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Author Topic: MC 20 with library on an external hard drive  (Read 4113 times)

jimbo2ko

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MC 20 with library on an external hard drive
« on: December 15, 2015, 01:04:50 pm »

Just put a new ssd on my main computer and I would like to keep it clear of any library files as it is not large enough for all. I have a 2 TB external hard drive with all my music, PICs and Video on it. and I am having a problem getting it to work like my previous HDD did. When I point it toward the hard drive in Add a new library, I get the message "cannot create a library at specified location. The directory must be empty. All songs are in their root, either Flac or wave. I know this is doable, just need some forum help. Thanks in advance. Jim   :)
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mwillems

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Re: MC 20 with library on an external hard drive
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2015, 01:12:54 pm »

This is a terminology issue:

When MC refers to a "library" it doesn't mean your music files; it means the database that MC uses to index your files and store metadata.  The library and the actual media files don't have to be in the exact same place, and MC needs to be able to exclusively own the directory where the library (database) will be (which is why MC throws an error). For performance reasons you 100% want your library (database) on your SSD and not on your spinning disk drive.

To get the files into your library, you need create a new empty library (database), preferably on your SSD.  Then use the import tools after you've created the library (the database), and make sure to point the import at the directory where all your media is on the spinning disk drive. The library itself doesn't take up very much space.
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jimbo2ko

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Re: MC 20 with library on an external hard drive
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2015, 01:35:20 pm »

Well thats not going to work. SSD is only 128gb and my music and PICs are larger than that. Cant open jriver on the 2tb drive and have as shortcut to the ssd, i suppose as there is no OS running on the other drive. Got a laptop with enough storage though. Got to be a better solution. Jim ?
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mwillems

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Re: MC 20 with library on an external hard drive
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2015, 01:56:28 pm »

Well thats not going to work. SSD is only 128gb and my music and PICs are larger than that. Cant open jriver on the 2tb drive and have as shortcut to the ssd, i suppose as there is no OS running on the other drive. Got a laptop with enough storage though. Got to be a better solution. Jim ?

Take a second look at what I said; the "library" is just the database, the media files can be on a different drive.  The library only takes up a few 100MB. 
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Arindelle

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Re: MC 20 with library on an external hard drive
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2015, 09:27:01 am »

No worries, as MWilems said you want the library and program on the SSD -- its small. If you have a lot of album or associated artwork that are HD, change the configuration in JRiver to put all media art in the data folders as well -- that will pare it down even more. Without the cache and removing most of the album art I have about a couple of hundred megabytes on SSDs and 6tbs on external drives ... others here have a LOT more than that
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