Flac files incorrectly displayed as mp3 file type in explorer

Hurray!!!! Success!!!! Used FileTypesMan and just walked my way through it. Here's the final result:



One other thing, I guess I haven't really noticed before is the description in the lower left hand corner which reads, "MP3 Format Sound". What does it mean when my file extension is .flac? Is that there on all audio files by default and if so, why? Can't quite figure out the connection.

Here's what I'm referring to:
(highlighted/yellow)



Thanks for all the assistance everyone! You've been most helpful. Sevenforums is such a great place with even greater people!

Gums said:

OK. Downloaded FileTypesMan. Now, how do I use it?

(1) select (left-click) the FLAC entry. Then right-click and select "edit" (or just use F2 keyboard shortcut).



(2) You'll then see the Edit properties dialog for FLAC. Note that for me it is the Winamp icon (imbedded inside the EXE, and icon #3... with #0 being the first or only, #1 being the second, etc.).



(3) For the sake of example, I'm going to change the icon from that of Winamp.exe to that of VLC.exe. So I push the browse button (to the right of the line showing the current default icon path and file name), and navigate to my VLC program directory where the VLC.exe program lives, and from which I'm going to be using its imbedded icon as the new default icon for FLAC files.



(4) I then push the OPEN button on that folder, and FileTypesMan examines all the files in that folder which contain imbedded icons (e.g. EXE, DLL, ICO, etc.) and presents them. In this case there is only one, namely the one and only one icon inside VLC.exe itself. It is pre-selected by default.



(5) I push the OK button (confirming that the selected icon is the one I want to use). The location (and ",0" suffix which implies the first icon imbedded inside that EXE) is now shown in the Edit window.



(6) I push the OK button and FileTypesMan applies the change. At this moment, with the still open original window, the original Winamp icon still shows. But note that over in the default icon column the cell for FLAC now shows what I want, namely a reference to the VLC.exe,0.



(7) I close FileTypesMan, and re-open it, scrolling to the FLAC row. Note that the icon showing next to FLAC is now that of VLC.exe as I want. If I open Explorer, all of my FLAC files will also show the icon of VLC.exe.

I wanted all the "file types" to be their extensions, so when one sorts on "type" with a file explorer, mp3 is NOT grouped with flac/wav/whatever, all with a type of some variant on "sound file"; same for jpg, gif, tif, etc., their types are their extensions, NOT "Paintshop (or irfanview) image file", or whatever it was.

Here's how:

Delete ALL the reference to the file type in the registry.

I always end up doing this at some point after a XP or Win7 install and it's never caused any problems by removing refs to wav, mp3, flac, jpg, jpeg, gif, bmp, tif, tiff, mpg, flv, avi, and similar file types.

Notes:
- Backup your registry first.
- You'll have to re-do the "open with" for each extension, but that's easy.
- I've never done it with system files, .bin, .exe, etc., just multimedia files.

The image is from FreeCommander file browser.

Image from Windows file browser - the types are "GIF file", "PNG file", etc.

Gums said:

Hurray!!!! Success!!!! Used FileTypesMan and just walked my way through it. Here's the final result:

Glad you worked it out by yourself. My "tutorial" post was being composed in process while you were solving your own problem, but hopefully it will help someone else who may read this thread someday.

One other thing, I guess I haven't really noticed before is the description in the lower left hand corner which reads, "MP3 Format Sound". What does it mean when my file extension is .flac? Is that there on all audio files by default and if so, why? Can't quite figure out the connection.

I repeat again my request for a screenshot you have still not given me. I want to see what your "default program" associated with FLAC shows as. Do you know what I'm referring to? START -> Default programs.

I can only tell you that for my situation, with Winamp associated as my default player for FLAC, I do NOT show in Explorer what you show for FLAC files. They are two separate things... although they both use Winamp as the program.

Here's my Explorer presentation for MP3:



And here's my Explorer presentation for FLAC:




But... I STILL WANT TO SEE YOUR DEFAULT PROGRAMS SCREENSHOT FOR FLAC, as well as MP3. Please.

Here they are:






Pretty much WMP 12 all the way. From my experience, Winamp was constantly freezing up on me. For instance, click "Audio" and nothing would happen. Terrible. Very "busy" GUI too. I like stuff basic and simple. Well, maybe not quite as spartan as say, foobar2000. (Is there any way to install a better library?) Also, tried VLC and trying to upload my music library was infuriating. (Can't a guy just import the audio? Sheesh!) I can see why Apple fans love their OS. Very simple. However, it's too simple. Kinda like the Jitterbug phones you buy Grampa! Let me know what you think. Might give MediaMonkey a try next. Looking for the right player/library combo...

I sent you the program default for WMP 12. Should really send you the file type default list, correct?

Here it is:

Back to an earlier question from a previous post. Why does Windows use "MP3 Format Sound" under the "Description" column for EVERY single audio file type extension? Except for the .mp3 extension of course, what does this description have to do with the mp3 format? Curious to know.

Gums said:

Pretty much WMP 12 all the way.

Well... I'm stumped. You have no default program associated with file type FLAC. There's no entry in that list for FLAC, so I don't understand why/how Windows would launch any program at all when you double-click a FLAC file in Explorer.

This is NOT how things would look if you'd installed Winamp and kept it. You'd see a FLAC entry in that list and Winamp would be the named program, as was shown in my own screenshots.

And yet you say WMP can play FLAC files. But do you have to open WMP and then navigate to FLAC files, and select them and open them... from within WMP? Or does WMP get launched automatically when you double-click a FLAC file in Explorer? This latter action seems impossible now that you've shown the "default programs" list with nothing associated with FLAC.

From my experience, Winamp was constantly freezing up on me. For instance, click "Audio" and nothing would happen.

I have no idea what you're talking about here.

Where is "audio" to click on???

That's not how I play music with Winamp, i.e. within Winamp once it's opened as a "media player" (forgetting about it getting auto-launched automatically when I double-click on a music file in Explorer or any other Explorer-like program).

Assuming the program is open, you can initiate music playing by selecting one or more files using the main interface File -> Play file or Play folder or etc. The file(s) you select will be placed into the "Playlist editor" window and playing will be initiated in the main window.



Alternatively, you can select music through the Playlist Editor window itself, replacing what's there right now or adding (i.e. "enqueing") additional music files to the ones already there.

Terrible.

Well, I'm sure it's just that you're not familiar with it. It's actually a wonderful program as I'm sure many millions of users would attest to.

Very "busy" GUI too.

Not at all.

For me it's got three separate windows: (a) Main player, with EQ dropped down, (b) Playlist editor window, showing current playlist and supporting related playlist functions, and (c) Album Art window to display my 500x500 "cover.jpg" album art.

I like stuff basic and simple. Well, maybe not quite as spartan as say, foobar2000. (Is there any way to install a better library?)

I would recommend a program named Jaangle, which is the music "organizer/player" that I use... in addition to Winamp which is my "external player".



I do NOT use WMP for anything audio. I only use it to play assorted video.

Also, tried VLC and trying to upload my music library was infuriating.

I do NOT use VLC for anything audio. I only use it to play assorted video.

I use Winamp to play all my music. And I use Jaangle as my general collection software for music files, playing music either (a) within Jaangle using its built-in player... including for FLAC (and without any external codec installed), or (b) launching Winamp through playlist music files selected through Jaangle if I feel like it.

Might give MediaMonkey a try next.

I've tried and discarded this program. I do NOT like its "intrusiveness". I use Jaangle for all of the functions that MediaMonkey promises.

Looking for the right player/library combo...

Jaangle is what you should explore. I'll be glad to help you get started.

Gums said:

Back to an earlier question from a previous post. Why does Windows use "MP3 Format Sound" under the "Description" column for EVERY single audio file type extension? Except for the .mp3 extension of course, what does this description have to do with the mp3 format? Curious to know.

I can't answer that question.

I can only believe it's got something do do with what you accomplished when you "installed" that thing from XIPH.ORG, which purportedly allowed you to play FLAC from WMP. I know nothing about this product or what it does, or what changes it makes to your system. But all of those music files which show up on your list as "MP3" files don't show up that way on my system, where (a) Winamp is installed to play all of those music file formats, and (b) no codec from XIPH.ORG is installed.

Again, I do NOT have an external FLAC codec installed (although I do have the command-line FLAC encoder FLAC.EXE available so that I can create my own FLAC files from ripped CD tracks). Neither Winamp nor Jaangle requires that the FLAC codec actually be installed on the system in order for them to play FLAC files. And since I don't use WMP to play music files, I don't need any external FLAC codec "installed" in order that WMP becomes FLAC-capable.

Also, I don't use Windows Explorer for my music collection... nor do I use "Music Library" at all, or any of the extended functionality of Explorer and music. I use Jaangle as my music collection organizer/player, and it requires nothing external to be installed. It's all self-contained with everything built in.