SS does not read ATRAC files, message 000084e0 (same computer)

[pierred]

Hi everybody

 

I have SS 4.3.01 on my pc windows seven 64 bits

It has worked very well for years but today....

 

I connected my Sony MZ rh1 and wanted to transfer some music from my library to my MZ but in the field transfer I just had : "create atracCD mp3 cd audio cd" and not the usual 'transfer to MD or Hi MD'

 

And when I clicked on a ATRAC file in my library i had the message: cannot play this track because its licensing information cannot be retrieved..... 000084e0

 

When I click on a MP3 or Wav file it plays normally

 

I did not change my hard disk

it's the same computer

the only change was using a Sandisk sdhc on the computer a few days ago

 

so what went wrong?

Windows update ?

 

Let's hope one of you can help this poor Belgian boy!

 

thanks a lot

[sfbp]

At a quick first guess I'd say check the drive LETTERS of your disk drives. Sounds like the memory stick may have forced the change of location of your music library.

[pierred]

it's still C and D for the hard disk, no changes were made

 

and WAV files or MP3 files CAN be read

 

it's only the ATRAC that can't be read

 

when I look at the track properties I see this

 

Playback restrictions: None
No. of times played: 2times
No. of times transferred: 0times
Remaining transfer count: 0times
Remaining ATRAC CD transfer count: 0times
Remaining audio CD transfer count: Unlimited
 

[sfbp]

That's the database. Now check to see if the file in the track properties (right click) showing in Sonic Stage is actually where the database thinks it is (located).

[punkrockaddict]

did you install FFMPEG lately ?

I once had trouble with it and was fine after putting exceptions for Sonic Stage .

Maybe that is the trick.

 

But its rather because of the changed Hardware . As you say "its licensing informations... " that means SS thinks the files are from another system and don´t play them back.

Yoou could go for tools -> options -> advanced settings and try optimizing database. But iam not sure if that helps out

[sfbp]

I agree it does sound as if the ATRAC DLLs are messed up. I assume you are trying to play the files using SS, not with Windows Media Player.

Try playing with WMP, just to confirm.

1. Try deinstalling VLC/FFMPEG and doing a system restore to 1 week ago

2. If that doesn't work, reinstall Sonic Stage. No need to de-install first, provided you are using the version from our downloads section.

Hope this helps

Stephen

[pierred]

did you install FFMPEG lately ?

I once had trouble with it and was fine after putting exceptions for Sonic Stage .

Maybe that is the trick.

 

But its rather because of the changed Hardware . As you say "its licensing informations... " that means SS thinks the files are from another system and don´t play them back.

Yoou could go for tools -> options -> advanced settings and try optimizing database. But iam not sure if that helps out

 

I optimized but no success

Am going to desinstall VLC/FFMPEG

[pierred]

I agree it does sound as if the ATRAC DLLs are messed up. I assume you are trying to play the files using SS, not with Windows Media Player.

Try playing with WMP, just to confirm.

1. Try deinstalling VLC/FFMPEG and doing a system restore to 1 week ago

2. If that doesn't work, reinstall Sonic Stage. No need to de-install first, provided you are using the version from our downloads section.

Hope this helps

Stephen

WMP cannot read ATRAC files I think

[pierred]

I agree it does sound as if the ATRAC DLLs are messed up. I assume you are trying to play the files using SS, not with Windows Media Player.

Try playing with WMP, just to confirm.

1. Try deinstalling VLC/FFMPEG and doing a system restore to 1 week ago

2. If that doesn't work, reinstall Sonic Stage. No need to de-install first, provided you are using the version from our downloads section.

Hope this helps

Stephen

a system restore was done but didn't help

[pierred]

yes!   I installed again SS from your download section and everything works again

 

thanks a lot

 

Pierre from Belgium

[sfbp]

And... now you will notice that WMP works too, I think.

Make sure you run the file conversion tool on your atrac library. That will protect you in the event something like this keeps happening. If you don't, u run the risk someone will tell you to do something that wipes out your keys (that encrypt the music data). Once you've done it you should be immune to that particular problem.

[pierred]

And... now you will notice that WMP works too, I think.

Make sure you run the file conversion tool on your atrac library. That will protect you in the event something like this keeps happening. If you don't, u run the risk someone will tell you to do something that wipes out your keys (that encrypt the music data). Once you've done it you should be immune to that particular problem.

You mean 'tools' 'start file conversion tool...' ?

What will this really do with my library?

 

Before doing this they say I should backup my library

To do this I need  54858.65 MB       I think =54GB free space.

Where do you back up your library? on a removalable device or on the hard disk?

[sfbp]

You can do the backup but it's probably not that important.

 

The tracks that it converts (and you must CLEAR the box which indicates "copy protection") will be decrypted, for ever. If you do not do this, you are dependent on a server at Sony (which is probably still running, but definitely goes down from time to time) to "authenticate" your backed up (and non-backed-up) files in certain situations.

 

Now, it is true that some files (ATRAC3 i.e. MDLP2/4, and "normal" ATRAC3+ i.e. HiSP, HiLP and the rest) can now be played (without running the FCT) by ffmpeg, if you know what that is. However, the VLC developers are somewhat incompetent and they failed to incorporate the codec for ATRAC3+ into VLC correctly, so the time frame for that problem to be solved is completely unknown, there is no schedule for it to be worked on. If/when VLC is fixed, then all files except Atrac Advanced Lossless (which is not encrypted anyway!) can be played regardless of whether they are encrypted.

 

But if you have (like many people here) a large ATRAC library, you should not depend on a server at Sony, or on some rude developers at VLC, to preserve your excellent collection.

 

And it took an accident for you to find out that your library was encrypted and that you didn't know it....... maybe you got lucky!!

 

I would back up the files by simply copying them (Microsoft has a nice tool called "SyncToy"), once they have been decrypted. The advantage of the "database backup" offered by Sony (for free, it must be said) is that the structure of your albums and order of songs will be preserved. The disadvantage is that they are still encrypted and require Sony's server for them to be restored to life from the backup.

 

The other advantage of decrypting the files is that they can be played on more than one computer. It's eminently possible to play files on a home network, provided they are not (as yours are, before the File Conversion Tool) locked to one version of Windows and one computer.

 

Note: you should do the FCT decryption once a week, or whenever you have input some significant number of files into Sonic Stage. It will only take a minute or two since most of the flles will have already been converted to unprotected. If you don't do this regularly, you will lose all the new ones if you do a Windows System Restore, back to the date of the System Restore.

 

I hope this helps. I'm sorry it sounds complicated - but that's life.

[pierred]

thanks a lot

will do it asap

 

you suggest : I would back up the files by simply copying them (Microsoft has a nice tool called "SyncToy")

is this sync toy interesting? isn't easier to just copy them onan external device with the explorer?

I say that because I don't know this sync toy

[sfbp]

I *really* like Sync Toy. It has lots of options that make it useful. It's free.

 

But it should be run AFTER decrypting the files.