Prevent Windows Media Player Album Art Download

Hi DigiNoise,

The registry edit *has* appeared to have worked, for me.

It will still create a (hidden) Folder & AlbumArtSmall file *IF* one doesn't exist in the directory already; but it doesn't seem to delete/update existing one's anymore.

NB: in my library, I have a copy of my HQ folder.jpg called COVER.jpg (which I started creating when WMP started deleting my HQ folder.jpg's) as well as MQ versions of the single covers related to the album - I haven't needed to delete any LQ folder.jpg's since I posted the above. 

Part of the problem previously for me was that WMP grabbed the first albumart tagged file and re-created the folder.jpg from it, which generally was a single cover for me, instead of the album cover.  This doesn't make WMP show the image tagged to the specific file either, just the 'folder.jpg' shows when playing in WMP.

Hope this helps someone! :)

******* now using 'Windows 7' (from Dec'09)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences]

"LargeAlbumArtSize"=dword:ffffffff

"SmallAlbumArtSize"=dword:ffffffff

that didn't work for me either, how can we find a cure for cancer if we cant display album art in a reasonable size in 2010. no album art much less joy, might have to go back to vinyl;)

I have done some researching on this issue and found the following:

• this is a major issue for a few of us
• although it was identified in WMP11 (or earlier?) Microsoft opted not to provide a resolution in WMP12 release
• the suggested workarounds don't seem to work for everyone

Can someone create a patch (etc) that stops this action? I (Like many others) would love to use WMP but cannot accept the LQ JPG downgrade upon use.  It would probably be useful to also include the update to the WMP settings (uncheck the auto update etc) for those that may have missed a check box or two.

If anyone else is adversly affected by this issue please drop a note below (just say 'me too' if you want), to show that it's not just three people affected.

A potential resolution I read was this : : 

(quote to KOAWMFOT)

if you add the below values it appears that WMP will NOT generate or resize new folder.jpg OR AlbumArtSmall.jpg files. IF folder.jpg (or AlbumArtSmall) already exist(s), it does not resize it but mearly sets the HIDDEN and SYSTEM attributes. so if you have a folder.jpg and/or an albumartsmall.jpg file at 1500x1500, it will leave them alone (except for hiding them...).

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences]

"LargeAlbumArtSize"=dword:ffffffff

"SmallAlbumArtSize"=dword:ffffffff

On first read, I couldn't locate these in the registry, but then decided to 'give it a go' adding them - so I added to the correct path above (Edit / New / DWORD) and typed the strings (without the " ie the Value Name is LargeAlbumArt - then enter the value data as ffffffff (8x'f') which showed 0xffffffff (4294967295) on the right hand column).

I have attempted to play the album I was playing which aroused this issue for me again and after playing about 3 songs it hasn't updated yet.

• • I also have unticked all references to 'Update' 'Download' etc from the WMP options/preferences dialogues on all pages (except those that specifically mentioned what they download - like program updates).

[RANT] Hope this helps you programmers sort out a patch for the rest of us - End Users shouldn't have to be playing in the RegEdit to get the programs we've purchased to behave acceptably. [/RANT]

If the above solution is incorrect or will break other things can someone please be kind enough to tell me what I'm risking?

Looks like hundreds of other WMP12 users rapidly abandoning it and switching to another player because of this behaviour ...

Typical scenario

1. Under the library tab every single option is unchecked, specifically "Retrieve Additional Information from the Internet" = UNCHECKED
2. Browse to a folder containing a bunch of new mp3 files, each with an embedded image tag.
3. First file opened in WMP creates a folder and AlbumArt jpeg.
4. Subsequent files opened in that folder now use these jpegs displaying the wrong image for the mp3 file.

Here's the thing, I do not want my media library littered with jpegs, I like my files to be portable with any art included withinthe file.

Any workaround to the problem greatfully received, as for Microsoft, give us a _____ option that lets us enable or disable this behaviour.