Windows 7 Album Info screws up when browsing/playing ripped CDs across homegroup

[junkaholic]

I have two computers. Dell Inspiron 560 (new this year) running Windows 7 64 bit and HP Slimline Media Center running Windows 7 32 bit (2007 model, i clean installed Win 7 on it).

I ripped all my CDs to WAV on the Dell. I am using Homegroup. Installing Windows 7 on the HP was a nightmare (couldn't upgrade from Vista on there, had to clean install and only successful when I removed the TV tuner card, even tho' Upgrade Advisor said computer could handle Win 7).

Problem: I browse/play my ripped CDs totally fine on the Dell (the one that has the files). They play and display fine. I am sharing all media between the computers. When I run Media Center on the HP Slimline... for every CD... there are TWO tiles for each album now. the first one is song #1 of that CD, its has lost its album info and displays as Track 1 Unknown Album (even tho' the correct album cover is showing)... the rest of the songs, songs #2 - end are correctly displayed under the second album tile.
Example: on the Dell I want to play Pink Floyd's Animals... navigate via ROCK genre or PINK FLOYD artist or ANIMALS album, etc. and there is ONE album tile represnting the CD and all 5 songs are there to play. Simple, normal, great.

Go to the HP in the bedroom, go to ROCK: there is two ANIMALS albums (not necessarily next to each other), go to artists > Pink Floyd, there is two ANIMALS album tiles. In order to play the album, i have to start the first tile containing the unknown track on unknown album (even tho' it displays the ANIMALS album cover) and then go to the second ANIMALS album tile and add it to Now Playing.

GAAAAAH... how can it be perfect in one computer and screwed up in the other? Its the exact same set of files.

Dell is running Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit, HP is running Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit. I have the 64 bit disc as well, but I don't think the HP can handle 64-bit. Thank you for helping me with this. I could copy all my CDs over physically to the HP but that kinda makes the whole Homegroup redundant.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing a media library organization issue when accessing your ripped CDs on different computers within the same homegroup. This problem might be related to how Windows Media Center is reading and displaying the media files from the shared folders. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially fix this issue:

Check and Rebuild Media Library:​

1. Rebuild the Media Library: On the HP Slimline Media Center, try rebuilding the media library in Windows Media Center. This can often resolve discrepancies in album listings.
2. Clear Media Center Cache: Clear the cache in Windows Media Center on the HP computer. This can sometimes help in refreshing the media listings.

   Check Homegroup Settings:​

3. Ensure Homegroup Sharing: Verify that both computers are part of the same homegroup and that sharing is properly set up for media files between the two systems.

   File Organization and Metadata:​

4. Consistent File Structure: Ensure that the file structure and organization of your ripped CDs are consistent across both computers.
5. Metadata Consistency: Check the metadata of the ripped WAV files to ensure that they are correctly tagged with album information. Inconsistent metadata can lead to misclassifications within the media library.

   Network and Permissions:​

6. Network Connectivity: Double-check the network connectivity between the computers to ensure smooth sharing of media files.
7. Permissions: Verify that both computers have appropriate permissions to access and read the shared media files.

   Other Recommendations:​

8. Upgrade to Windows 10: Considering that Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft, upgrading both systems to a newer version like Windows 10 could provide a more stable environment for media sharing.
9. Third-Party Media Players: Consider using third-party media players that might handle the media library more efficiently and accurately.

   Final Thoughts:​

   • Transferring Files: If the issue persists, copying the ripped CDs physically to the HP Slimline Media Center might be a workaround, although it may reduce the convenience of using Homegroup.

• Considerations for 64-bit: If you have the Windows 7 64-bit disc, you could try upgrading the HP to a 64-bit version if the hardware supports it. This could potentially resolve compatibility issues related to the 32-bit system. By following these steps and suggestions, you might be able to resolve the discrepancies in the media library organization between your Dell and HP systems in the Homegroup setup.