Hello, I wanted to try FLAC and am more comfortable using a GUI than command line--Speek's FLAC Frontend (v. 1.7.1) seemed the most versatile option. I'm using Windows 98 SE.

I'm able to encode single files with no additional options just fine, but if I try tagging, the GUI freezes. That is, if I click the "Tag Config" button, the program freezes, doesn't respond to any clicking, no error message, and eventually I just close it through control-alt-delete. This happens regardless of whether the "add tags" box is checked. If I look in the directory (strangely, inside the Windows directory) the necessary files seem to be there--tag.exe, tag.cfg, etc. I tried updating tag.exe to the latest version, but that didn't help. I've also tried uninstalling/reinstalling, rebooting, etc.

Also, I tried converting a batch of 8 files and got a "too many paramters" error in the DOS box.

Can anyone help? I'd like to be able to accomplish these things (tagging, groups of files) in as few steps as possible.

Try Speek's Multi Frontend. I use it quite a lot, with tagging, and it works fine.

Thank you for the reply. I tried it, and selecting the Tag options does not crash it, but it offers very little in the way of GUI--one has to specify the command line oneself. The FLAC frontend is what I'm looking for, but only if it works...

I suggest you mail Speek: speek at myrealbox.com

He's a really nice guy and you should get a sensible reply.

From Speek's webpage:

Perhaps one of those files is causing the problem? You could try re-installing them.

Yes, I saw that, but since I wasn't getting an error message (and never get them generally) I thought I could get away with ignoring it. But of course it would be silly not to try. For the time being though I've decided MAC is better for my tasks--more user-friendly. I'll wait for FLAC just as I'm waiting for Linux...

View this thread which probably explains your problem...

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....f=19&t=8417&hl=

Yeah, as I said, it freezes before any FLAC file has even been created. How that thread could explain this problem mystifies me... But thank you for revising your sentence by adding the "probably."

No need to be rude, he was trying to help you.

Rather than using the DL off Speek's page, try using the installer at:
http://www.mikewren.com/flac/

For most users (including those too arrogant or lazy to try what Speek and others suggest might be helpful, as well as those simply not up to a rather confusing install), it has several advantages:

- it checks for the presence of those runtime files
- it installs Tag (might that have been your problem? "If you want to add FLAC tags to the encoded files, Tag.exe (v2.0.25 or newer) and Tag.cfg need to be in the same directory as the frontend (or in the Path).")
- it can install the WinAmp2 plug

Tsapadam, I got the same problem than jaktek. I have only used mikewren-installers to encode/decode flacs, all latest 3 versions. Always the same problem-- when I click "Tag Conf." on the Flac frontend, the frontend freezes. Tag.exe and tag.cfg are in the same directory as frontend, installer puts them there.

My solution (=quickfix)= I use "Tag frontend" to tag my flacs, works flawlessly.

j

(using win2000)

Is Tag still freezing and/or causing Frontend to crash even with the installer at mikewren.com/flac ?

To date, I'm unaware of anyone using the installer that has trouble like that.

Hi Mike!

Kerminen and I are trying to figure out what the problem is. If we find something I'll try to fix it and I'll let you know.

Awesome... thanks Wim!

Doesn't crash anymore...

The Mikewren-installer is updated at

http://mikewren.com/flac/

no worries anymore, just pure happiness : You can replaygain and tag your flac files simultanously with minimum effort ("suits you, sir").

My thanks go to Speek and Mike Wren, keep up the good work!

Always glad to help... but Speek is the one that wrote the Frontend, and found the cause of the problem... all kudos to him.

The updated installer adds a Winamp2 skin for FLAC that I've spent an obscene amount of time on the past two days... also, you now can optionally not install the two runtime files associated with FLAC Frontend. There's one guy I'm aware of that the installer would freeze, complaining about one of the two runtime files being in use (he swears that there was no other software running in the background).

Anyway, today is documentation day... updated/full docs for Frontend Functionality, Nero plugin, Winamp plugin should be in the next installer version.