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Author Topic: Lost Library  (Read 3588 times)

imeric

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Lost Library
« on: January 24, 2017, 06:07:32 pm »

Even though I have the option Fix Broken Link to Yes (protect files on missing drive option). I just lost all my library content because my external drive was disconnected!!

I'm on 22.0.59
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2017, 06:10:28 pm »

I know what happened...While disconnected, I put a USB Card in, and it took the same drive letter and when I rescanned, everything was gone...

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jmone

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2017, 06:14:19 pm »

Does "File --> Library --> Restore Library" bring up any backups?
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2017, 06:23:51 pm »

Yes but the last one is October 2016...

I know I was stupid and should have backed up more often (Ironically, this is what I was about to do and hit import first but forgot I had disconnected my drive)

The "Protect Files on Missing Drive should be a little smarter than this...Not differentiating betyween a 4GB USB Card and a 4TB external hard drive...

2 Things could have avoided this. Automatic Library backup every week or so. And a more resilient (Protect Files on Missing drives)..
I guess I will have learned the hard way...

Anyway I can recover without a backup?
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blgentry

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2017, 06:32:17 pm »

Backups should happen every few DAYS.  Not weeks or months.  I mean the automatic backups, not manual ones.  Check your backup directory again.  You're probably missing something.

This is yet another reason to set "fix broken links" to NO.  It's the safest option that gives you the most control.

You might also want to look into forcing Windows to assign a drive letter to your primary drive and keep it.

Finally, if you are forced to re-import your library, you shouldn't lose too much.  Mainly things like import date and maybe play count.  As long as MC has been set to write tags back to your files, you should have the vast majority of your metadata stored in the song files themselves.

Brian.
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jmone

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2017, 06:34:25 pm »

If you re-import the drive, MC will read the Meta Data stored in the Tags and Sidecar Files to create the Library.  If you have done a "Update Tags" from library at any point then it will have the same meta data as the library did.

Also - Just checked, my library auto backs up ever couple of days
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JimH

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2017, 06:45:40 pm »

Search for the backups in Explorer.  They are .zip files.
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ferday

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2017, 07:14:07 pm »

check in tools>options>file location and you'll find out where the backups are going

it's every 3 days and has been forever (since at least 17)
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2017, 07:53:29 pm »

Thanks Ferday!  Not sure why but my backups were saved in the MC20 folder. instead of 22...

Last one is from yesterday so everything is good. I was looking in the MC22 Library backup folders

I agree with you Brian and thought I had it set to No...I probably changed it to do some tests a few weeks back and forgot to put it back to No..
I would have been fine for audio as I had other backups on 2 other PCs glad I could find a library backup for home videos and movies... TV Files were ok as they are on an internal drive.

I just restored from the latest backup but it's stuck trying to save 35000 tags!!  I'll just be patient and wait.

Thx all for your help.
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2017, 08:57:29 pm »

Just before I could restore, It did re-save tags in about 3300 audio files and I don't know why...  Good thing I killed MC and restarted it.

I do have a backup of my files on another drive and looking at the metadata on both files they look the same so what was MC doing exactly??
What change was performed on the file?

As per the snapshot attached, MC is not support to store anything in tags automatically. I do it all manually (audio analysis, cover art etc..)
 
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ferday

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2017, 09:09:53 pm »

you have update for external changes, so i would guess MC detected some sort of external change (updated timestamp, anything like that)
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2017, 09:13:13 pm »

you have update for external changes, so i would guess MC detected some sort of external change (updated timestamp, anything like that)
can't be timestamp
No those files weren't changed at all. It has to be something else and I would love to know what it is.
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imeric

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2017, 09:25:32 pm »

When a large number of tags are being saved to files, It would be nice to show what files are about to get changed beforehand.

It could be like some sort of pop-up warning the user that a large number of files are about to be tagged automatically (100+ ?). 
There is a pop-up when you tag manually this would be perfect, same should apply when Auto-Import is doing tag changes.

I just learned this the hard way while having library issues and 3000+ files got changed.

Thx
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JimH

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Re: Lost Library
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2017, 07:04:45 am »

Just before I could restore, It did re-save tags in about 3300 audio files and I don't know why...  Good thing I killed MC and restarted it.
Killing any program while it is writing changes is risky.
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