the default application.
Although all this affects is the program which opens them by default.
I'm not sure how it would be connected to the metadata no longer showing?

 

[Dave8671]

I used WMP for playing my music till it has a fit crashed and lost all my mp3 files it deleted them as did itunes.

Back to the issue

I suggest removing the music folder from wmp close it restart it add them back one at a time see if it finds the tags info again. Think the tags get corrupted if you change info to much. Here is an app I just started using below maube update to better player.

http://www.aimp.ru

 

[allied_aviation]

I suggest removing the music folder from wmp close it restart it add them back one at a time see if it finds the tags info again. Think the tags get corrupted if you change info to much. Here is an app I just started using below maube update to better player.

http://www.aimp.ru

OK, I tried that, but it reloads everything as "Unknown Artist" and "Unknown Album" again.

As it's also not displaying in File Explorer, I'm wondering if it's some bug in a Windows update?

 

[Dave8671]

Now that I think plus search MS took out the tag editor in WMP 12 or it's not a complete editor. File explorer does not support protected mp3 tags either

I would try this tag editor

https://www.mp3tag.de/en/

 

[allied_aviation]

Now that I think plus search MS took out the tag editor in WMP 12 or it's not a complete editor. File explorer does not support protected mp3 tags either

I would try this tag editor

https://www.mp3tag.de/en/

Mp3tag **IS** the tag editor which I have been using.

But what do you mean by "protected mp3 tags"?

 

[Dave8671]

I was typing another post and got mixed up with a post about ID3 tags oops. I had this issue in the passed that is why I left WMP and Used AIMP. What I had to do is remove all the tags save the files remove the files restart WMP and edit the tags again. Thing is I did this and than a week later it happened again.

I would try AIMP. Do not use the ID3 editor in AIMP it has its own issues. If you want to burn CDs I use CDbunerXP. WMP is not the greatest reading ID3 either even though it states it can. I do not edit my ID3 tags in windows I use Linux app easytag for that.

 

[falling10]

Try VLC player.
Windows Media is quite outdated.

 

[Peter Martin]

check out this bad boy.. i love Media Classic Player portable

https://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/mpc-be-portable

the media player I use everyday is Foobar2000 https://www.foobar2000.org/

 

[Dave8671]

If you need a music management software
Look at clementine . I used this on linux but it's for windows also.

https://www.clementine-player.org