Windows 7 gets first patch
Beta downloads are, by definition, likely to have problems. Microsoft has now issued its first automatic patch for Windows 7, fixing a problem which was effectively beheading some music files.
The issue affects Windows Media Player 12, which makes its first appearance in the Windows 7 beta, and involves any files with a header of more than 16kb. The header includes metadata (details such as artist, album, genre and so on), so the affected files will usually be those with unusually large amounts of metadata – which is bad news for the particularly well-organized. Files with large album art images can also exceed the 16kb limit.
If metadata is added to these files in WMP12, either through the user doing it manually, or through the program’s built-in feature for filling in any missing information, the first few seconds of the song will be deleted. This can happen several times with the same file.
Microsoft issued a fix for this problem last week, but has now distributed it through the Windows Updates service within Windows 7. If you are planning on downloading the Windows 7 beta, you should install this update before using any MP3 files in the system.
The fix doesn’t repair the damaged songs, and they may be permanently chopped, However Microsoft has suggested a possible solution: by right-clicking the affected file in Windows Explorer, choosing Properties and then going to the Previous Versions list, you may find the file has a listing or listings under File Versions. If so, choose the oldest and click Restore.
The fix also fixes some performance problems with WMP12, mainly dealing with problems that come out of the switchover from Vista. There are also fixes to allow the program to work with digital TV tuners with in-built copy protection and with interactive TV services in Europe.
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