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[macdonjh]

I added an external hard drive for my movies.  I copied all my video files to the hard drive.  I went to Tools -> Options -> File Locations and changed where video files are located.  However, when I look at the path information under Video -> Files, I see that MC21 is still looking in the original location for my movies.  I don't want to delete the files from the original location until I'm sure MC21 can find them in the new location.  What do I do?

[blgentry]

It's actually pretty easy.  Use the Rename, Move, and Copy tool to tell MC that your files are in a different location.

It probably makes the most sense to use the Find and Replace template, which lets you replace part of the directory path name.  Like if you moved from /Users/macd/Movies to /Volumes/BigExternalDrive/Movies .  You can use the Find and Replace template to change all of the file paths to point to the new location.

IMPORTANT:  By default the Rename, Move, and Copy tool wants to Rename.  But in this instance, what you want to do is Update Database.  The Update Database mode just tells MC "hey these files have moved, here are the new paths".

So, update database mode, with Find and Replace template, and you should be good to go.  I'm too tired to provide additional details right now.  If you need more help, please ask and one of us should be able to help.  I'll check again tomorrow morning.

In the mean time, good luck.

Brian.

[macdonjh]

Thanks I made that work, sort of.  I had already copied the movie files to the external hard drive using OSX and drag-and-drop. 

• I went to Video -> Files and selected a movie file. 
  I went to Tools -> Library Tools -> Rename  Move & Copy Files and selected "Update Database".  That changed the path shown in Video -> Files.
  Then, using OSX Finder, I deleted the movie from its original location.  Unfortunately, the movie then disappeared from Video -> Files.  Does that mean I had deleted it from my current Library?
  I then went to File -> Library -> Import and imported the movie.  Everything, the movie and the cover art, now shows up in Video -> Files again

.

This gives me a few questions:
   1: Would the whole process be faster and more integrated if I used Tools -> Library Tools -> Rename Move & Copy Files and MOVED the files, rather than moving them using OSX and then updating the data base?  Or, if I was concerned about files disappearing, COPY the files, double check that everything is OK and then deleting them from the original location?
   2: Can I select several files at a time and use Rename Move & Copy Files to update the first part of the path, leaving the titles as they are?  Of course, I'll try this myself with a couple of files to see if it works.
   3: Is this the difference between "file locations" and a "library"?  Can I use this to set up groups of files for different people in my house without having to have multiple copies of various files?  For example, put all of my daughter's favorite music in "Daughter's Library"?  I could accomplish the same thing with a Playlist in the main Library, but then she couldn't shuffle or mix.  I could also use a Smartlist, but I'd have to add tag information so MC21 would know which music files were Daughter's Favorites.

[macdonjh]

   2: Can I select several files at a time and use Rename Move & Copy Files to update the first part of the path, leaving the titles as they are?  Of course, I'll try this myself with a couple of files to see if it works.
 

No, that doesn't seem to work.  If I select several files in Video -> Files then try to update the database MC21 will put all the selected files in the same folder, instead of one folder for each movie.

[blgentry]

• I went to Video -> Files and selected a movie file. 
  I went to Tools -> Library Tools -> Rename  Move & Copy Files and selected "Update Database".  That changed the path shown in Video -> Files.
  Then, using OSX Finder, I deleted the movie from its original location.  Unfortunately, the movie then disappeared from Video -> Files.  Does that mean I had deleted it from my current Library?
  I then went to File -> Library -> Import and imported the movie.  Everything, the movie and the cover art, now shows up in Video -> Files again

.

It sounds like the update database didn't work.  Because deleting the original shouldn't do anything if MC is looking in a new location!    However, you make a good point:  If MC can see the sidecar files and the JPGs for covers, then maybe just deleting the old stuff and re-importing is good enough.  Because the sidecar files have (as far as I know) all of the MC tags inside them.  So maybe the whole RM&C process is a waste of time.

   1: Would the whole process be faster and more integrated if I used Tools -> Library Tools -> Rename Move & Copy Files and MOVED the files, rather than moving them using OSX and then updating the data base?

That will certainly work.  But it bothers me personally, as the process takes a long time and doesn't have a progress window.  It just shows you a "done" message at the bottom when it's finished.  I don't doubt that it will work properly if you let it work.  It just bugs me to not have status, especially with something that might take an hour or more depending on the size of the video files.

Or, if I was concerned about files disappearing, COPY the files, double check that everything is OK and then deleting them from the original location?

This, and then doing a clean import from the new directory where the files are might be the smartest way to go.

2: Can I select several files at a time and use Rename Move & Copy Files to update the first part of the path, leaving the titles as they are?  Of course, I'll try this myself with a couple of files to see if it works.

Yes!  This is what I was trying to describe last night while tired. 

3: Is this the difference between "file locations" and a "library"?

File location has nothing to do with where your library files are located.  That's very confusing isn't it?  The library file locations are properties of each individual file.  You can change these paths with the RM&C tool.  Importing files is controlled by either manual imports, or by auto import.  Auto import stores locations that will be used to look for new files automatically.  But it does NOT control where MC looks for existing files.  Existing files are where they are and that's it.  If you want to change existing files, you use RM&C.  Or re-import from scratch.

Can I use this to set up groups of files for different people in my house without having to have multiple copies of various files?  For example, put all of my daughter's favorite music in "Daughter's Library"?

This is not related.  What you're describing can be accomplished with Views and/or Users.  Please start a new topic on this.  That way we can keep this thread focused on moving/importing your video files. 

Brian.

[macdonjh]

So THAT'S what auto import is for...

When I tried Library Tools -> Auto Import everything got quite automated.  I added an import rule to the default rules in Auto Import so now MC21 looks for new files on my external hard drive.  These files are now automatically added to my library.  When I first did this I had two copies of everything when I looked at Video -> Movies, and one copy of each file was marked with a "Do Not Enter" symbol (a red circle with a white bar in the middle).  I clicked a bunch of different things and finally MC21 told me that symbol means the file isn't located where it's been told to look.

Then I went back to OSX and deleted the files from the original location.  When I reopened Video -> Files, or Video -> Movies the files list was updated and all the duplicate files wet away and the "Do Not Enter" signs went away, too.

[blgentry]

No, that doesn't seem to work.  If I select several files in Video -> Files then try to update the database MC21 will put all the selected files in the same folder, instead of one folder for each movie.

Let's be clear.  Here are the settings you should be using to do the task you are describing:

mode:  Update database to point...

Directories:  Unchecked

Filename:  Unchecked

Find & Replace:  Checked
Find What:  (the original part of the path you want to change from)
Replace with:  (the new location in the path that you want to change to)

Examples of Find What and Replace with might be:

Find What: /Users/mcd/Movies
Replace with:  /Volumes/NewGiantHD/Video/Movies

Always look at the preview window on the right side to see what MC will do before you press OK.  The preview window is super super helpful when doing RM&C.  

Good luck,

Brian.

[macdonjh]

This is not related.  What you're describing can be accomplished with Views and/or Users.  Please start a new topic on this.  That way we can keep this thread focused on moving/importing your video files. 

Brian.

Let me look at the Wiki first and see if I can figure that out myself first.  If I need help, I'll start a Views/ Users tutorial thread.