FLAC corruption issue (Windows)

[respice finem]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...d=_thd0dbfzjckfqmolkk0sohz31m2xuik9zsuqpph900

a BS that alters customer's files without warning... they'll really force me onto Linux one day...

 

[Joachim Herbert]

Thank you for pointing to this. It is not the operating system, but how Windows Explorer handles flac metadata: "FLAC encoded music file is corrupted when metadata is edited in Windows Explorer." Not sure if the conditions mentioned in the kb article apply for all flac files or just some. I guess the latter is true. Otherwise this would have been an issue for years. Also not sure how many peaple use windows explorer to edit audio metadata.

Anyway, they have a fix and a script that makes files playable again.

 

[respice finem]

What is not clear for me: whether it's possible that Windows Explorer already alters the files when indexing/displaying contents of a folder.
But anyway, altering the user's files without notice is IMHO an absolute no-go for an OS.

The script allows you to make the files playable, yes, but you must a) know about the issue and b) alter the script so you can batch repair.
How many not tech savvy users can do this? Apart from this, the erased metadata are not restored.

I'm starting to feel unsafe to be using Windows, but have no real alternative, at least @work...

 

[Vincent Kars]

whether it's possible that Windows Explorer already alters the files when indexing/displaying

No, it is exactly as stated, if you use Explorer to edit the tags this will happen.
f you don't, nothing will happen.

 

[Berwhale]

Should we be using ID3 tags? Xiph.org don't appear to recommend it...

What kinds of tags does FLAC support?

FLAC has it's own native tagging system which is identical to that of Vorbis. They are called alternately "FLAC tags" and "Vorbis comments". It is the only tagging system required and guaranteed to be supported by FLAC implementations.

Out of convenience, the reference decoder knows how to skip ID3 tags so that they don't interfere with decoding. But you should not expect any tags beside FLAC tags to be supported in applications; some implementations may not even be able to decode a FLAC file with ID3 tags.

From: FLAC - faq (xiph.org)

 

[respice finem]

No, it is exactly as stated, if you use Explorer to edit the tags this will happen.
f you don't, nothing will happen.

"Your word in God's ear", so far I've updated only one of my PCs, I'll watch the situation and report back if there are problems.

 

[EB1000]

Why would anyone edit the metadata using Windows explorer? I use Foobar2000 or Directory Opus, which an Explorer alternative w/o an issue.

 

[Loathecliff]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5003430-flac-encoded-music-file-is-corrupted-when-metadata-is-edited-in-windows-explorer-38619369-0787-44a8-950f-b408114ae856?ranMID=46131&ranEAID=wEwyDeNfvlM&ranSiteID=wEwyDeNfvlM-ItxQUatEDLCFfNReZtmeAQ&epi=wEwyDeNfvlM-ItxQUatEDLCFfNReZtmeAQ&irgwc=1&OCID=AID2000142_aff_7806_1243925&tduid=(ir__thd0dbfzjckfqmolkk0sohz31m2xuik9zsuqpph900)(7806)(1243925)(wEwyDeNfvlM-ItxQUatEDLCFfNReZtmeAQ)()&irclickid=_thd0dbfzjckfqmolkk0sohz31m2xuik9zsuqpph900

a BS that alters customer's files without warning... they'll really force me onto Linux one day...

This idiot let a wreck of an update through yesterday without checking the sp on forums.
Switched to Manjaro xde last night. - (Had done a prelim. last year).
All that remains is making foobar, and my VPN, work
The 'out of the box' sound is well below standard......it's Linn-like, but brighter

 

[Katji]

I use Windows 8.1 - no tag editing in Windows Explorer. But iirc - pretty sure - this is what happens with Windows Media Player, with the WMP Tag Plus plug-in. Which provides support for flac and WAV ID3 tags.
Documented/discussed extensively at WMP Tag Plus thread at the Hydrogenaudio Forums.
https://bmproductions.fixnum.org/index.htm?https://bmproductions.fixnum.org/wmptagplus/

Use Mp3tag.

 

[Joachim Herbert]

Just tried on my system. No file corruption after edit. So maybe this has been fixed in the latest release of windows or it is a rare issue.

 

[respice finem]

Or you have a "compatible" files, it seemingly affects specific flac files only:

"This issue might occur when the FLAC files contain an ID3 frame before the FLAC header. The ID3 frame contains metadata such as title and artist. The FLAC property handler assumed that all FLAC files started with the 4 byte start code fLaC and did not take into account the ID3 frame at the beginning of the file. Therefore, the ID3 frame would be overwritten without the start code fLaC rendering the file unplayable."

 

[Katji]

What is not clear for me: whether it's possible that Windows Explorer already alters the files when indexing/displaying contents of a folder.
But anyway, altering the user's files without notice is IMHO an absolute no-go for an OS.

Very unlikely. ...So it seems that Ms added that ID3 tag editing feature to Windows Explorer on Windows 10...an intern...but hold on, I thought you had to have very good qualifications to be a programmer there....hmmm. And then there's the testing...
"The FLAC property handler assumed that all FLAC files "...means because the programmer assumed. And then assumed again when testing. ...And then...[shrug] do they not even have a testing department or something?...and so on.

I'm starting to feel unsafe to be using Windows, but have no real alternative, at least @work...

Can you not install Mp3tag at work?

Come to think of it, I wouldn't feel safe with Apple nowadays. Better the devil you know. ...And Mp3tag is a good reason for me to not change to Linux.

 

[respice finem]

I do completely different things @work, which don't involve FLAC, or audio at large, at all, I just don't feel comfortable with the "brave new world" in which the OS may spoil your files because it "assumes" something. Next time it might be my databases @work...
But maybe I'm just getting "windows update phobia"...

 

[Katji]

Windows 10 updates are one reason I've stayed with 8.1. I installed one or two updates, can't remember. It eventually stopped bothering me about it.
There was that one day @work when it came out that the Networks dept allowed Ms to do Windows Server updates automatically. When I got there in the morning, the shxt was hitting the fan. Because every minute of time overnight was needed for loading data warehouses and some of it had failed because of the update. 5 retail divisions and about 1000 stores.

 

[respice finem]

@work I stopped the updates via gpedit, but I need to update once in a while (not 100% offline) - even with hardware firewall and VPN one is not safe with an outdated system.

 

[Berwhale]

Or you have a "compatible" files, it seemingly affects specific flac files only:

FLAC files don't need ID3 tags in them, the FLAC format has it's own FLAG tags. I have ~800GB of FLAC files and none of them contain ID3 tags because MP3Tag knows to use the right tags for the format.

There was that one day @work when it came out that the Networks dept allowed Ms to do Windows Server updates automatically. When I got there in the morning, the shxt was hitting the fan. Because every minute of time overnight was needed for loading data warehouses and some of it had failed because of the update. 5 retail divisions and about 1000 stores.

That's not a Microsoft problem, it's poor planning, lack of testing and a failure to accomodate proper maintenance windows into the server availability schedule.

@work I stopped the updates via gpedit, but I need to update once in a while (not 100% offline) - even with hardware firewall and VPN one is not safe with an outdated system.

I bet your IT dept. love you (I'm hoping the *you're* not the IT dept!)

 

[respice finem]

In fact, the IT dept. recommended (and enabled me to setup) this procedure after hundreds of printers (Kyocera) failed earlier this year @ their customers...
But I'm by no means an IT expert and in this life, I won't be. No one requires from IT guys to treat people, so I'm expecting not to have to treat IT (too much)

 

[Wes]

no worries - an entirely new version of Windoze is coming soon

 

[mononoaware]

I thought to share on Windows 10 the latest Geforce graphics driver Version 466.63 caused the blue screen of death (DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error) every time after the computer was turned on (from cold start).

After a bit of research about the DPC... error I discovered it was "driver" related, and the Geforce graphics driver being the latest change I rolled-back the driver which fixed the issue.

Hope it helps someone.

 

[Berwhale]

FWIW - I cold started my PC to day without issue and i'm running 466.63.