Problem with HDZIP/HDMP3G

[cadonnyv]

Just down loaded 4.03 and seem to be having a problem. When cueing a HDMP3G file, get an error message and cannot delete the file. When you close and reopen the specific playlist, you can delete the HDMP3G entry. Adding the song again with the search function will open it in the playlist but as a HDZIP file (which will play). If you close and reopen the playlist once more, the same file will show as an HDMP3G and you get the same error problem as in the beginning.

Having to continually reenter files for each session is a hassle as my playlists are often long. Checking the manual about conversion of files indicated that ZIP files would be converted and played as HDMP3G files. Version 4.03 seems to be doing the reverse.

I reinstalled 4.01 since I have a show this weekend and the problem disappeared. Any help or fixes on this would be appreciated.

Donnyv

[GMANN]

Donnyv,
I had same problem with 4.03.

First Hoster 4.03 session:
I loaded all my zip songs to the play interface, and they would play just fine. Then I would shut down the 1st session of Hoster.

2nd Hoster 4.03 session:
Any zip song in the play list not played in first session (but left in the play list from 1st session) would come up in the second session as "ready". As soon as I went to play them in this second session, ALL zips returned "error" status and you could not delete them from the play list (additionally, any new zip songs added to the play list in the 2nd session would play just fine). To get rid of the "errored" zips in the second session, you had to shut down and re-start Hoster).

OK, bear with me as we are now in the 3rd Hoster 4.03 session:
The zips that were "error" in 2nd session now said "ready" and I was able to delete them. Any zips I added in the 2nd session (but did not play) also had a "ready" in the status, but when you went to play them, they "errored' and could not be deleted. Again while in 3rd session, any new zip songs added to the playlist during 3rd session played finer than frog hair. I am sure this would have perpetuated through a 4th, 5th, 6th....etc. sessions.

Solution (at least for me):
I had enough fun......So, here is what I did. I went to the Edit feature and deleted ALL my zip files from the songs database. Then I imported ALL the native zip files (which I have stored and backed on several hard disks) through the 4.03 interface. All the resulting kma files from the new zip import were made, and I rebuilt the songs database. Works fine now from session to session on all those files. I have not been able since to re-create a single glitch zip related or otherewise. Stability is rock solid.

This may not be a solution for everyone; there may be a more elegant way. This is how I dealt with it however.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by GMANN

Donnyv,
Solution (at least for me):
I had enough fun......So, here is what I did. I went to the Edit feature and deleted ALL my zip files from the songs database. Then I imported ALL the native zip files (which I have stored and backed on several hard disks) through the 4.03 interface. All the resulting kma files from the new zip import were made, and I rebuilt the songs database. Works fine now from session to session on all those files. I have not been able since to re-create a single glitch zip related or otherewise. Stability is rock solid.

This may not be a solution for everyone; there may be a more elegant way. This is how I dealt with it however.

Did either of you install and run 4.02? It should have converted all zip files at startup. Then there shouldn't have been any zip files left to error out.

[GMANN]

Mark,
You got the idea. You see, for me, 4.01 ran beautifully, I never ran into any issues with it. So I went from 4.01 DIRECT to 4.03. Now, with that said, and having read quite a few issues related to problems with 4.02 (especially zip conversion), I expected a conversion (or associated problem with the zips) when I installed and used 4.03.

So when I first started 4.03, I thought hmmmmm all zips seem to be playing quite nicely....and they did. I only found the problem after closing and opening Hoster again with zips still in the play list.

So you are right, had I gone to 4.02 first, it would have made the conversion process upon startup. However, I had a working system with 4.01 last week leading up to an important show and I could not see upgrade to 4.02 as viable late last week.

As it was, I re-imported over 140 zips in 4.03 and it took only a few minutes; back in business! 4.03 is rock solid for me. There may be many others that are "jumping revisions" for similar reasons....so I posted. Or it may just be an anomally that does not necessarily show up with all like-minded "version jumpers" like myself

Hoster rocks!

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by GMANN

So you are right, had I gone to 4.02 first, it would have made the conversion process upon startup. However, I had a working system with 4.01 last week leading up to an important show and I could not see upgrade to 4.02 as viable late last week.

Don't quote me on this because I didn't write the code, but what I assume is when you load a zip file to the playlist in 4.03 it does the conversion then. If you re-open and use the playlist as is, it only points to the file. Since it is not an HDMP3G, you get the error. The nice thing about doing the conversion in 4.02 is it weeds out any problem zips you might have. My suggestion would be to create a songbook listed by book ID in 4.01 or 4.03, install and run 4.02 to weed out any bad files. Then create another songbook listed by book ID in 4.02 to determine what files didn't convert, then re-install 4.03 and re-import the bad zips. You could assign the old book #s when re-importing and save yourself from having to change any book IDs.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by marklwood

Don't quote me on this because I didn't write the code, but what I assume is when you load a zip file to the playlist in 4.03 it does the conversion then.

4.03 does the conversion when you import zip files into Hoster using the Import Songs feature.

Jim

[Ed Beram]

I have a collection of 58,000 tracks. This takes 9 hours to rebuild with Vista. I have had it with the horrible tech support at MTU. I always upgrde and pay for the product but can never get hold of a real person for problems. My 4.03 Hoster lite will not automatically convert zip files. I press play and an error message comes up and the type converts to hd mp3. You guys were talking about this problem back in August of last year. Is it fixed or not? I do a lot of shows and don't have time for the problems. Very frustrated . Do I have to go back to 4.01? I don't have time to rebuild all these tracks.
Ed

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by Ed Beram

I have a collection of 58,000 tracks. This takes 9 hours to rebuild with Vista. I have had it with the horrible tech support at MTU. I always upgrde and pay for the product but can never get hold of a real person for problems. My 4.03 Hoster lite will not automatically convert zip files. I press play and an error message comes up and the type converts to hd mp3. You guys were talking about this problem back in August of last year. Is it fixed or not? I do a lot of shows and don't have time for the problems. Very frustrated . Do I have to go back to 4.01? I don't have time to rebuild all these tracks.
Ed

You say you always upgrade then why are you behind 4 upgrades and all of them free?
Try upgrading to 4.08 the latest version released. It will play your existing HDZIP files. Hoster does not go through and attempt to convert ZIP files anymore. If you import any new ZIP files it will automatically convert them to HDMP3G.
Your problem was solved back when 4.06 was released. If you want to see every thing that has been fixed or changed from 4.03 then go to this link and read all the changes for each progressive upgrade since that time.
http://www.mtu.com/upgrades/hoster.htm

MTU only has one person doing the Support so they cannot be taking phone calls all day for support. This is why they say no telephone support directly. On the Support page of the MTU web site there is an Email Ticket submission form. Submit that with your problem and they will answer you within a couple of days (weekends not included).

[Ed Beram]

I'll gladly spend the $50.00 to upgrade as long as the bugs are out. Normally I get emals that announce the new upgrades but don't recall getting notified. By the way, I paid for hoster lite this was for a third computer. When I do this will I have to rebuild the data base or will it play the zips already on the drive?
Ed

[ddouglass]

You should not have to rebuild the database. And the upgrade is free. No emails have been sent out on the latest one yet so that a limited number would see the upgrade in case there was a problem. Emails should be going out soon as the only problem has been a few 3 or 4 who have a minor problem with it recognizing the CD\DVD drives correctly.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by Ed Beram

I have a collection of 58,000 tracks. This takes 9 hours to rebuild with Vista. I have had it with the horrible tech support at MTU. I always upgrde and pay for the product but can never get hold of a real person for problems. My 4.03 Hoster lite will not automatically convert zip files. I press play and an error message comes up and the type converts to hd mp3. You guys were talking about this problem back in August of last year. Is it fixed or not? I do a lot of shows and don't have time for the problems. Very frustrated . Do I have to go back to 4.01? I don't have time to rebuild all these tracks.
Ed

Curious as to why the rebuild is so slow.
It should only take about 1 minute per 1000 or 1 hour for 58,000.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by mindonstrike

Curious as to why the rebuild is so slow.
It should only take about 1 minute per 1000 or 1 hour for 58,000.

I think you are a little conservative on that one. With my newer Vista machine, I get almost twice that many a minute. I was thinking the next time I need to rebuild, I'll kick it up to real time and see if that is any faster.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by marklwood

I think you are a little conservative on that one. With my newer Vista machine, I get almost twice that many a minute.

1000 per minute was an average reported either here or in the manual 2 or 3 years ago, and has always held true for me. Either way it's a far cry from 107 per minute that Ed is experiencing.

I was thinking the next time I need to rebuild, I'll kick it up to real time and see if that is any faster.

With my computers being old like me I figure if I try to make them think to fast they'll make mistakes

[Ed Beram]

I'm amazed at the speed you are getting out of your rebuild. I have a Gateway laptop w/ vista home premiuim. Not the highest level about $550.00 when I bought it. AMD turion 64x2, realtek, ATI radeon. Also when I go online to download the 4.08 upgrade will they recognize my original purchase and let mre download at no charge?
Ed

[teddyt]

For some reason, my external drive comes up as a read only. I can't defragment or go to Microstudio and put songs in. I went to my computer, right clicked E drive but can't find any place to uncheck read only. If I left click and open E drive and then right click WD tools I can uncheck read only. Then click apply and OK. As soon as I back out, it automatically rechecks read only box.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by teddyt

For some reason, my external drive comes up as a read only. I can't defragment or go to Microstudio and put songs in. I went to my computer, right clicked E drive but can't find any place to uncheck read only. If I left click and open E drive and then right click WD tools I can uncheck read only. Then click apply and OK. As soon as I back out, it automatically rechecks read only box.

Is this Vista? If so, you need to change the "owner" of the drive.

click on computer
right click on the drive icon for the external drive
select properties
select security tab
click advanced button
click owner tab
click edit button
there should be at least two entries in 'Change owner to', Administrators,
and your account
click your account to highlight it
click to select the box 'Replace owner on subcontainers and objects'
now click on the OK button, if asked if your really want to do this say yes.