Recovering OMA-Files after re-installing of system

[maulwurfchen]

I know, this is a problem I probably share with many other users, and that probably there hasn't been a solution found yet, but maybe there has!?

I lately had to completely re-setup my system. I still had some Hi-MD oma-files, which I haven't yet transferred to wave and edited, but since these are all microphone recordings, no CD-rips, I didn't think the Sony copy protection was an issue with these. I simply copied all the folders of my library to another harddisk, and copied them to the same location after having re-installed the system and Sonicstage 3.4.

However, I have lost the "license" of all the files and get the following message when trying to play any of the files:

_________________________________________________________

Cannot Play back this track. Do you want to connect to the internet and download the license for the Track ?

When I click Yes, it hangs for a few seconds and the following message appears

Cannot load the rights information for the selected tracks. The file format may not be supported by SonicStage (0000010d)

________________________________________________

Is there any way, at least to play *.oma files without sonic stage? At least I then could re-record them with - for example - total recorder.

These are original microphone recordings, which cannot be recovered in another way.

It makes me quite furious that SoncStage apparenty destroys these files, and demands "license" for private recordings!

Helmut

[A440]

Unless you still have the files to play back on a disc, you are probably out of luck.

Here's the ATRAC plug-in for Winamp, to play .oma files.

http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/details.php?file=65

But you will probably run into the same encryption problem.

The way to back up My Library is to use the Backup Tool in the SonicStage program group.

(Start/Programs/SonicStage/SonicStage Backup Tool). That preserves the licenses.

If it makes you feel any better, you are about the zillionth person to run into this same Sony stupidity.

[raintheory]

I have gotten into the habit of releasing my uploaded files from DRM (without having to convert to wav) by doing the following.

After uploading recordings to My Library, select the files you want and right-click. Select "Convert format". If you recorded in Hi-SP select the drop down for 256kbps Atrac3+. Be sure to leave the "Add copy protection" box unchecked.

Contrary to what one might think this does not transcode the music file it simply removes the DRM info. After this the OMA files are playable/importable/convertable on any computer.

The un-DRMed files can then be found in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\SonicStage\Packages\Optimized Files

I usually move these un-DRMed files to a safe location (external drive, CD, etc.) as they are now free from DRM.

Edited June 13, 2006 by raintheory

[maulwurfchen]

Thanks for the replies. I already thought that there must be many other people who had the same experience and that there isn't a solution as yet. Still I think this is outrageous - what crappy software design!

Thanks also for the advise. What I normally do wih my Hi-MD microphone recordings is transferring them into wave, editing them with wavelab, and afterwards compressing them to MP3 (192-256 kbps) and saving them to harddisk and DVD. I fortunately have not been crazy enought to keep everything in ATRAC3-Files. However, the recordings I mad just before my system crash and which I haven't yet edited may be lost for ever, and there is no way for me to re-record them. Really annoying!

I hope Sony will eventually release a Sonicstage version which will allow to recover this file, or - even better - that someone hacks this stupid encryption and will make it useless!

Helmut

[gmercer]

Has anyone come up with a solution for this yet (or even a hack)?

Thanks, Glen

[Kevin J]

I have gotten into the habit of releasing my uploaded files from DRM (without having to convert to wav) by doing the following.

Is this maneuver still required in the latest versions of SS (3.4 and 4)? I thought the later versions dropped all the DRM nonsense.

~ peace, Kevin J.

[raintheory]

Is this maneuver still required in the latest versions of SS (3.4 and 4)? I thought the later versions dropped all the DRM nonsense.

~ peace, Kevin J.

Yes, simply copying an OMA file and putting it on a seperate computer will give you license info errors and the file will be unplayable.

[Vlad_Pro]

Please keep us updated about the solution of this problem!