Trouble saving edited tags

[Manowar1]

I have been looking at FAQ's and previous post for hours, but I did not find this problem addressed.
I have an intermittent problem saving changes I made to the tags of mp3's using WinAmp. It happens to changes made to ID3v1 almost always (90% of the time), so I gave up editing them. It happens less often to ID3v2 tags (maybe 5%). It is not a "read only" problem, because 1) I can change the v2, but not the v1 of the same file, 2) Sometimes it lets me change the v2 once but not again 10 seconds or several minutes later or the rest of that day. Next day I may or may not be able to edit the same file's v2 tag.
I use v.5.35, I had this problem with an earlier 5.x? too. I use Win2000 Pro, and have enough hd-space, 512MB ram. During the existence of this problem I replaced the motherboard, so that cannot be the problem. I do not have any plug-ins.
A 2nd question: Is there a way to edit the preset genres in the v2 tags?

[flocksoft]

maybe you're using some faulty third party mp3 input plugin, like mp3 pro, MAD or mpg123

in this case please switch to the default Winamp Preferences -> Plugins -> Inuput -> Nullsoft MPEG Decoder (and rescan your Media Library)

otherwise, please post the specs

[Manowar1]

I use WinAmp "straight out the box" no plugins, unless it was part of the original setup. I use the Windows Explorer to pick the mp3 I want to hear and WinAmp plays it - that's it. When I try to edit the tags, its always the song currently playing. I do not use any of WinAmp's other features.
I did some more experimenting.
I eliminated all harware-related problems:
I was able to duplicate the tag-writing error on my wife's computer, which is an AMD-based system, while mine is an Intel Celeron. The ONLY things I found common in the 2 computers are WinAmp and Windows 2000 Pro SP2.
The problem must be in the communication between Win2k and Winamp: I started to monitor the directory I was playing and noticed that a copy of the mp3 (or any other sound type files) file was created with a .new or a .bak extention added when I revised the tag. Sometimes
these files remained UNERASED! These were causing the original file to be un-editable. Changing to another folder in Windows Explorer and then returning to the listened directory makes the .bak and .new files disappear and the tag is editable. I started to use WinAmp's Playlist Editor to edit tags of files not currently played which seems to eliminate the unerased .bak and .new occurrences.
I am using Win2k Pro SP2, do not tell me to upgrade, I went through an official Microsoft SP5 update which crashed my harddrive (thank you Microsoft). The 160G harddrive became un-formattable by any Windows, but Linux worked on it(!).
Any other suggestions?

[flocksoft]

welcome back with your reply after an half month

as already said, please post the specs (click the dark red "specs" word for more informations)

[Manowar1]

The requested info is attached in Info.zip
Specs.txt
Plugins.txt
DxDiag.txt
HJthis.txt

[flocksoft]

from the HiJackThis! log I see you use Soulseek file sharing program; some similar program could "lock" the shared files, so you cannot save the changes

repeat the test with Soulseek closed, to be sure check in the Task Manager in Process page (ctrl-alt-del); now the tags are correctly saved?

[Manowar1]

Thanks for trying to help. I re-booted with modem off and only loaded Explorer and Winamp. It had no positive effect, the file-locking problem still exists. Also, I usually play songs from my main drive, and I fileshare my backup drive, so the 2 operations should not interfere.

More experimennts and info:
- It happens to all types of sound files I play with winamp, not just mp3's.
- Occasional error message: "can't write ID3v1 tag". When this comes up, I can usually change and save the tag if I only change the ID3v2 tag.
- As I was renaming or deleting directories where I used Winamp recently, I bumped into more locking problems:
"Cannot delete [name of dir]: There has been a sharing violation"
This keeps happening even though I stopped playing files from that folder (and I started playing another folder).
I can delete all files in the folder, but Winamp leaves an invisible marker (or something) and the folder itself cannot be renamed or deleted.
If I close Winamp it removes the invisible markers from all untouchable folders.
- Sometimes Winamp makes (and leaves) visible files in the folder. Very rarely I receive a Winamp error:
"Can't insert ID3v2 tag. Stop playback to unlock file and try again"
Well, stopping playback did not release the lock. Explorer showed two new files in the directory. I shelled-out to DOS and did a redirected 'dir' into "Files.txt" which file is attached. Check out the .bak and .new versions of the same mp3. By closing Winamp the .bak and .new files always disappear and the locks are released.
It seems to me that Winamp does not clean-up files and locks perfectly after itself - or Windows won't let it!?
I hope this helps.

[flocksoft]

I think you have a shared folder problem; depending on your settings, maybe you have no write permission on that folder

do this test: you can edit successfully an .mp3 file in a not shared folder on your computer?

[Manowar1]

I am sharing my D: drive. I am always listening/editing files on my C: drive, which is not shared. As I said in the previous message, I tested the problem with only Windows Explorer and Winamp running and with the modem off, so there was abolutely no sharing, but the tag saving problem still existed.
Is it possible this is a specific Win2k problem? Anyone out there still using Win2k Pro sp2 WITH or WITHOUT this problem?
Thanks

[Manowar1]

Update:
The problems are persistant. I believe the problem is with WinAmp. On several occasions I edited most tag-fields in one editing session, but only some of the changes were saved, others were ignored at the same time/same editing session. Because of some of the changes were saved, this eliminates any type of file sharing/locking origin of the problem.
Another problem:
Average every 3-5 hours Winamp croaks and I have to use Windows Task Manager to delete it from memory to free up the system. Sometimes it says "An Error Log has been created" -
but where??? (A search for files with a limit to files saved today never finds a file which could be an error log)
Another problem happened 3-4 times this year:
Usually I select a folder (10-15 mp3's) to play in Winamp. In some rare occassions Winamp is loaded 10-15 times!, once for each file, and all files start to play at the same time!
ANYONE care to HELP Please !?

[agmike]

Just remove the read only attribute

I had the same problem. I could not save the updated tag to the file.

I checked tha files attributes and it was set to a read only file.

Making the file writeable solved the problem.

Just remove the read only attribute in the files properties.

Mike
:-)

[Manowar1]

Re: Just remove the read only attribute

Thanks Mike,
That was the 1st thing I checked when the problem appeared years ago. I always use Windows Explorer ("My Computer") to launch one or more music files. I preset Explorer to always show attributes, so an 'R' would stare me in the face if the file was 'Read Only'.
It seems WinAmp puts 'invisible locks' on some of the files launched into the playlist. Then it fails to release the lock on some of them especially the 1st one. Usually I can release the 'lock' by making another folder current in Windows Explorer and than coming back to the played folder.
Another clue for the experts:
When a tag of a currently played song is edited, Winamp makes a copy of the file with a .bak and/or .new extention. Sometimes these .bak and .new files are not erased, making the tags uneditable.
ANYONE USING Win2k Pro and WinAmp TOGETHER???

Originally posted by agmike
I had the same problem. I could not save the updated tag to the file.

I checked tha files attributes and it was set to a read only file.

Making the file writeable solved the problem.

Just remove the read only attribute in the files properties.

Mike
:-)

[Manowar1]

A (semi)solution

My Win2k crashed and would not re-install. I installed XP and the newest WinAmp 3.52. This pair worked together without any trouble saving tags - for 10 hours. Then WinAmp froze. At each reboot, even at each XP reinstall, the system boot stopped at the point Windows was loading the Winamp logo into the System Tray. I booted to DOS-mode and removed all WinAmp files I found. After this XP worked. I searched and found and old version of WinAmp, 3.24-Lite.
Knock-on-wood, the old WinAmp works without a problem for 2 weeks now.