# After using MP3TAG, Windows loses details for FLAC files
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 27, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241 "2025-11-27T01:42:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JimH49](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JimH49)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/1 "2025-11-27T01:42:52Z")
I ripped a CD to FLAC. When I opened the directory with Windows 11 File Explorer, I could see an album name, track #, and title. After I updated 1 of the files with MP3TAG, all that information disappeared and the properties sub-function could no longer update the details.
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 4:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/2 "2025-11-27T04:50:15Z")
> [@JimH49](#):
>
> After I updated 1 of the files with MP3TAG, all that information disappeared and the properties sub-function could no longer update the details.
What fields did you update? Did that include large album artwork by chance?
> [@No metadata in flac files after cover has been added](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/no-metadata-in-flac-files-after-cover-has-been-added/69418/5):
>
> That SOLVED my problem immediately!! I reduced the .jpg file size below 4MB and the tag data was still intact in Windows after the album cover was written into the file. I am very thankful to you for that suggestion, I have been using MP3Tag for so many years and never had any issues at all and then this has been perplexing me for 2 days!star_struck
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 7:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/3 "2025-11-27T07:08:20Z")
> [@JimH49](#):
>
> FLAC
see e.g. this thread about the problems that the windows explorer has with FLAC files:
> [@Windows10 FLAC support Tag invisible](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/windows10-flac-support-tag-invisible/17170):
>
> I used MP3TAG several years for my FLAC music tag editing, the FLAC files played by WMP with some plug-ins in Win7 & Win8.1 without any problem. Recently, after my PC upgraded to WIN10, the Windows native support FLAC function cause lots of Tag display problems. 2/3 of my FLAC file tags information cannot display neither in WMP nor in Explorer normally. I think that isn't MP3TAG problem, but it seems Microsoft has its own FLAC tag specification? I need your advice.
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### Author:  [@JimH49](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JimH49)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/4 "2025-11-27T20:52:28Z")
I updated cover, title, composer, artist, etc.
And yes, the cover file is a large file.
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### Author:  [@JimH49](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JimH49)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/5 "2025-11-27T21:00:55Z")
I copied the large PNG file to a 3 MB JPG file and replaced the cover. Windows is still not happy. I then took another copy of the same FLAC file that never had the large cover art added and added the 3 MB JPG cover. Windows is happy with that copy.
It seems that MP3TAG should refuse to add the huge cover file and suggest instead a safe maximum size.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/6 "2025-11-27T21:10:34Z")
> [@JimH49](#):
>
> It seems that MP3TAG should refuse to add the huge cover file and suggest instead a safe maximum size.
The "safe size" depends very much on the player - and the windows implementation of dealing with flac files is obviously flawed as it does not follow the flac standard.
As other programs cope without difficulties with standard compliant pictures, I doubt that MP3tag by default should hinder users to add covers well within the boundaries of the standard but outside the parameters that windows accepts.
Now that you know where the limitations come from, you can adapt your workflow and add only covers that the windows explorer can deal with.
There is an [action that reduces the picture size](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/adjust-cover/).
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/7 "2025-11-27T21:45:45Z")
> [@JimH49](#):
>
> I copied the large PNG file to a 3 MB JPG file and replaced the cover. Windows is still not happy.
You may need to have mp3tag compress the padding space left behind after changing the cover image size.
> [@How does padding and the "Optimize FLAC" feature work?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-does-padding-and-the-optimize-flac-feature-work/65848):
>
> I recently figured out how to fix the issue I was having with a few releases that pertained to Windows not displaying metadata. That lead me down the padding rabbit hole, but I would like this explained from a more technical standpoint. I understand audio a little bit, but I never knew about padding until very recently. I'm very much a novice when it comes to this, and I apologize if my questions seem stupid. What is padding and how does it work? How does padding get added/removed to a fil…
> [@JimH49](#):
>
> It seems that MP3TAG should refuse to add the huge cover file and suggest instead a safe maximum size.
The "safe" size will depend on your own environment and player software. It isn't up to mp3tag to manage that. If it automatically reduced cover art file sizes, other users may be very unhappy with that. It is best left to the user to manage according to their needs. No different than any other tag limitiations.
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### Author:  [@JimH49](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JimH49)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/8 "2025-11-27T22:54:52Z")
Thank you so much.
I found the Optimize FLAC utility option and now everything is working.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2025, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/after-using-mp3tag-windows-loses-details-for-flac-files/70241/9 "2025-12-27T22:55:19Z")
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