# Can't Start MP3Tag With Multiple Files Selected
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 23, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743 "2019-06-23T19:07:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Andacar](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Andacar)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/1 "2019-06-23T19:07:04Z")
Beginning with this latest release, MP3Tag will not start if I select multiple MP3 files, then right click and select the program. It will work if I select only one file, and I can also go to _Directory_ and reselect the path to bring up the rest of the files in a directory.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/2 "2019-06-24T05:34:05Z")
> [@Andacar](#):
>
> Beginning with this latest release
(which one)
I am running 2.95b at the moment.
I don't know if this is really a new behaviour but I could think of a reason why it is like that:
You cannot run more than one instance of MP3tag. So if the shell opens the first file, you have your running instance. when it then tries to open the next file, then this gets refused as there is already a running instance.
So your observation that you can either load a single file or a whole directory is correct, I think. You can see those options in the command line parameters that MP3tag allows:
> **[Command Line Interface – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/command-line/)**
>
> Overview on command-line parameters to be used with Mp3tag. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
The alternative would be to drag&drop the subset of files (or folders) into MP3tag.
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### Author:  [@Andacar](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Andacar)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2019, 5:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/3 "2019-06-24T05:58:40Z")
I have 2.95. I don't see a b in the downloads section.
This is a new behavior, since I know I was able to run the software the way I described before. If it isn't a bug then I can run it the ways you mentioned.
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2019, 6:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/4 "2019-06-24T06:06:30Z")
> [@Andacar](#):
>
> I have 2.95. I don't see a b in the downloads section.
See the development build status for the latest version:
> [@Mp3tag Development Build Status](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3tag-development-build-status/455):
>
> Date: 2023-12-22 Version: 3.23c Status: Beta Download: 32-bit [mp3tagv323csetup.exe](https://download.mp3tag.de/mp3tagv323csetup.exe) 64-bit [mp3tagv323c-x64-setup.exe](https://download.mp3tag.de/mp3tagv323c-x64-setup.exe) (additional [notes](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/notes-on-the-64-bit-version-of-mp3tag/57250)) 3.23c (2023-12-22) FIX: cover preview control at Extended Tags and Tag Sources was not square on all systems. ([#63076](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/63076)) FIX: File List was not refreshed with performed changes after an error occurred when renaming via converter Filename - Filename with a format string that did not match all selected files. ([#63159](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/63159)) FIX: focus on File List w…
and as that pages shows
`FIX: runtime error when clicking on existing files while adding files via drag and drop.`
I was wondering if that might have been the reason. But as you say that you use 2.95 it is none of the recent changes.
You can also add further files by holding down the Ctrl-key while dragging & dropping.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/5 "2019-06-25T16:28:11Z")
I've just tried to reproduce this and it's working as expected here. Given you've installed the Explorer Shell extension (and not some random registry hack) you should be able to select multiple files in Explorer, right click and select Mp3tag to open the selected files in Mp3tag.
Can you give some more details regarding the Windows version you're using?
@ohrenkino, it's a real shell extension which creates a M3U8 file for the selected files and passes this to Mp3tag via command line.
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### Author:  [@Andacar](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Andacar)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/6 "2019-06-25T22:47:27Z")
I'm using Windows 10 x64 with the current update. It was doing the same thing under the previous one. I have a screen capture video to show you how the software is behaving but it's too big even when zipped (10 MG).
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/7 "2019-06-26T04:21:03Z")
Did you install it normally or did you select the portable version for installing?
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### Author:  [@Andacar](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Andacar)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/8 "2019-06-27T00:05:44Z")
I used the normal installation. I also tried completely uninstalling it and reinstalling it. Same problem. Since nobody else is reporting this problem I'm wondering if something else is interfering. The only software that also uses the context menu I've added recently is _MysticThumbs_. Not sure why that would cause any problems.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/cant-start-mp3tag-with-multiple-files-selected/45743/9 "2026-02-09T12:28:08Z")