Differences to the Microsoft Store version

There is Mp3tag in Microsoft Store.

Is that the preferred version over the classical one that we have to use setup?

Thanks

I would not prefer it as the store versions does not have all the features like the explorer context menu.

The store version is identical to the version distributed via the website, except for the following differences:

Features

  • It doesn't come with the Explorer context-menu extension to open files and folders via right-click "Mp3tag".
  • It supports auto-updating without the need for manual download.

Versioning

  • New versions are sometimes not available on day one of a release, but need to go through app review first.
  • The store doesn't have beta versions.
2 Likes

Except the Explorer context-menu extension, the others are not important to me. But the context menu extension is very convenient.

I have installed the Store-based app for a test. I found that I couldn't even do a "Open with" which is really bad. Obviously, it's a matter of programming because I have installed Store-based IrfanView and after installation, I can do "Open with" on all kind of image files.

I think the installation has to register the kinds of files (ie the file extensions) the application is able to handle. It's in this way that supported files can be sent to "Open with" which can be a workaround to missing context menu extension.

A post was split to a new topic: Bearbeiten der Export-Konfiguration in der Store Version

The version available via the Microsoft Store now also comes with a Explorer context-menu extension starting with v3.11b so that there should be no differences anymore.

I have installed the v3.11b from Microsoft Store and I confirm that context menu extension is working. However, this extension only works after Windows session reopening. I think it is worth to mention this point or users might think it is not working.

Since context menu extension is working, it's not important to make "Open with" work.

I have just installed the v3.12 from Microsoft store but the context menu extension is not working again.
Regression?

Can you give a little more details?

Have you restarted your machine. Is this under Windows 11 or 10. If it's the former, is it missing from the main context menu in Windows File Explorer or from the classic that is displayed via Show more options?

I didn't restart my computer because that was not necessary in v3.11b. Personally, I would consider that a software requiring a computer restart as not mature enough.

However, I didn't distinguish Win11 from Win10, indeed. Let me check this point first and come back later.

OK, I've done the test in both Win10 & 11. Here is a summary of the results.

NOTE:

  1. I have Win10 ver 21H2 and Win11 ver 21H2
  2. MP3TAG that is being tested is ver 3.12 in both Microsoft Store and setup
  3. I know the existence of "simplified context menu" in Win11. So this is not the cause.
  4. After every test of "from store", the app was uninstalled and computer rebooted to make it as clean as possible.
                             Context menu shown?
                              Win 10       Win 11
----------------------------------------------------
Just installed from store       NO           NO
After opening MP3tag once       NO           NO
After reboot                    YES          YES
----------------------------------------------------
Just installed from setup       YES          NO
After opening MP3tag once       N/A          NO
After reboot                    N/A          YES

So, in Win11, the situation is worse even with the setup. It's clear that there's a regression.

I thougth that a shell extension is something that the explorer manages and that the explorer has to register the shell extension.
To do that, the explorer has to be restarted.
So, IMHO, it is irrelevant how often MP3tag is started to show the shell extension.

If you do not get the shell extension after a W10 reboot, check which installation method you used. The shell extension is only available for the standard installation, not the portable one.

Thanks for your extensive tests. I'm not sure if it's a regression, because you've mentioned before that

The problem with the Store installation is, that there is no installer I can use to refresh the shell. It's really up to Windows and the whole packaging machinery to parse the manifests and provide the different capabilities to the user interface.

The same applies to installing the shell extension from setup under Windows 11. Here, making the extension available to the system is not done via the well-established process that has been used for decades, but via a Windows Package Manager that is used to deploy a sparse package with the shell extension. I've tried to refresh the shell after deployment through the Package Manager, but it doesn't trigger a refresh of the installed shell extension packages.

I'd not consider Mp3tag not mature enough, given that it's one of the first that even supports the new Windows 11 context menu. I also want to point out, that it's not required in the sense that Mp3tag isn't usable otherwise.

And to speed-up things a little the next time you run into this issue, you can also just restart Explorer via the Task Manager to make the context menu entry appear.

Where did I say that the shell extension does not work after a reboot? (No need to reply. It's a rhetorical question)

On the other hand, take WinRAR as an example. Its Shell extension works without computer reboot. So it's possible to do it.

I interpret n/a as "does not work" as otherwise it would say "yes".

I think WinRAR is still using the classic context menu for its shell extension.

N/A (non applicable) means it does not make sense to say Yes or No in this situation. Implicitly Yes, but still not making sense

This really comes down to a personal preference to a rather insignificant ideal. If you want it to work as you have indicated, simply use the website download version instead of the MS Store version. Is a single re-boot really worth the time and energy you have focused on this? There are 100's of other software packages that still rely on a reboot to implement integrated functionality.

2 Likes

Oh, indeed. I forgot that (Windows session reopening) It was so confusing. Sorry.

My WinRAR is indeed not a good example as it is installed with a setup, not Store.

However, Skype might be a good example. "might be" because it has the "Share with Skype" context menu. However, I have never tried to uninstall it and reinstall in Store to see if the context menu appears immediately. I'm not willing to reboot my computers for the time being as I have too much things on it.

If anyone's free, please don't hesitate to test it.

For me it's certainly not a "personal preference" but rather a work constraint. My Windows session is my work. And I cannot close the session like that because Windows session CANNOT (yet) reopen every thing in previous session. Browser sessions are managed by browsers, so that's not an issue. But not other applications.

I would prefer MS Store version despite this "context menu" bug because it will update softwares automatically. No more "downloading and installing" -- so tedious. MS Store (and winget) is the future. It makes deployment in companies a lot easier. Setup are in the past / history.