Fatalcure I owe you a beer mate its started working now! I don't really know what I've done differently this time to previous attempts but the jpgs in the VMC cache folder were not re-generated this time and all tracks in VMC are showing the Hi-Res covers from the Folder.jpgs in the albums folders.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

MarkSewell:

Relating to this, thanks for the info guys!

 

I have a slight issue that I have half my music as MP3 and half as WMA. Can anyone recommend a good bulk converter tool?

Also when this is done, I need to change itunes to look at my MP3 (so I have only one copy of the music, as opposed to 2 seperate libraries). Has anyone got high res URLs working in this setup? Anything I have to do above and beyond what is mentioned above/

 

Thanks

Mark

Quite alot of my music is in WMA format as well would like to convert all to MP3 at some point.

I haven't used iTunes a great deal only when setting it up for family members with iPods. Does iTunes embed album art in to the files? I don't recall seeing any jpg's in the folders in windows explorer on the last machine I installed iTunes on too.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

double post.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

cw-kid:

Fatalcure I owe you a beer mate its started working now! I don't really know what I've done differently this time to previous attempts but the jpgs in the VMC cache folder were not re-generated this time and all tracks in VMC are showing the Hi-Res covers from the Folder.jpgs in the albums folders.

i think it had to do w/ it recreating the images in the art cache folder when you first launched VMC after scanning for music in WMP11...since i was writing from memory, i might have missed a step...so i'm guessing these are the correct steps:

1. Downloaded Mp3tag so I could easily remove the embedded cover art from my mp3s, as thru WMP11 i had to click on each individual track and remove it and was very time consuming.
   
2. Added High-Res cover art to each of my mp3 folders, named Folder.jpg or Coverart.jpg or whatever you want to name it as.
   Also deleted anything else i found in that folder, including the hidden images/files that windows created.  The only things I have in the folders are the mp3 files and a Folder.jpg image.
   
   
3. Open WMP11 and remove all music from Library Only, then close WMP11.
   
   
4. Deleted all files from the following locations:
   C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\Art Cache
   C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player\Art Cache\LocalMLS
   
   
5. Open WMP11, go to Library->More Options->Library Tab->Monitor Folders (should already have your folders there)->Click OK
   Let it find all your music.
   
   
6. Open Vista Media Center and go browse your music by album cover...it should show no album covers this time, thats fine, Close Vista Media Center. It should have built a UrlToCoverArt.dat file in your ArtCache folder and probably a copy of all your cover art there as well, but this will only work for the first track of your album.
   
   
7. Run the UrlToCoverArt program i linked above, point it to the root folder of all your albums (default is C:\USERNAME\music i  believe), and put the name of the .jpg you named it in your folders, eg. Folder.jpg or CoverArt.jpg.  It'll scan all your music and compare it to the .dat file for the location.  It should auto fix it, then you can just go to File->Save and overwrite the .dat file.  It creates a backup as well, so no harm will be done.
   
   
8. Launch Vista Media Center and browse your music by album cover....then close VMC.
   
   
9. If VMC created any cover art in the Art Cache folder, delete them, only keeping the .dat file.
   
   
10. Rerun the UrlToCoverArt application and resave.
    

:D

This actually works very well after the inital trauma of setting it all up.

I've just added a new album to my system. The only thing I had to do was update the .dat file in the eHome\Artcache folder using the UrlToCoverArt program. I didn't need to do anything in WMP11 or VMC the new album just appears minus the coverart in VMC untill you run the artwork fixer program again. This is a nice solution to a crappy problem / bug in VMC.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Does this method of using the UrlToCoverArt.exe work on extenders ?

My dat file is pointing to Folder.jpg's on D:\Data\Music\Library etc. Would this path work for the XBOX 360's MCX1 user ? Or would it need to be UNC \\MCE01\Music ?

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

I can now confirm the UrlToCoverArt.exe also works with my XBOX 360 MCX. The only problem I had was that I was unable to save the UrlToCoverArt.dat file to the C:\Users\MCX1\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ArtCache folder with the UrlToCoverArt.exe program. I had to save the file to the desktop and then manually save the dat file in to the MCX1 folder.

I didn't need to change to a UNC Path.

Also this is a good tip for Vista Ultimate users, to prevent WMP11 from retrieving media information for music files from the Internet for all user accounts on your system.

Go to run and enter MMC then on the file menu of the console add a snapin select Group Policy Object Editor, ensure Local Computer is selected, click Finish and OK.

Browse to User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components - Windows Media Player

Select "Prevent Music File Media Information Retreival" Enable this policy.

Now in WMP11 the option is unselected and greyed out.

 

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

cw-kid:

I can now confirm the UrlToCoverArt.exe also works with my XBOX 360 MCX. The only problem I had was that I was unable to save the UrlToCoverArt.dat file to the
C:\Users\MCX1\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ArtCache folder with the UrlToCoverArt.exe program. I had to save the file to the desktop and then manually save the dat file in to the MCX1 folder

cw-kid,
since you're vista i have another solution for you, so you don't have to copy the .dat file to the MXC1 user artcache folder. (i use this method on all my htpcs since my artcache folder and dvdinfocache folders are located on a server).

What you're going to do is create a symbolic directory link (it makes vista think its a real directory in its location, but actually links to a directory at another location)

• Copy the Art Cache folder under your <USERNAME> (Where <USERNAME> is the user you use your vista media center on.) to D:\Data\Music\Library.
  
• Delete the Art Cache folder under your MCX1 and <USERNAME> users.
  
• Go to Start->Run and type in "cmd"
  
• Browse to C:\Users\MCX1\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ from your command promt.
  
• Type: mklink "Art Cache" /D "D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache" (include the quotes just to be safe if you have any spaces).
  
• Browse to C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ from your command promt.
  
• Type: mklink "Art Cache" /D "D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache" (include the quotes just to be safe if you have any spaces).
  

Thats it...if you type "DIR" while still in command promt you'll see it created a symbolic link.  You'll also see a new symbolic folder created called Art Cache. To delete/remove the symbolic link, simply delete the Art Cache folder under your MCX1 or <USERNAME> users.

This makes it a LOT easier if you have more than 1 htpc, as this way, you can update the .dat file from any htpc, and the changes reflect on ALL htpcs at the same time!

If you have multiple HTPCS, you'll need to use UNC paths instead, but if you have only 1 htpc and multiple extenders, this will work.

fatalcure:

cw-kid:

I can now confirm the UrlToCoverArt.exe also works with my XBOX 360 MCX. The only problem I had was that I was unable to save the UrlToCoverArt.dat file to the
C:\Users\MCX1\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ArtCache folder with the UrlToCoverArt.exe program. I had to save the file to the desktop and then manually save the dat file in to the MCX1 folder

cw-kid,
since you're vista i have another solution for you, so you don't have to copy the .dat file to the MXC1 user artcache folder. (i use this method on all my htpcs since my artcache folder and dvdinfocache folders are located on a server).

What you're going to do is create a symbolic directory link (it makes vista think its a real directory in its location, but actually links to a directory at another location)

• Copy the Art Cache folder under your <USERNAME> (Where <USERNAME> is the user you use your vista media center on.) to D:\Data\Music\Library.
  
• Delete the Art Cache folder under your MCX1 and <USERNAME> users.
  
• Go to Start->Run and type in "cmd"
  
• Browse to C:\Users\MCX1\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ from your command promt.
  
• Type: mklink "Art Cache" /D "D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache" (include the quotes just to be safe if you have any spaces).
  
• Browse to C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ from your command promt.
  
• Type: mklink "Art Cache" /D "D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache" (include the quotes just to be safe if you have any spaces).
  

Thats it...if you type "DIR" while still in command promt you'll see it created a symbolic link.  You'll also see a new symbolic folder created called Art Cache. To delete/remove the symbolic link, simply delete the Art Cache folder under your MCX1 or <USERNAME> users.

This makes it a LOT easier if you have more than 1 htpc, as this way, you can update the .dat file from any htpc, and the changes reflect on ALL htpcs at the same time!

If you have multiple HTPCS, you'll need to use UNC paths instead, but if you have only 1 htpc and multiple extenders, this will work.

Most excellent I will give this a go and report back. I have one main HTPC, one Laptop with VMC and one XBOX 360 MCX

Cheers

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Ok I've had a go with this and having some problems.

I have two users that login to the main VMC PC tower myself and the wife.

I have deleted our Art Cache folders under the eHome folder. I have also done this for the MCX1 user. I then had no problems creating the symbolic links to D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache for all three users. So those three user accounts are now looking at the same UrlToCoverArt.dat file on D: drive. Great so now I only have to up date and manage one .dat file which is the whole point of doing this.

However I then logged in to the PC using my wifes account and no cover art in VMC. After playing around with the NTFS permisions on the Music and the Art Cache folders on D: drive I had to ensure she had Read & Execute and Write permissions to the D:\Data\Music\Library\Art Cache folder. Write being the crucial permisson that makes the cover art appear for her in VMC. So that's the two user acounts on the main VMC PC tower sorted.

Now we have a Vista Laptop which is setup with a another user account called MCE. This is a general user account we both use on the laptop to access the media on the main VMC PC, so the laptop is acting like an extender. So on the laptop I delete the MCE users local Art Cache folder and create an other symbolic link but this time use a UNC path in the command "\\MCE01\Music\Library\Art Cache." MCE01 is the main VMC PC Tower's name and Music is the folder that is shared out.

This works and I can see and browse the symbolic link etc. However in VMC no coverart on the laptop for the MCE user account. Even though I have given it write access the same as I did before. The network share is read however so I am thinking do I have to give the MCE user change access on the network share to the music folder?

XBOX 360 this is not working either now no cover art in the MCX UI.

I'd be interested to know more about how you setup your network share permissions and also the NTFS permisions to your central Art Cache folder?

Cheers

 

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

cw-kid,
based on what you've done so far, it should work perfectly for your 2 user accouts and your xbox 360 (which is an extender) of that PC.
You were correct about the Art Cache folder needing read/write access, or else the covers will not show up.

Now, your laptop, see, your laptop is NOT an extender, your laptop does not know what "D:\" is...your laptop is a seperate entity, it's its own media center.

What you need to do is open up the UrlToCoverArt.exe program, click on Dictionary->Add/Refresh Entries and change the "Start folder to scan for media files" to "\\MCE01\Music" and click OK. (i'm guessing music is the shared folder you have access to from your laptop)
Then save the .dat file again...
Doing it this way should allow all your users/extenders/laptop the correct path to the folder.jpgs as well as the media.
Make sure you're opening and saving the D:\Music\Library\Art Cache .dat file (although i dont think it really matters).

Try that and see.

fatalcure:

cw-kid,
based on what you've done so far, it should work perfectly for your 2 user accouts and your xbox 360 (which is an extender) of that PC.
You were correct about the Art Cache folder needing read/write access, or else the covers will not show up.

Now, your laptop, see, your laptop is NOT an extender, your laptop does not know what "D:\" is...your laptop is a seperate entity, it's its own media center.

What you need to do is open up the UrlToCoverArt.exe program, click on Dictionary->Add/Refresh Entries and change the "Start folder to scan for media files" to "\\MCE01\Music" and click OK. (i'm guessing music is the shared folder you have access to from your laptop)
Then save the .dat file again...
Doing it this way should allow all your users/extenders/laptop the correct path to the folder.jpgs as well as the media.
Make sure you're opening and saving the D:\Music\Library\Art Cache .dat file (although i dont think it really matters).

Try that and see.

Hi it did dawn on me eventually that I would have to change all paths listed in the dat file from D:\Data\Music to \\MCE01\Music as you have stated, So I did this and I am still unable to see the cover art on the laptop. I still think I have issues with NTFS / Share permissons for the laptop's MCE user account to the Art Cache folder on the PC.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Can I just double check this? You have one UrlToCoverArt.dat file for all your users? And not a seperate .dat file for each user? But just redirected to another locaton via your symbolic links.

 

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

This seems quite tricky to setup best I've had it is the two user accounts on the PC and the one on the laptop all using the one UrlToCoverArt.dat file on D: drive. I did this mainly by ensuring that all 3 users where watching a UNC path to the music folder in WMP11.

I am having problems with the 360 MCX now it keeps wanting to use a D: drive path rather than UNC. Obviously I can't login to WMP11 as the MCX1 user so trying to sort this out in media center on the XBOX library setup. I've also tried deleting the MCX1 users media databases. CurrentDatabase_360.wmdb and wmpfolders.wmdb.

---

Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Well Lads.

I've been following this thread closely for a while.

CW-KID - regarding the 360 MCX library, What if you just copied the CurrrentDatabase_360.wmdb file from the main user account to the MCX1 user account and overwrite the existing one. Would that work?  (Just a suggestion)

---