Invalid Midi file header: missing MThd chunk id

[newbee]

It's a long error, but it shows as:
Invalid MIDI file header: missing MThd chunk id (see tip.) (error 908)

That is what I get when I try to play numerous Midis on Notation Player.

I went online and did a Search and found the issue listed in the Notation Forum back on May 5, 2002 at 11:13 PM by Mark Walsen who looks to have been (or still is) a Notation Moderator.

It's of course now 2011, - 9 years later and I'm getting the same error for a long list of Midis that I have tried to play.

They mention www.midiworld.com (http://www.midiworld.com) in the Post and that could be where I got these from also, can't recall any longer. But am unable to play any of them due to the Error listed above.

Anyone have a solution, or know what has transpired regarding the answer to this issue, since 2002?

Any help appreciated!

[Sherry C]

Hi,

The "missing mThd chunk" is a problem with the .mid file, that it is not structured correctly to be read and transcribed.

Some media players that don't rely on that structure may be able to open and play the file, so you could try using such an application to re-save the file, though I'm not sure if that will help.
It is in our "to do" list to try and overcome the problem, at least for Notation Composer users, by opening such files in Composer and using the ReBar feature. However, that work is on indefinite hold due to the unexpected death of Mark Walsen (http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?p=15377#post15377), the president and chief developer of Notation Software, Inc.

If you'd like to send me one of the files that gives you the error, I can take a look at it and see what I can do.

ttfn,
Sherry

[newbee]

Oh dear, I am SO sorry to hear that. I had just found a Post by him regarding this Error, back from 2002, which I will try to insert below.

I will also try to send you a couple of the files (out of a great many) that have the problem.

Forgive me... but maybe this will help in the meantime? It's a shortened Quote from that Forum regarding the Error I get.

MidiNotate Users Community Forum Classical Midi Connection Error Notation Software Support Forum (http://s11-us2.ixquick-proxy.com/do/proxy?ep=4d77777044454a664b6a4d4d47425a444467527a5 9674558474252354c6a3546645668644e6a382b5031556e567 a6b744c3331464956452f51415575436777664f544967456b4 a5441487368466b3863574131554f41742b50786b724d54497 7656841515844564747424d63427749545642686357315a505 168384d5669685a50434e434579514a5742565355305962665 15167536b38445154704b474255325251392f4646644c4f534 92b5668527a507845634d6b6f3043775535443145514657454 3624234555345346143574e73576a6745636d565455696c2b5 753417849454d73567941495355644565686b364a525175545 635585552385149513465414367424e3267474142416d42414 148466b414b505141564133596b506d6344466a6b474746457 2514555764878774a4767774a5532317459474150426a63744 a314663586e306351434d524545426e42574a774855564c554 8386e467839644c566b6d566d514e48673d3d&epile=4q6n41784q5441314q5445784s5638324q4335725n58 6o3q&edata=38fc043e42a1be0755b350672fd19b8a) » MidiNotate 4.0 (replaced by Notation Musician) -- How to Use It, Questions and Answers (http://s11-us2.ixquick-proxy.com/do/proxy?ep=4d77777044454a664b6a4d4d47425a444467527a5 9674558474252354c6a3546645668644e6a382b5031556e567 a6b744c3331464956452f51415575436777664f544967456b4 a5441487368466b3863574131554f41742b50786b724d54497 7656841515844564747424d63427749545642686357315a505 168384d5669685a50434e434579514a5742565355305962665 15167536b38445154704b474255325251392f4646644c4f534 92b5668527a507845634d6b6f3043775535443145514657454 3624234555345346143574e73576a6745636d565455696c2b5 753417849454d73567941495355644565686b3649686f30413 06c4e4767686b4367384541436f544954345264444a2b516b5 a414931396364414645585678794c435a524a6978555767427 841566473547867655446634c447a357362325149415445716 56c4a6257485a4c47434d51466b64345344637246424657417 a453d&epile=4q6n41784q5441314q5445784s5638324q4335725n58 6o3q&edata=f466c3a353af41b55f183b3f0d9f83a9) » Classical Midi Connection Error « Previous (http://s11-us2.ixquick-proxy.com/do/proxy?ep=4d77777044454a664b6a4d4d47425a444467527a5 9674558474252354c6a3546645668644e6a382b5031556e567 a6b744c3331464956452f51415575436777664f544967456b4 a5441487368466b3863574131554f41742b50786b724d54497 7656841515844564747424d63427749545642686357315a505 168384d5669685a50434e434579514a5742565355305962665 15167536b38445154704b474255325251392f4646644c4f534 92b5668527a507845634d6b6f3043775535443145514657454 3624234555345346143574e73576a6745636d565455696c2b5 753417849454d73567941495355644565686b364a525175545 635585552385149513465414367424e3267474142416d42414 148466b414b505141564133596b506d6344466a30624455357 441565575464130554742525a6332747663324e59464449754 a3042624c48744c427a56485256452f576d567a51454e4e423 3787a536c784265415236426e786355336f6747314d4d57467 065524159434b574d425a30554358696f6e48786359&epile=4q6n41784q5441314q5445784s5638324q4335725n58 6o3q&edata=c9824920c29d3dc44173e7e2451e05fd) Next (http://s11-us2.ixquick-proxy.com/do/proxy?ep=4d77777044454a664b6a4d4d47425a444467527a5 9674558474252354c6a3546645668644e6a382b5031556e567 a6b744c3331464956452f51415575436777664f544967456b4 a5441487368466b3863574131554f41742b50786b724d54497 7656841515844564747424d63427749545642686357315a505 168384d5669685a50434e434579514a5742565355305962665 15167536b38445154704b474255325251392f4646644c4f534 92b5668527a507845634d6b6f3043775535443145514657454 3624234555345346143574e73576a6745636d565455696c2b5 753417849454d73567941495355644565686b364a525175545 635585552385149513465414367424e3267474142416d42414 148466b414b505141564133596b506d634446694d4d4545787 441565575464130554742525a6332747663324e59464449754 a3042624c48744c427a56485256452f576d556b536b784b425 8496e454141576651597641796c6342587032486c554a57463 16652314654664468545a30554358696f6e48786359&epile=4q6n41784q5441314q5445784s5638324q4335725n58 6o3q&edata=81a4f0e1ab215113b44645cd71536f62) » Author Message
MidiNotate chokes with an error message -- "file was downloaded, but it is not a correctly formatted MIDI file...cannot convert to notation. Invalid MIDI file header: missing MThd chunk id"
Mark Walsen (markwa)
Posted on Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 12:08 pm: I've confirmed the problem Steve has reported. Some, perhaps all, of the MIDI files at the Classical Midi Connection web site (www.classicalmidiconnection.com (http://www.classicalmidiconnection.com/)) are not correctly formatted MIDI files. MidiNotate cannot read these files.We successfully reviewed many of them when we listed them at our www.notation.com/midifiles.htm (http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/../midifiles.htm) page. I may have to drop the Classical Midi Connection from our list of recommended MIDI file sites.
-- Mark
Steve K
Posted on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 5:44 pm: Well, here's the URL for support of Classical Midi Connection: http://www.midiworld.com/mw_cont.htm
Someone named Les Winters. I sent him a message about this. No reply yet. I have a feeling it's something intentional, to prevent unauthorized proliferation of the files.
Mark Walsen (markwa)
Posted on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 11:13 pm: Hi, Steve. Given the contact you found, I have also sent Les Winters at the Classical Midi Connection a message. Not many weeks ago my wife and I successfully tried out MIDI files from this web site. So, this is a recent problem. I doubt that this web site is intentionally reformatting the MIDI files so that they cannot be read by programs like MidiNotate, There's some other explanation. If I don't hear back from Les Winters in a few days, I'll dig into the MIDI file data to see where it deviates from the expected MIDI file format.
-- Mark
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