Displaying M4A/MP4-Tags in Windows Explorer?, Like it does with MP3/WMA-Tags by defaul Options

[tedgo]

I want to know if its possible to display m4a/mp4- or APEv2-tags in windows explorer like it does with the id3v2-tags in mp3/wma by default.
I tried a program called "AudioShell 1.0" that did a good job, but it only adds new column headers to windows explorer and i have to set these column headers in every folder by hand (its not a good idea for more than 500 album folders...)
So is there any shell extension for the windows explorer that uses the default audio column headers and displays file information like for mp3's/wma's?
Or is there any possibility to "persuade" windows explorer to recognise m4a/mp4 (and perhaps some other formats) as audio files and displaying their informations without a program?

EDIT: orthography

This post has been edited by tedgo: Mar 18 2005, 12:57

[andrewfg]

I want to know if its possible to display m4a/mp4- or APEv2-tags in windows explorer like it does with the id3v2-tags in mp3/wma by default.

So is there any shell extension for the windows explorer that uses the default audio column headers and displays file information like for mp3's/wma's?

I have written such a shell extension.

See http://www.whitebear.ch/music for information and download

AndrewFG

[M]

I have written such a shell extension.

See http://www.whitebear.ch/music for information and download

AndrewFG

Haven't had a chance to install or test this yet, but I am curious as to whether your shell extension will also display the appropriate properties for *.m4v (movie) and *.m4b (audiobook) files. Is this already included, and if not, would it be fairly simple to add?

- M.

[andrewfg]

Haven't had a chance to install or test this yet, but I am curious as to whether your shell extension will also display the appropriate properties for *.m4v (movie) and *.m4b (audiobook) files. Is this already included, and if not, would it be fairly simple to add?

I does not (yet) support the properties of .m4v / .m4b or .m4r files.

However, insofar as these file types are (I think) also based on (Apple's extensions of) the ISO 14496 (MPEG4) file format, I suppose that it could easily support these file types too. Indeed it would probably just be a question of adding some file association entries in the Windows Registry.

I don't have any such files on my PC, but if you want to make a quick test, you could make a copy of one of your .m4v files (say) and rename it as .m4a and then see if Windows Explorer displays the properties.

AndrewFG

[Thug Esquire]

I don't have any such files on my PC, but if you want to make a quick test, you could make a copy of one of your .m4v files (say) and rename it as .m4a and then see if Windows Explorer displays the properties.

I installed your extension (thanks for making it!) but it doesn't make the tag information show up in explorer. Here's an example of what I do see:

Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1. What might be the problem?

[andrewfg]

I installed your extension (thanks for making it!) but it doesn't make the tag information show up in explorer. Here's an example of what I do see:
Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1. What might be the problem?

Very interesting screen shot!!

My shell extension is 32 bit code, and so to be on the safe side my setup program will not install the extension on a 64 bit machine (yet). Indeed when you run the setup, you should have got an error message to this effect. => Can you please confirm?

On the other hand, your screen shot shows a hint box that does display tags from the .m4a file. (In fact it shows more tags than the ones supported by my shell extension). So I am guessing that you have another shell extension installed which is (also) handling .m4a files. => Is this the case? => So far as I know, Windows only allows one shell extension for any particular file type. (Probably the last one installed wins.)

So in short it looks like you already have another extension installed, and because of the 32/64 bit safety my extension is not being installed, so the other shell extension is winning. => Does this hypothesis match your symptoms?

AndrewFG

[Thug Esquire]

Very interesting screen shot!!

My shell extension is 32 bit code, and so to be on the safe side my setup program will not install the extension on a 64 bit machine (yet). Indeed when you run the setup, you should have got an error message to this effect. => Can you please confirm?

On the other hand, your screen shot shows a hint box that does display tags from the .m4a file. (In fact it shows more tags than the ones supported by my shell extension). So I am guessing that you have another shell extension installed which is (also) handling .m4a files. => Is this the case? => So far as I know, Windows only allows one shell extension for any particular file type. (Probably the last one installed wins.)

So in short it looks like you already have another extension installed, and because of the 32/64 bit safety my extension is not being installed, so the other shell extension is winning. => Does this hypothesis match your symptoms?

Yes, I have dBpoweramp installed, and it would make sense if that's what's allowing the tooltip to show the tag information. However, I do not receive any error during installation on my 64-bit Vista box. In fact, installation and uninstallation complete successfully. I've tested several times. Would it be difficult to create a 64-bit version of this extension?

[andrewfg]

However, I do not receive any error during installation on my 64-bit Vista box. In fact, installation and uninstallation complete successfully. I've tested several times.

You are correct about the installation working Ok on both 32 bit and 64 bit systems.

Most likely your problem is the one described in this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895561 => Could you please try the solution proposed by Microsoft (scroll down to "WORKAROUND | Windows Explorer") -- since this would at least confirm that we are indeed dealing with the correct problem...

Would it be difficult to create a 64-bit version of this extension?

Unfortunately this is true !! (my development platform is CodeGear RAD Studio -- which so far is only able to generate 32 bit code...)

AndrewFG

[Thug Esquire]

Most likely your problem is the one described in this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895561 => Could you please try the solution proposed by Microsoft (scroll down to "WORKAROUND | Windows Explorer") -- since this would at least confirm that we are indeed dealing with the correct problem...

I gave it a shot and it works--thanks for the suggestion!

Unfortunately this is true !! (my development platform is CodeGear RAD Studio -- which so far is only able to generate 32 bit code...)

You're not the only one; other volunteer developers are also stuck with 32-bit only compilers, like the person who codes Taskbar Shuffle. Is there another IDE that would allow it to be recompiled for 64-bit? According to CodeGear, native 64-bit support is expected in mid-2009, and I wouldn't hold my breath. Is there another platform entirely that might allow an expeditious coder to write from scratch a 64-bit edition that accomplishes the same?

And thanks, Andrew--you're the man!