Issues with MP3's

[Zamn]

I've had a strange problem with my iTunes today. It has suddenly decided that it can no longer play over 200 of the songs in my library, they've all played perfectly in it in the past but now when I try to get it to play one of these songs nothing happens. There's no error message, no little exclamation mark, just nothing. If I try to play one of the offending MP3's from Windows (iTunes is the default MP3 player), iTunes opens but nothing happens.

All of the songs play in every other media player I've tried (except, interestingly, my PS3, which rejects the exact same tracks). I've tried reinstalling iTunes and deleting and re-importing the entire library but it hasn't helped.

The fact that these files don't work on at least one other media player would suggest there's some sort of underlying issue with the files themselves if anyone has a good idea of how they work. I'm completely stumped. Do any of you have any idea what could be wrong?

 

[cleverlymadeup]

hmmm have you done anything to the computer in the past couple days?

also what type of files are they and what is the encoding rate and such?

it does seem like a codec or something is missing or a file did get messed up some how

 

[Zamn]

DRM?

Broken/Conflicting Codec(s)?

Also, where do the files in question come from? Ripped from CDs? Downloaded? (Legally? -> DRM'd or not? Illegally?)

What do you remember installing last before they stopped working?

There's no DRM issues, all of the tracks are CD rips and downloads from, ahem, alternative sources. I can't think of any major changes I've made to my computer in the last day or two. But it's not beyond the realms of possiblity I might have broken something at some point. Some kind of codec issue does seem likely, I'm not sure how I'd go about resolving it though.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

Try turning your volume up.

Ok here is what I would do. Right click on the track which isn't working and select "Create MP3 Version" this will basically duplicate the song, but it reformats it and should solve your problem if its a formatting one.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

oh... I thought this had something to do with MP3 Players, not problems with iPods...
'cos I'll always defend my ancient, half-dead Thomson Lyra and unlike newer tech, I haven't had a problem with it.
except for the fact it is falling apart.

 

[scnj]

Does it still play AAC format songs? Or Wav files?

 

[Zamn]

Yes, it still plays AAC's fine. In fact it plays most MP3's fine, only some are faulty.

 

[Zamn]

Nothing wrong with alternative sources. But is there one thing that all those files have in common?

Do you have a codec pack installed like CCCP or K-Lite? Those have a "Detect and repair broken codecs" utility. Not that it's ever fixed anything for me, but still something to try...

Also, if you sent me one or a couple of the faulty Mp3s, do you think they'd play in my iTunes?

The only thing I know that they have in common is that all of them lost their artwork at the same time as, or shortly before, they became unplayable. I do have K-Lite installed, "Reset to recommended settings" did nothing, I can't find any "Detect and repair broken codecs" utility.

As for whether they'd work in your iTunes? I suspect that they wouldn't, reinstalling iTunes made no difference and the same files won't play on PS3 (It says they're "unsupported data", but is able to read their track names and details) so I think the issue is likely with the files themselves rather than iTunes.

Edit: Changed "would" to "wouldn't" in the last paragraph.

 

[Ironic]

You deleted/moved any folders recently? I also want to suggest the possibility of a virus.

 

[Lullabye]

You deleted/moved any folders recently? I also want to suggest the possibility of a virus.

probably this.

my iphone sploided earlier this month. I didnt get a refund, wtf?

 

[Zamn]

You deleted/moved any folders recently? I also want to suggest the possibility of a virus.

I think that's probably what happened. I can't think of any particular incident, but it looks likely that somehow, somewhere, I broke something.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

You deleted/moved any folders recently? I also want to suggest the possibility of a virus.

I think that's probably what happened. I can't think of any particular incident, but it looks likely that somehow, somewhere, I broke something.

it could be a virus or something like that. run trendmicro's house call

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

 

[Kriptonite]

I know the problem. Apple Sucks(I don't know about the PS3 though). But seriously, you might have something on your computer you don't want. Perhaps a virus. Any new sites you been on recently?

 

[Zamn]

Nothing wrong with alternative sources. But is there one thing that all those files have in common?

Do you have a codec pack installed like CCCP or K-Lite? Those have a "Detect and repair broken codecs" utility. Not that it's ever fixed anything for me, but still something to try...

Also, if you sent me one or a couple of the faulty Mp3s, do you think they'd play in my iTunes?

The only thing I know that they have in common is that all of them lost their artwork at the same time as, or shortly before, they became unplayable. I do have K-Lite installed, "Reset to recommended settings" did nothing, I can't find any "Detect and repair broken codecs" utility.

Oh well I just looked and it's not actually called that. It's in the "Codec Tweak Tool". You get a bunch of checkboxes of stuff you can reset, change or fix. In the fix section: "Detect broken codecs" and "Detect broken DirectShow filters".

And is your whole library in the same folder or scattered all over? Because if it's all in the same place, or at least with other music files, a virus is unlikely since it should've infected other files as well...

Codec Tweak Tool didn't do much good. And my whole library is in a single folder. There doesn't even appear to be a hint a solution in sight, it's really starting to look like I'm going to have manually identify and re-download every faulty track unfortunately.