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Windows explorer: columns showing blank.



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 5th 17, 12:09 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

It has come up specifically for MP3 files, duration column, but several
others are showing blank too.

Yes, we know how to turn on and off various column headings. No, I don't
think it's an ID3 tag: when played (e. g. in WinAmp), the duration shows
up fine. But in the My Music folder, in Windows Explorer (Windows 7, 64
bit), the Duration column is blank.

I've googled it a fair amount: apart from repeated people telling me how
to turn on the column headings, and a few mentioning the ID tags (which
are for things like composer, artist, etc. - duration of an mp3 file
isn't something you could forget to fill in, it's intrinsic to the file,
like pixel dimensions for a .JPG), nobody seems to have a solution for
the problem, though plenty of others have the problem.

(Well, I say nobody: some suggest using SFC and/or a repair install, but
[a] I tend to think of those as variations on the helpdesk "reboot your
machine" {and I've never had SFC fix a problem anyway}, [b] it doesn't
really tell _why_ the problem occurred even if it does fix it.)

Showing MP3 duration in Windows Explorer seems such a simple thing!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when
you make it again. -Franklin P. Jones
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  #2  
Old September 5th 17, 03:04 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Retroman[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

On Tue, 5 Sep 2017 00:09:57 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

It has come up specifically for MP3 files, duration column, but several
others are showing blank too.

Yes, we know how to turn on and off various column headings. No, I don't
think it's an ID3 tag: when played (e. g. in WinAmp), the duration shows
up fine. But in the My Music folder, in Windows Explorer (Windows 7, 64
bit), the Duration column is blank.

I've googled it a fair amount: apart from repeated people telling me how
to turn on the column headings, and a few mentioning the ID tags (which
are for things like composer, artist, etc. - duration of an mp3 file
isn't something you could forget to fill in, it's intrinsic to the file,
like pixel dimensions for a .JPG), nobody seems to have a solution for
the problem, though plenty of others have the problem.

(Well, I say nobody: some suggest using SFC and/or a repair install, but
[a] I tend to think of those as variations on the helpdesk "reboot your
machine" {and I've never had SFC fix a problem anyway}, [b] it doesn't
really tell _why_ the problem occurred even if it does fix it.)

Showing MP3 duration in Windows Explorer seems such a simple thing!

Terry,

It is simple if you choose the correct property to display. To see the property name, right-click on an MP3 file and choose the Details tab. You will see Length shown, but not Duration. For MP3 files you should add Length to your columns in Explorer.
  #3  
Old September 5th 17, 03:36 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

It has come up specifically for MP3 files, duration column, but several
others are showing blank too.

Yes, we know how to turn on and off various column headings. No, I don't
think it's an ID3 tag: when played (e. g. in WinAmp), the duration shows
up fine. But in the My Music folder, in Windows Explorer (Windows 7, 64
bit), the Duration column is blank.

I've googled it a fair amount: apart from repeated people telling me how
to turn on the column headings, and a few mentioning the ID tags (which
are for things like composer, artist, etc. - duration of an mp3 file
isn't something you could forget to fill in, it's intrinsic to the file,
like pixel dimensions for a .JPG), nobody seems to have a solution for
the problem, though plenty of others have the problem.

(Well, I say nobody: some suggest using SFC and/or a repair install, but
[a] I tend to think of those as variations on the helpdesk "reboot your
machine" {and I've never had SFC fix a problem anyway}, [b] it doesn't
really tell _why_ the problem occurred even if it does fix it.)

Showing MP3 duration in Windows Explorer seems such a simple thing!


I looked around at MP3 metadata but didn't see anything about Duration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3 doesn't mention Duration metadata. I
don't understand the start-time and end-time metadata entries unless the
music is only a portion of the audio. There are Time and Recording Time
entries if IDv3 metadata frame was embedded into the file.

File size would be non-indicative of playback duration. So I figure
Windows Explorer (WE) must have to peek inside the file, like it does
for image files to build a thumbnail. Except peeking inside an audio
file to look at content still won't tell WE how long is the audio
playback without doing the playback. Until the audio is played, how
would WE know how long it was? So WE would have to rely on metadata.

For .mp3 files, I get a blank value in the Duration column. While
metadate specs were added to allow a myriad of information to be
embedded into the audio file, I have no idea if Microsoft coded WE to
understand all of that stuff. Players may read the metadata but I
suspect WE only knows a few of their entries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3
http://id3.org/

You'll probably have to use a metadata editor to change entries in the
audio file to see which, if any, of them that WE will pick up.

I noticed that when I select an .mp3 file, the info pane that appears at
the bottom of WE's window has non-zero "Length" information. So the
Duration column probably doesn't show you what you are looking for.
When adding more columns in WE, the list is a hodgepodge of metadata
types that are not in all file types. For example, camera metadata
doesn't belong inside of audio files. Since the info pane shows a
Length value for the selected MP3 file, I added the Length column. It's
value matches on the one shown in the preview pane.

So Duration is metadata used in some other filetype. Length is the
metadata you want to display for audio files, so add the Length column.

Show duration is not a simple thing. Until you watched (past tense) a
movie to time it, how long would you know it was? The only way you
would know is something outside of the movie told you, like a marquee,
billboard, web site listing, etc. ... that is, metadata told you. If
the metadata is null (no value) then you won't know beforehand. If the
metadata is missing, you won't know beforehand.
  #4  
Old September 5th 17, 06:12 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

In message , Retroman
writes:
On Tue, 5 Sep 2017 00:09:57 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

[]
I've googled it a fair amount: apart from repeated people telling me how
to turn on the column headings, and a few mentioning the ID tags (which
are for things like composer, artist, etc. - duration of an mp3 file
isn't something you could forget to fill in, it's intrinsic to the file,

[]
Showing MP3 duration in Windows Explorer seems such a simple thing!

Terry,


John, but no matter (-:

It is simple if you choose the correct property to display. To see
the property name, right-click on an MP3 file and choose the Details
tab. You will see Length shown, but not Duration. For MP3 files you
should add Length to your columns in Explorer.


I'm pretty sure we tried length and that came up as a blank column too.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Why doesn't DOS ever say "EXCELLENT command or filename!"
  #5  
Old September 5th 17, 06:24 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

In message , VanguardLH
writes:
[]
File size would be non-indicative of playback duration. So I figure


Agreed, because of varying encoding rates.

Windows Explorer (WE) must have to peek inside the file, like it does
for image files to build a thumbnail. Except peeking inside an audio
file to look at content still won't tell WE how long is the audio
playback without doing the playback. Until the audio is played, how
would WE know how long it was? So WE would have to rely on metadata.


As you say, it has to peek inside the file as it does with a JPG. (Those
are available as column headings too, even if you don't have thumbnails
turned on.) But a quick peek shouldn't take long - maybe adding ¼ second
per file to how long the list takes to appear, which would be worth it
for the information. In our case, anyway.

For .mp3 files, I get a blank value in the Duration column. While
metadate specs were added to allow a myriad of information to be
embedded into the audio file, I have no idea if Microsoft coded WE to
understand all of that stuff. Players may read the metadata but I
suspect WE only knows a few of their entries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3
http://id3.org/


The duration isn't part of the ID3 code: that's for things like artist,
composer, genre, etc., which indeed you can type in manually with an ID3
editor (I use an old version of WinAmp). But the duration appears as
soon as you open any player (e. g. WinAmp or just Windows Media Player)
- it's not something you enter manually, or can change for that matter.
[]
I noticed that when I select an .mp3 file, the info pane that appears at
the bottom of WE's window has non-zero "Length" information. So the
Duration column probably doesn't show you what you are looking for.


We've tried both "Length" and "Duration" - both came up as blank
columns.

When adding more columns in WE, the list is a hodgepodge of metadata
types that are not in all file types. For example, camera metadata


It's an amazing list!

doesn't belong inside of audio files. Since the info pane shows a
Length value for the selected MP3 file, I added the Length column. It's
value matches on the one shown in the preview pane.


Didn't show anything for us - IIRR!

So Duration is metadata used in some other filetype. Length is the
metadata you want to display for audio files, so add the Length column.

Show duration is not a simple thing. Until you watched (past tense) a
movie to time it, how long would you know it was? The only way you


If I _start_ playing a movie (e. g. in VLC), it shows me the length at
the bottom right, as soon as I _start_ it.

would know is something outside of the movie told you, like a marquee,
billboard, web site listing, etc. ... that is, metadata told you. If


Oh, I see what you mean.

the metadata is null (no value) then you won't know beforehand. If the
metadata is missing, you won't know beforehand.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Why doesn't DOS ever say "EXCELLENT command or filename!"
  #6  
Old September 6th 17, 01:28 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

Seems strange that adding the Length column and selecting an .mp3 file,
for me, has the same value in that column as the Length value shown in
the info pane at the bottom Windows Explorer's window.
  #7  
Old September 7th 17, 12:40 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

In message , VanguardLH
writes:
Seems strange that adding the Length column and selecting an .mp3 file,
for me, has the same value in that column as the Length value shown in
the info pane at the bottom Windows Explorer's window.


Why does it seem strange that those yield the same result? I'd expect
them to. What seems strange is that for us, the second (i. e. turning on
the Length column in Windows Explorer yields a blank column.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

" ... but ... on the sub-ether radio, [it said] you're dead!"
"Yeah, that's right, I just haven't stopped moving yet." (link episode)
  #8  
Old September 7th 17, 04:06 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
B00ze
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 472
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

On 2017-09-06 19:40, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

In message , VanguardLH
writes:
Seems strange that adding the Length column and selecting an .mp3 file,
for me, has the same value in that column as the Length value shown in
the info pane at the bottom Windows Explorer's window.


Why does it seem strange that those yield the same result? I'd expect
them to. What seems strange is that for us, the second (i. e. turning on
the Length column in Windows Explorer yields a blank column.


Length works for me too. Could it be (long-shot) that the properties
filter is disabled in Indexing Options? Or maybe ".mp3" in HKEY Classes
is broken? This is what I have he

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3]
"PerceivedType"="audio"
@="WMP11.AssocFile.MP3"
"Content Type"="audio/mpeg"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3\OpenWithProgIds]
"WMP11.AssocFile.MP3"=hex(0):

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{9DBD2C50-62AD-11D0-B806-00C04FD706EC}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp3\ShellEx\{e357fccd-a995-4576-b01f-234630154e96}]
@="{9DBD2C50-62AD-11D0-B806-00C04FD706EC}"

Regards,

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Memberavid-Suzuki-Fdn/EFF/Red+Cross/SPCA/Planetary-Society
oO-( )-Oo JUMP! - One hundred thousand Lemmings can't be wrong.

  #9  
Old September 11th 17, 09:56 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default Windows explorer: columns showing blank.

In message , B00ze
writes:
[]
Length works for me too. Could it be (long-shot) that the properties
filter is disabled in Indexing Options? Or maybe ".mp3" in HKEY Classes
is broken? This is what I have he

[]
Thanks for this. I didn't have time to test it before end of visit, but
have marked it as keep and will try again at some future time.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If you're playing a killer monster, be very quiet. -
Anthony Hopkins, RT 2016/10/22-28
 




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