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[rsg]

If you are running two computers on the network (each with its own library) and you want the second computer's external hard drive to store duplicates of all your files (because this is the computer that you take to the cottage, travel with etc. etc.), how do you copy files over to this computer so that you can have two identical libraries?

[~OHM~]

for the initial move I would use copy and paste thru windows from then on, decide which computer will be the master, make and add only to the master. find a good sync program (I use good sync $$) and sync it with the 2nd pc (to update files one way) you could move the portable hd to pc 1 for the sync but I don't want to confuse you. you don't mention how the files are stored on the 1st pc...internal or external or nas....I have several backups and do run 2 pc with there own libraries and use goodsync

https://www.goodsync.com/

now if your one of those concerned with play counts and you take your 2nd pc to the cabin and play a bunch of files and or make new playlists, come home and add files to the 1st pc and run the sync you would loose the playlists and playcount unless you made a precise backup of MC for that particular pc and or before making any changes to pc 1 run the sync in the other way (once you learn how sync programs work if your not familiar) have I lost you yet....lol

[rsg]

Thanks for the reply. I have tried plugging in the second computer's external drive into computer #1 and copying files over with Windows 10. The problem is that this method often misses cover art (all ALAC files) and changes track names...so for instance every song name is preceded by the artist's name and other glitches. The other method is to use Sync Library in MC, but that refuses to sync only new files; it adds duplicates so I have to know before hand how many new files I want it to copy and then shut it off at that point before it starts duplicating. At least Sync Library starts with the most recent new files. If I could prevent the duplicating, it would be a workable solution, one that does not involve moving around USB drives and such.

[~OHM~]

take a look at goodsync...it's worth the $ but I think they only allow it to be used on one pc...but that's all you need...it even picks up the networked nas. moves all files and does not duplicate....

[~OHM~]

or there's this way. Look for RoderickGI post a few down

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,113917.0.html

[rsg]

Interesting...Roderick GI has about 15 steps. But, if I use "Sync Library", it takes 2-3 steps to copy files from one PC to another. Only problem is...it wants to copy all the files and make duplicates . Is there a way to calibrate it so that "Sync Library" only copies new files (i.e. files that are not yet located on the second PC's drive)?

[~OHM~]

Interesting...Roderick GI has about 15 steps. But, if I use "Sync Library", it takes 2-3 steps to copy files from one PC to another. Only problem is...it wants to copy all the files and make duplicates . Is there a way to calibrate it so that "Sync Library" only copies new files (i.e. files that are not yet located on the second PC's drive)?

I'm not familiar with "Sync Library" I use Good Sync as it is very customizeable.

[RoderickGI]

That post was on one of your many threads on this topic, and at the time it seemed that you were trying to transfer your media files and library from one PC to another for the first time. That is what my post describes.

You have been on this and related topics for some time, and still haven't resolved it.

February 16, 2018: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,114430.0.html
February 12, 2018: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,114364.0.html
January 7, 2018: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,113917.0.html
December 28, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,113758.0.html
November 7, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,113097.0.html
October 24, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,112871.0.html
March 16, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,109849.0.html
March 7, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,109744.0.html
January 20, 2017: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,108989.0.html

I don't know if you read all the responses you received in those threads, or learned from them. But you seem to abandon your threads pretty quickly and then start another one later. Sometimes just a few days later.

If you are having trouble finding your old threads, just click on the PROFILE heading near the top of the forum, then select "Show Posts" on the left. All your posts are there, and as you can see, lots of them are covering this one topic or related topics.

So, do you want to fix this issue once and for all?

If so, you will have to answer all my questions, even if you have answered them before, and even if they don't seen to be relevant. I'm not going to go back and read all your threads in detail.
You will also have to do as requested, and provide feedback on what happened. Unless you really think it will break something. But I won't tell you to do something that isn't reversible.
You will probably have to post some images of what MC looks like into the forum. If you don't know how to do that, I will give you a procedure.
You will have to stick with this one thread and not start new ones on the same topic.

I'm not trying to treat you like a child or worse, but it seems your understanding of technology isn't great, so I will need to take it slowly and describe lots of stuff. That may take some time.

Let me know if you agree to all that.

[rsg]

OK, OK, point taken. I am interested in getting to the bottom of this, and apologies for multiple threads etc. All I am doing is trying to figure out how to copy files over to another computer's external drive for 1. play-back on that computer when the server is not available and 2. as a backup of precious files. As I have said, Windows Explorer causes problems (changes to the tags and random missing cover art for instance), and Library Sync prefers to keep running and duplicating stuff. So, please be patient with me. Here's where I am at...

Since I do read the threads, I am following up on your suggestion of using Goodsync ('doing as requested'). Thank you for that recommendation. It is not self-explanatory, however, whether to do an initial Sync or initial Backup. I tried an initial sync...ended up with several GB of duplicates on the primary PC (left side in Goodsync parlance). Erased those, deleted everything from the second drive and even formatted it (I think I know more than you give me credit for BTW). Now I am doing an initial backup from drive 1 on to drive 2, aimed at a folder I created called 'Music.' From here on, I am hoping to do incremental backups with Goodsync every few days.

Really appreciate everyone's input on this essential forum. Thank you especially RoderickGI...

[RoderickGI]

Good.

Understand I was not trying to be rude, but you were jumping around from thread to thread, and it was getting a bit hard to follow. One of the hardest things to do in helping people on the forum is to work out how technically competent they are, their level of MC experience, and therefore how to best write questions, suggestions, or instructions. If a user writes a question in bad English, they will usually get a short cryptic answer. If they write well, they will get a better answer. It is all about time management and avoiding frustration.


[Comment] I looked at the MC "Sync Library" functionality, and it does work, but can be complex to set up correctly, particularly if you wanted to sync in both directions. More comments here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,114481.msg791669.html#msg791669

[Comment] It was actually ~OM~'s suggestion to use GoodSync, but that's okay. If you want to sync between the two PCs any decent syncing software will do.

[Comment] Windows Explorer doesn't actually lose or make changes to the tags or cause random missing cover art. What is happening there is that your files don't have all the tags stored in them, so when you copy the files to your second PC and import them into a new MC Library, not all the tags are available for MC to find. Part of your file synchronisation solution will be to make sure all tags that can possibly be stored inside the media files are stored there. When I say tags I am including Cover Art images. But we will also sync any external Cover Art files and MC Sidecar files that contain more tags, potentially.

[Comment] Whether you do an initial Sync or Backup with GoodSync will depend on what you want to do exactly. It is capable of doing one way backups or two way Syncs.

Okay, some initial questions.

[Question] 1. I saw that you looked at using the MC Client/Server functionality. Have you decided not to go ahead with that?

[Question] 2. Let's talk about your PCs as PC1 and PC2. Is PC1 a desktop PC, and PC2 a laptop by any chance, and if so, do you want to be able to take PC2 away on trips, holidays, etc. and have MC fully functional?

[Question] 3. Do you wish to synchronise in one direction only, or do you want to make PC1 the Master copy of everything, and if so, are you happy to make all changes to media files, Playlists, Cover Art, etc. on PC1?

[Question] 4. Are PC1 and PC2 normally networked together?

[Question] 5. When PC1 and PC2 have their external drives attached, what drive letter is assigned by Windows to each PCs external drive?

[Question] 6. Do you now have two external drives that are big enough to hold your full library of media files, with at least, say, 20% free space?
[Comment] Note that if you don't have Cover Art stored inside files at the moment, then doing so will make the files larger. Hence the need for spare drive space. If none of the files has Cover Art inside them you may need a lot more than 20% free space to start off with. No hard drive should ever have less than 10% free space if it is to work efficiently.

[Question] 7. What types of media files do you have in your Library? I think you have said that they are all audio, but are they FLAC, MP3, APE, M4A, etc.? List all types, please.

[Question] 8. Do you want the same Playlists, Views, and everything else on both PCs, not just access to the same media files?

[Question] 9. Are you okay with following a procedure to sync PC1 to PC2, and optionally PC2 to PC1, rather than having it happen automatically?

[Question] 10. Have you already bought GoodSync, or are you using it in trial mode for the moment?


That will do to start with. No need to quote my questions, just provide numbered answers. We need to set things up correctly to begin with so that your solution works without issues. I'll try and provide timely information, but life might get in the way!

[rsg]

Question 1: I am now going ahead with a server/client set-up in MC23.

Question 2: PC 1 is a desktop (server); PC 2 is a laptop (client). I take the laptop away from home, so MC should be fully independent

Question 3: I can make all changes on PC 1, but I do note that some changes (e.g. star rating) that I have made on PC 2 show up on PC 1...so both ways is ideal

Question 4: PC 1 and PC2 are networked via cable

Question 5: PC 1 is F: and PC2 is something different like maybe B: D: (can't check it right now)

Question 6: Yes two 2TB external USB-powered drives about half full

Question 7: All ALAC, nothing else (36,000+ files) (only because I started out with ITunes)

Question 8: All the playlists etc. on both machines would be great

Question 9: I can do the procedure for syncing; no need to be automatic

Question 10: Using Goodsync in trial mode (right now it is finishing up the initial backup from PC 1 to PC 2 drives)

[RoderickGI]

Okay, that is all great.

Based on what you have said, let's go for the "Make it all work" option. 

That means that the aim is to have Client/Server working between your two PCs for when you are home, but with a fully independent Library on PC2 that you can use while at home or on the road. Also, we shall go for all Cover Art and Smart/Playlists on both PCs all the time, and for changes on PC2 to make their way back to PC1. That means synchronisation in both directions, but initiated manually. It also means that PC1 will have one Library, which will be the Server Library, and PC2 will have two Libraries; the Client Library that is synchronised to the server Library via MC's Media Network, and a local Library that is synchronised independently using GoodSync.

I'm sure you have progressed with the Client/Server since your last post, but I'm going to ask you to make some changes.

[Setup: Get drive letters set to better values]
In order to make the Libraries work together with no issues, and allow a Library backup from PC1 to work on PC2 and visa versa, the drive letters of your external drives on each PC need to be the same. This is so that when MC is looking for a file on PC1 it will be looking for example on the M: drive, and on PC2 the Library there will also be looking on the M: drive. Without doing this and backup fromPC1 would need to be "fixed" before it could be used on PC2, by changing the place that MC looks for media files. The drive letters that you use should also be well away from any drive letter that Windows assigns for any future drives or other devices, which means it should be at the upper end of the alphabet, so that the drive letter doesn't get changed.

So, I suggest that on both PC1 and PC2, with the external drives connected to each, change the drive letter for the external drive to M: (for Music). This can be done simply using the Windows Disk Management application. Note that when you search for "Disk Management" in Windows it will come up with "Create and format hard disks" as the result. That is what you want.

Part A - Update Drive Letters for External Drives in Windows
A0. Assuming that your GoodSync process has finished, do the following on PC1.
A1. First, we need to stop MC from trying to fix things when you change the drive letter, so turn off the setting in "Options > Library & Folders > Auto-Import > Run auto-import in the background".
A2. In "Options > Library & Folders > Auto-Import > Configure auto-import" you can leave "Update for external changes" turned on, but make sure "Fix broken links" is set to "Yes (protect files on missing drives)".
A3. Shutdown MC and Media Server if it is running. In fact, set "Options > Startup > Windows Startup" on PC1 to "Nothing" for now, so that MC and Media Server don't get started when we reboot later.
A4. Start Disk Management, select the external drive i.e. F: on PC1, right click on the Volume and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths...". The click "Change" and change the drive letter from F to M. Do the same on PC2.
A5. Now reboot both PCs and check that their external drives still get assigned drive letter M:.
A6. Now eject the M: drive on both PCs and disconnect them, then reboot the PCs, then reattach the external drives to each PC and check that their external drives still get assigned drive letter M:.

[Comment] If the drive letter doesn't stay M: for both drives I will need to dig up the procedure to always make that happen. Stop here and let me know if that is the case.


Part B - Change the MC Library to Point to the New Drive Letter
B1. Start MC on PC1 and create a Library backup. Top menu, "File > Library > Back Up Library". Perhaps change part of the proposed file name to "Before change to M drive" or similar so that you can easily find the correct backup if you need it, which you shouldn't. Take note of where your backups are being saved.
B2. In the Navigation bar on the left, click "Audio > Files", then click on the first file, then press Ctrl-A to select all files. MC should indicate that your 36,000+ files are selected at the bottom of the screen.
B3. Now we are going to tell MC to look on drive M: instead of drive F:. Press F6 to open the "Rename, Move, & Copy Files" function. Note that this won't move any files, just update the Library, which is an index of files.
B4. In the RM&CF dialogue box, in the top left set the drop-down list to "Update database to point to new location (no file rename, move, or copy)"
B5. Untick the "Directories" and "Filename" boxes.
B6. Tick the "Find & Replace" box and set the "Find What:" box to "F:\" and the "Replace With:" box to "M:\" (no quotes). You will see the proposed changes on the right. No directory structure changes will be made. Just the F: drive will be replaced with the M: drive in the file paths.
B7. Click OK and wait for the process to finish. It should be pretty quick. On my test Library of 2314 files it finished in about 2 seconds.
B8. On PC1 and PC2, go to "Options > File Location" and change any mention of the F: drive to M:. Specifically, the Audio section will now need to point to the M: drive, but all other settings should probably be changed as well.
B9. Once you have done that, could you make an image of the "Options > File Location" dialogue on PC1 and post it to the forum? Or message it to me if you wish. Thanks.


Part C - Change MC Settings back to Working Conditions
C1. On PC1, start MC and change "Options > Startup > Windows Startup" back to what you had it before.
C2. On PC2, if you had finished the GoodSync and Client/Server setup, start MC and connect to the MC Server on PC1 again. This will refresh the Library on the Client with changes we made on the Server. Check that your files are visible, pointed to the M: drive, and play on PC2.
C3. On PC2, check the box for "Options > Media Network > Client Options (when connected to a library server) > Play local file if one that matches Library Server is found". This will mean that the local copy of your music files will be used when you play them on PC2, so that the MC Server doesn't have to serve them over the network. It should make things work a little quicker, and save network traffic.
C4. You can also turn on the setting in "Options > Library & Folders > Auto-Import > Run auto-import in the background" again.
C5. Finally, could you tell me what you called the Libraries you are using in your Client/Server setup on PC1 and PC2. i.e. On my Server my Library is called something like "HTPC Server", while on my Workstation the Client Library that connects to that Server is called  "HTPC Server Library". This is just in preparation the next steps.
C6. On PC1 and PC2 change the "Folders to Watch" settings in Auto Import configuration to point to the new drive letter, and the folders within it you want to watch.


Okay, that will probably do for now. You may want to print out thse instructions and tick them off as you go. I knew they would be long, but I didn't think this long!

Let me know how you go with that, or ask questions if you wish before you start. I think I have covered everything to set up for the next stages; Synchronisation of important files other than just the media files, and creating a local library on PC2 so it can work stand alone. Note that as your external drives are now both called M: you will need to make changes in GoodSync if you want to use it again before we finish this process. I will cover the GoodSync process again later though.

[rsg]

"You will probably have to post some images of what MC looks like into the forum. If you don't know how to do that, I will give you a procedure.
You will have to stick with this one thread and not start new ones on the same topic."

I am working through the instructions. Can you please tell me how to post an image? Thanks.

[rsg]

Wonderfully clear instructions...thank you. I have done everything (except for posting an image of "Options > File Location" (B9) as suggested). So far this is working: music plays on both PCs (PC 1 = from its own external drive) (PC 2 from the server's [PC 1] external drive). For PC 2, however, it does not play files on its own library (Main Library). I am assuming I have to repeat B3-B8 that will tell PC 2 to look on drive M: instead of drive E:. Also, need to change "Add folders to watch" in "Media Import" I think.

(A few minutes later)...Yes, did that, and it works. So in terms of playback, everything is working as it should. One thing is curious though: the external drive on PC 2 (client) is named "B: M:" rather than just "M:" Don't know if that is important.

I am calling the Server Library "Office Library" and the Client Library "Main Library"

[RoderickGI]

I am assuming I have to repeat B3-B8 that will tell PC 2 to look on drive M: instead of drive E:.

I wasn't expecting you to need to do that. I was expecting the Client to get a new complete Library from the Server with the changes in it. But if you have done it, and it works, all is good.

Perhaps just to check your Client/Server setup you should add a couple of Playlists on PC1, then sync the library on PC2 and you should see the new Playlists. Then add a couple of extra Albums to the Playlists on PC2, sync the Library and check if the extra Albums turn up in the Playlists on PC1. If that doesn't happen we will need to check your Media Network Authentication settings.

Remember the manual sync function is in the top menu, "File > Library > Sync Changes with Library Server", or under "Playing Now" there is a "Sync Changes with Library Server" button when the Client Library is selected.

Also, need to change "Add folders to watch" in "Media Import" I think.

Ah yes. I forgot about that one. Good pickup. I might edit that into the instructions above for future reference.

In fact even in a Client/Server setup. most settings are specific to a computer and not to the MC Library is uses. I will be addressing that with the next stage, but this setting should be changed on both PCs. Note changes above in Blue.

I am calling the Server Library "Office Library" and the Client Library "Main Library"

Okay. Good.

One thing is curious though: the external drive on PC 2 (client) is named "B: M:" rather than just "M:" Don't know if that is important

Well, it shouldn't be like that. There might be a mapped drive to B: for that external drive. You should be able to go into Disk Management again and remove the B: reference if it is there.

If it doesn't show up in there, right click on the drive in Windows Explorer and select "Properties". Check if the B: is just the name given to the drive at some time, rather than the drive designation. For example, my F: drive shows in Windows Explorer as "Working Drive (F:)", as its name is "Working Drive", while its designation is "F:".



If the "B:" is just the name, perhaps change it to something meaningful like "Laptop Drive". On PC1 you could name the drive something like "Office Drive". Then the drives would be quickly and obviously recognisable if plugged into the wrong PC.

[RoderickGI]

Okay, on to posting image onto the forum.

[Background]
On Windows 10 there are three main ways to copy part of the screen to the clipboard for posting into an image file.

Print Screen:                  This is the "Prt Scr" button on your keyboard. It copies the whole screen as an image to the clipboard.
Alt + Prt Scr:                  This copies just the currently active windows in Windows. So you get a small sized image, and often that is all you need.
Windows Key+Shift+S:    This is the keyboard shortcutfor the Windows 10 Snipping Tool. A search for "Snipping Tool" on the internet will find more about its capabilities, but I just use the shortcut.

[My Simple Procedure]
A1. Open up the "Options > File Location" dialogue on PC1.
A2. Press Alt+ Prt Scr.
A3. Search for "Paint" in the Windows search bar, and open the Paint application.
A4. Paste the image from the clipboard into Paint. It should show just the MC Options dialogue with the "File Location" item selected, and not the whole screen. You could resize the image, add arrows, hide, or highlights parts of the image here if you want.
A5. Select "File > Save As > JPEG picture". Use the Save As dialogue to select a location you want to store the image. Take note of that location.  I use one location that is easy to get to for the images I use in the forum. Paint almost always remembers that location for me when I save new images because this is about all I use Paint for these days.
A6. When you have a forum post you are ready to add a picture too, click on the "+ Attachments and other options" menu option below the text entry box. Look down! Blue writing.
A7. Click the "Choose file" button, then navigate to the location where stored the image and select it. Double click it or click the "Open" button. The file will be added to the bottom of the post. See my post above. You can add more images by selecting the "more attachments" menu item below the existing files.
A8. Preview/Post the forum post as usual.

[Bonus Procedure: Adding Images Inline in a Post, as Above]
B1. View the post you just created in the forum.
B2. Right-click on the small image at the bottom of the post, and select "Open link in new tab" (if using the Chrome Browser) or its equivalent in any other browser. ("Copy link address" also works. I like to preview the image. "Copy image address" will just give you the thumbnail sized image, which is not what you want.)
B3. Go to the new tab that has opened, preview the image to see it is the right size and the image you want, and copy the URL for the page. It will look something like;

Code: [Select]

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=114430.0;attach=26888;imageB4. Place the cursor in the place where you want the image to appear, and click on the "Insert Image" button above. (Second row of buttons, first on the left.) This will put an "[img][/img]" pair where you want the image.
B5. Paste the URL copied above between the two IMG tags, like this;

Code: [Select]

[img]https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=114430.0;attach=26888;image[/img]B6. Save the post again and the image will appear amongst the text where you put it.

Neat huh?

[rsg]

I actually had already generated a library on PC 2 from the external drive (as replicated by Goodsync). So, PC 2 has "Office Library" (on the network) for accessing the PC 1 external drive, and "Main Library" (on the PC) for accessing the PC 2 drive.

OK...good news: creating the playlist on PC 1 and adding to the playlist on PC 2 works perfectly, so the two PCS are communicating back and forth nicely.

You're right...the "B:" in the drive name is actually the name, or part of; it is "Seagate B:". I changed it to "Laptop Drive".

So far so good, I think.

Wondering, though,...I can modify the library from PC 1 or PC 2; it all stays in sync with "File > Library > Sync Changes with Library Server". But what about the other library on the client machine ("Main Library")? Are changes made there too? There is no "File > Library > Sync Changes with Library Server" in this library because it is not used as a client library since I only need to access it when I take the laptop (PC 2) away and have no access to the server (PC 1).

BTW: How do I insert quotes from you in the little blue boxes? Might be useful...





I

[RoderickGI]

That's all good.

I actually had already generated a library on PC 2 from the external drive (as replicated by Goodsync). So, PC 2 has "Office Library" (on the network) for accessing the PC 1 external drive, and "Main Library" (on the PC) for accessing the PC 2 drive.

I now understand why you had to repeat steps B3-B8 for the Main Library on PC2. That is a local Library that was already set up and pointing to the old drive letter. This bit confused me, as I thought Main was a Client of Office. Now I understand.

I am calling the Server Library "Office Library" and the Client Library "Main Library"

Just be aware that when you are using the Office Library on PC2 (which means it is running as a Client), that you can't make some changes. I think I listed them on one of your threads somewhere already. Generally View Creation and Editing, Rename, Move & Copy Files, Cover Art collection are a few of the things that must be done of the MC Server in a Client/Server setup. Well, a two way GoodSync of files may fix the RM&CF issue, but not the View and Playlists.

With your current setup your Main Library on PC2 will get updated when any changes are made to tags stored inside files on PC1, then you sync the files to PC2 using GoodSync, and then MC on PC2 runs Auto Import and finds these "external changes". But if the tags are only stored in the Library, and not inside the files, then those tag changes won't be picked up.

Also when using the Office Library on PC1 if you move files to new directories, or rename them, or similar, then GoodSync will sync the changes to PC2 external drive, and the Main Library on PC2 will pick them up as external changes and update its Library. So you will see many changes come through, once you have run PC2 with the Main Library and allowed Auto Import to run, with the "Update for external changes" setting turned on.

Note that I hope the sync of GoodSync works correctly. It should delete files from PC2 if they are missing on PC1 (because they have been renamed), and add new files it finds on PC1 to PC2. If you do just a one-way sync from PC1 to PC2 that would work fine. But if you do a two-way sync, files deleted from PC1 may be restored from PC2, creating an old and new version of the renamed files. Something to keep an eye on if you use two-way syncing with GoodSync, which was what I was planning to do.

But any new Views, or View modifications, or Playlists, won't be synced from the Office Library on PC1 to the Main Library of PC2. They will only be synced to the Office Library on PC2 via the Client/Server setup. You can't use the Office Library on PC2 when you take it away travelling, so you have to use the Main Library, which means missing Views and Playlists, and probably some other stuff. You would get updates to things like the "Number of Plays" in the Main Library back to the Office Library on PC1 if you used a two-way sync, as that is just tag information, and is inside the files... I think. I'm really not sure if all tags are stored in the files, or some are only in the Library. Again, something to keep an eye on.

Anyway, I don't want to confuse the issue too much. My plan is to make the Main Library on PC2 disposable, and have a copy of the Office Library from PC1 loaded into the Main Library of PC2 for when you wish to take the laptop away. The Main Library will get overwritten when that happens. So continue to focus on using and updating the Office Library on PC1 and PC2, and not making changes in the Main Library on PC2. I'll explain that later.

===============================================================

To quote text in one of my posts, look for the "Quote" word in the top right of one of my full posts, to the right of the post heading. Or if you are already writing a post and want to insert some of what I wrote, scroll down from the text input box where you are writing your post to find what you want to insert, and click "Insert Quote" in the top right corner of the post the text is in.

That will insert the full post, and then you need to edit out what you don't want, and arrange the [Quote] and [/Quote] tags around the text you are quoting. So for example, one of my posts above where I quoted your text actually looks like this when I type it:

Code: [Select]

[quote author=rsg link=topic=114430.msg792148#msg792148 date=1519348661]
Also, need to change "Add folders to watch" in "Media Import" I think. [/quote]

Ah yes. I forgot about that one. Good pickup. I might edit that into the instructions above for future reference.

In fact even in a Client/Server setup. most settings are specific to a computer and not to the MC Library is uses. I will be addressing that with the next stage, but this setting should be changed on both PCs. Note changes above in [color=blue]Blue[/color].

[quote author=rsg link=topic=114430.msg792148#msg792148 date=1519348661]
I am calling the Server Library "Office Library" and the Client Library "Main Library"[/quote]

Okay. Good.

Now I have done something different again so that you can see the structure of the original text. I have used [code] and [/code] tags to surround the original text so that the forum displays it as is, without interpreting the tags and formatting.

There are other tricks, but that is the basics.

Try not to quote full posts when you respond to something. Just quote the relevant text to provide context. Also, if responding immediately after someone's post it usually isn't necessary to quote text, unless it adds context, for example when answering multiple questions or specific parts of a post as I was. There is nothing worse than a post that quotes 30 lines of text immediately after the original post, only to add one line of comment. Rule of thumb: The amount of new text should be greater than the amount of quoted text.

[rsg]

With your current setup your Main Library on PC2 will get updated when any changes are made to tags stored inside files on PC1, then you sync the files to PC2 using GoodSync, and then MC on PC2 runs Auto Import and finds these "external changes". But if the tags are only stored in the Library, and not inside the files, then those tag changes won't be picked up.

Just synced file changes to PC 2 via Goodsync. Since PC 2 doesn't show up on available files/folders in Goodsync (don't know if it can interact with a PC on the network), I carried the external drive from PC 2 to PC 1 to do the sync (easy enough). When I plugged it back into PC 2 and hit "Auto-import," all the changes were made. So that works as a possible system. Not sure about syncing on the nework, or at least how to get Goodsync to connect to PC 2. Actually, did a "Backup" not a "Sync" on Goodsync so that it just updates one way (PC 1 to PC 2).

Note that I hope the sync of GoodSync works correctly. It should delete files from PC2 if they are missing on PC1 (because they have been renamed), and add new files it finds on PC1 to PC2.

It updated changes and deletions.

But any new Views, or View modifications, or Playlists, won't be synced from the Office Library on PC1 to the Main Library of PC2. They will only be synced to the Office Library on PC2 via the Client/Server setup. You can't use the Office Library on PC2 when you take it away travelling, so you have to use the Main Library, which means missing Views and Playlists, and probably some other stuff. You would get updates to things like the "Number of Plays" in the Main Library back to the Office Library on PC1 if you used a two-way sync, as that is just tag information, and is inside the files... I think. I'm really not sure if all tags are stored in the files, or some are only in the Library. Again, something to keep an eye on.

Actually, when I am away and using PC 2 with Main Library, I don't make any big changes...no new playlists etc.

Anyway, I don't want to confuse the issue too much. My plan is to make the Main Library on PC2 disposable, and have a copy of the Office Library from PC1 loaded into the Main Library of PC2 for when you wish to take the laptop away. The Main Library will get overwritten when that happens. So continue to focus on using and updating the Office Library on PC1 and PC2, and not making changes in the Main Library on PC2. I'll explain that later.

Not sure about this point. Just to be clear....I am hoping to run PC 1 and PC 2 at home using the Server Library and being able to make some changes on either PC (this works well right now). As for the Main Library on PC 2...when I go away from the network, I am hoping that the Main Library will be an up-to-date copy of the Server Library. When I am away, I play music on the laptop but I don't do any tinkering with tags etc. Nice if it would continue to update number of plays though

[RoderickGI]

I carried the external drive from PC 2 to PC 1 to do the sync (easy enough).

I was wondering if you were doing it over the network or just moving the drive. It could be done via the network if you mapped a drive letter on PC1 to the M:\ drive on PC1. But if you are happy with moving the drive, I wouldn't bother with that. It also definitely means you will only need one licence for GoodSync, as it is licenced by PC. One of the options I thought about was having GoodSync installed on both PCs so that you could sync from either one, perhaps just in one direction from each. But moving the drive is a good solution.

[Question] What drive letter is assigned to the laptop drive when it is attached to PC1?

[Setup] What I was going to suggest if you used this method was to assign drive X:\ to the laptop drive when it was connected to PC1, for the same reasons we assigned drive letter M:\ to the drives when attached to their own PCs; So that the drive letter is always the same and you don't need to check or change this when you are doing a sync with GoodSync. The process should work as before. Just plug both drive in to PC1 and use Drive Management to assign letter X:\ to the laptop drive. If you decide to do this, just check that the laptop drive still gets assigned drive letter M:\ when you connect it back to PC2. It should.

Actually, did a "Backup" not a "Sync" on Goodsync so that it just updates one way (PC 1 to PC 2).

It updated changes and deletions.

Yes, that would work correctly because a backup is a one-way process.

Actually, when I am away and using PC 2 with Main Library, I don't make any big changes...no new playlists etc.

I am hoping to run PC 1 and PC 2 at home using the Server Library and being able to make some changes on either PC (this works well right now). As for the Main Library on PC 2...when I go away from the network, I am hoping that the Main Library will be an up-to-date copy of the Server Library. When I am away, I play music on the laptop but I don't do any tinkering with tags etc. Nice if it would continue to update number of plays though

Okay. Thank you for clarifying. I was actually hoping that you would use PC2 that way, but thinking about making the process more flexible. I am very happy to go with the simplest solution.

I'll have a bit more of a think, have a look at GoodSync, and get back to you with ideas. But I will repeat; don't put a lot of extra effort into the Main Library on PC2, as any solution for what you want will involve that Library being overwritten.

[~OHM~]

Just synced file changes to PC 2 via Goodsync. Since PC 2 doesn't show up on available files/folders in Goodsync (don't know if it can interact with a PC on the network), I carried the external drive from PC 2 to PC 1 to do the sync (easy enough). When I plugged it back into PC 2 and hit "Auto-import," all the changes were made. So that works as a possible system. Not sure about syncing on the nework, or at least how to get Goodsync to connect to PC 2. Actually, did a "Backup" not a "Sync" on Goodsync so that it just updates one way (PC 1 to PC 2).

Yes it can interact with pc on the network....you just need to share that drive on the network for it to show up in goodsync just as you would need to see it on the other pc....so if you can already see it on the other pc than you not looking in the right place of goodsync...i have multiple pc with portable hd and a nas all synced from 1 pc with goodsync...there are limitations on goodsync till ya send in your $$....

[rsg]

[Question] What drive letter is assigned to the laptop drive when it is attached to PC1?

E:

[Setup] What I was going to suggest if you used this method was to assign drive X:\ to the laptop drive when it was connected to PC1, for the same reasons we assigned drive letter M:\ to the drives when attached to their own PCs; So that the drive letter is always the same and you don't need to check or change this when you are doing a sync with GoodSync. The process should work as before. Just plug both drive in to PC1 and use Drive Management to assign letter X:\ to the laptop drive. If you decide to do this, just check that the laptop drive still gets assigned drive letter M:\ when you connect it back to PC2. It should.

Should I still assign PC 2 external drive "X:\" when it is connected to PC 1?

[rsg]

Yes it can interact with pc on the network....you just need to share that drive on the network for it to show up in goodsync just as you would need to see it on the other pc....so if you can already see it on the other pc than you not looking in the right place of goodsync...i have multiple pc with portable hd and a nas all synced from 1 pc with goodsync...there are limitations on goodsync till ya send in your $$....

OK, I will try that. Perfectly happy to pay for Goodsync if need be as it seems like a good program.

[RoderickGI]

Should I still assign PC 2 external drive "X:\" when it is connected to PC 1?

Yes. Then change you GoodSync setup to use X:\.

Because E: is early in the possible drive letter list, it may get assigned to a device you plug into PC1 at some stage, like an optical drive, a USB drive, or similar. That would break your GoodSync setup, and when that happens it isn't always obvious. It just stops working. Typically if you assign a drive letter high up in the alphabet Windows won't assign that letter to anything automatically.

I chose X:\ because it is obviously different to M:\. If you used N:\ for example, you would be forever checking to see which drive letter it was. Well, if your eyesight is getting as bad as mine you would!

[rsg]

Anyway, I don't want to confuse the issue too much. My plan is to make the Main Library on PC2 disposable, and have a copy of the Office Library from PC1 loaded into the Main Library of PC2 for when you wish to take the laptop away. The Main Library will get overwritten when that happens. So continue to focus on using and updating the Office Library on PC1 and PC2, and not making changes in the Main Library on PC2. I'll explain that later.

So, just to update...everything is working now as it should, so I think this is the only outstanding issue.

[~OHM~]

Actually GoodSync will find the new drive and tell you that the drive letter was changed and adapt itself to the new letter...Quite nice!

[RoderickGI]

Actually GoodSync will find the new drive and tell you that the drive letter was changed and adapt itself to the new letter...Quite nice!

Very nice.

So, just to update...everything is working now as it should, so I think this is the only outstanding issue.

You haven't done this yet:

B9. Once you have done that, could you make an image of the "Options > File Location" dialogue on PC1 and post it to the forum? Or message it to me if you wish. Thanks.

I wanted to see that before I wrote up the last step. Helps me visualise whats on your PC better, and not miss anything.

[rsg]

You haven't done this yet:
I wanted to see that before I wrote up the last step. Helps me visualise whats on your PC better, and not miss anything.

Yes, I am having a problem with that. Paint keeps giving me "Couldn't save. Something went wrong." That's why I haven't posted it yet.

[RoderickGI]

Very strange.

It might be a permissions thing with the location you are trying to save to. Try creating a directory on the C:\ drive of PC1, perhaps just "C:\MCImages\" and saving the image there.

[rsg]

What about a photo shot? Just attached one, but it may not work

[rsg]

OK figured ot out. Saved as PNG instead of JPEG

[RoderickGI]

That works. Strange about the JPEG. I can see everything in the first picture. The second image has the bottom cut off because you didn't expand the dialogue box downwards, but that is okay.

[Comment]
All of the below is assuming that you don't want to make significant changes on PC2 when you are travelling with it, but would like to have "Number of plays" and other tag changes restored to the PC1 "Office Library" when you put PC2 back onto the network, as discussed above.

[Recommended changes]
First I would recommend that you add some sub-directories to avoid getting lots of sub-directories in the root of the drive, if ever you put videos or images into the library. I know you only have Audio at the moment, but it can't hurt to be set up just in case. Unless you are very confident that you will never be adding images or any video to this library. Not that this couldn't be fixed later.

Just make the Images folder "M:\Images\" and the Ripped DVD, Ripped BD, and Other Video folders all "M:\Videos\", for simplicity. MC will want those directories to be created, so they will be on the M: drive and visible to GoodSync, in Windows Explorer, etc., but that is better than getting lots of sub-directories under your root drive letter. If you make these changes, do so on PC1 and PC2.

[Setup for synchronisation with GoodSync]
A1. On PC1, change the Library Backups folder to "M:\Library Backups\".
A2. On PC1, change the Cover Art folder to "M:\Cover Art\" and then click OK. MC will ask if you want it to move your Cover Art. Let it do so.
A3. Repeat steps A1 and A2 on PC2.
Now both the Library Backup and any Cover Art that isn't stored inside your media files can be synced from PC1 to PC2 by GoodSync, once you make change required in GoodSync.
A4. Create a new Library Backup of the "Office Library" on PC1; File > Library > Back up Library...", change the target directory to "M:\Library Backups\", click the "Save" button to start the backup.
From now on when MC does an automatic backup, and when you do a manual Backup or Restore, the target or source directory should default to "M:\Library Backups\" without you having to change directories or search for the correct location.
A5. Create a new Library Backup of the "Main Library" on PC2; File > Library > Back up Library...", change the target directory to "M:\Library Backups\", click the "Save" button to start the backup.
This is an important backup as it includes settings from PC2 which you may need to restore at some time.
Now if you wish to update the "Office Library" when you arrive home from a trip, you can just backup the "Main Library" and restore it to the "Office Library" on PC1.
A6. Change GoodSync to sync all the directories om the M:\ drive from PC1 to PC2, rather than just the "M:\Music\" directory.


[Procedure to prepare for taking the laptop on a trip]
B1. Backup the "Office Library" on PC1 to the M:\ drive.
B2. Shut down MC on PC1.
B3. Sync the external drives from PC1 to PC2 using GoodSync.
B4. Start MC on PC2 and load the "Main Library".
B5. Restore the backup you just made on PC1 to the "Main Library" on PC2.  File > Library > Restore Library...", the proposed directory should be correct at "M:\Library Backups\", click the Browse button and select the most recent "Office Library" backup file. Uncheck the "Restore settings" Checkbox. Click OK to start the restore process.
Notes:
The "Office Library" backup should be in the PC2 "M:\Library Backups\" directory after GoodSync has run, and the file name by default will include the originating Library name, so in this case "Office Library". For example in my case one of my backups is automatically named "MC Library Backup (Temporary Local Library - 2016-04-29).zip" where my Library name is "Temporary Local Library".
Note, even though you are restoring an "Office Library" backup into the "Main Library", the "Main Library" will correctly retain its name, so there should be no confusion about which is which.
You will never want to "Restore settings" from PC1 to PC2 as they will have different Audio Devices, and different audio settings at a minimum, and other settings will not be compatible. If you accidentally restore settings from PC1 to PC2, just restore the settings only, not the Library, from one of the PC2 "Main Library" backups. This will change all settings back to the correct values. You will know if you accidentally forgot to uncheck the "Restore settings" checkbox as MC will tell you that it needs to restart after settings are restored. It does not require a restart if only a Library without settings is restored.


[Comment]
Unfortunately, the [Number Plays] tag is only stored in the Library, and not in the file itself. Therefore you need to restore a backup of the "Main Library" from PC2 into the "Office Library" on PC1 to pick up these changes. If you are going to make some tag changes while travelling, it wouldn't hurt to do this process anyway.

If you wish to know which tags are stored in the files, and which are not, and are therefore only stored in the Library, go to "Options > Library & Folders > Manage Library Fields..." expand the dialogue vertically so it is easier to see more tags, then select "Show only fields saved in tags" or "Show only fields not saved in tags" in the drop-down list in the upper left corner of the dialogue. You will see that the list of tags saved in files is quite a bit shorter than the list of tags not saved in files.

So the way to get changes to the library on PC2 back to PC1 is pretty much the reverse of the above.


[Procedure to include changes made while travelling back into PC1 "Office Library" on return home]
C1. Start MC on PC2 and load the "Main Library".
C2. Backup the "Main Library" on PC2 to the M:\ drive.
C3. Shut down MC on PC2.
C4. Get a copy of the backup from PC2 "M:\Library Backups\" to PC1 "M:\Library Backups\". I'm going to leave it to you how you do this. As it is just one zip file, and it will be named uniquely, you can just copy it using Windows Explorer when both PCs are on the network again. Or if you want you could use GoodSync to sync the two "M:\Library Backups\" directories. Either will work, as long as the "Main Library" backup gets back onto PC1 in the "M:\ibrary Backups\" directory.
C5. Start MC on PC1 and let it load the "Office Library".
C6. Restore the backup you just made on PC2 of the "Main Library" into the "Office Library" on PC1. Make sure to uncheck the "Restore settings" Checkbox. Click OK to start the restore process. MC won't need to restart.

Note: I have assumed all along that when you start either PC1 or PC2 that the "Office Library" is the first Library automatically opened (the default library for the installation), and that if you want to use the "Main Library" on PC2 you have to manually load it. This is probably the best way to use your two PCs, as when you are using PC2 at home it should be operating as a Client of PC1 and using the "Office Library". It is only when away from home that you want to use the "Main Library" on PC2.

Finished. You should now have a good workflow to keep your two PCs Libraries in sync. Hopefully there will be no further problems, but if there are and you can't work them out, ask again.


PS: Sorry for being so wordy on with this pretty simple procedure. Just the way I write things I guess. 

[rsg]

Once again, a superb set of instructions...very well organized and clearly explained. Thank you. I did everything you suggested, including changing the location of Library Backups and Cover Art etc. I then did a backup with Goodsync since I had recently added a couple of albums and made some tagging changes on PC 1. Then I ran into a problem, one that I have been mentioning for quite some time....

On PC 2, a few albums are missing cover art on every track except the last one. These are not necessarily brand-new rips, but they are albums that have tags recently updated. Of course, I can fix it via Copy and Paste, but I don't see why this should happen. Some of these albums, or parts thereof, are being dumped into Unknown Artist by Unknown Artist. I can check with YADB to get some data back, but not all. In these cases, the song name is often changed so that it is preceded by the Artist Name e.g. 'Peter Gabriel - Darkness' instead of just 'Darkness'.

[RoderickGI]

Good that you have all that done and it is working. Well, mostly.

On the Cover Art issue you are reporting, it is hard to diagnose exactly without sitting down in front of the PCs. But I found your thread from December, and as Jim said, it happens because the Cover Art isn't available. Which means that it wasn't embedded in one or more media files, or if MC was relying on finding an external Cover Art file in "M:\Cover Art\"  it couldn't find it, and so you would see what you reported. But it sometimes isn't as simple as that.

First, Thumbnails and Cover Art are different in MC. Cover Art is the full image size, while thumbnails are smaller versions of the images stored in a separate file that is called a thumbnail database and is indexed to quickly provide the correct thumbnail image to MC for display in Views. Updating tags in a media file for which Cover Art is missing can result in the thumbnail image for that file disappearing. Also note that a Client independently builds its thumbnails database when it is in Client/Server mode, and it needs the Cover Art file to build the thumbnail. That Cover Art file can either be served from the MC Server, inside the file in a tag, or in the specified Cover Art directory. Your two libraries on PC2, "Office Library" and "Main Library" will each have their own thumbnail databases.

In your case, I would have to assume that the Cover Art isn't inside the file as a tag, and for some reason, any external Cover Art file has gone missing. Note that the "Display" (bottom left corner of the window) area uses the Cover Art file and not a thumbnail from the thumbnail database. You can check that easily by detaching the Display (Ctrl-6) and expanding the Display window size. The image won't become pixelated like a thumbnail would, as long the the original Cover Art was of a decent size and resolution.

Interestingly, I just removed Cover Art from one file in an Album and checked it was gone in the Image section of the tag window. I then played the file and MC found the external Cover Art file and listed that in the tag window. When I stopped playback and refreshed the tag window, MC had put the Cover Art back into the file. The image was listed as "Inside File". So MC is trying very hard to fix such issues!


Now I assume that you are using the "Office Library" in Client/Server mode when you noticed the Cover Art is missing? That really shouldn't happen, because the "Office Library" on PC2 should be identical to the "Office Library" on PC1 once you have done a MC sync, and MC on PC1 should serve the Cover Art to PC2 when required. What could be happening is that PC1 had the Cover Art at some stage and created the thumbnails that it required, but no longer has the external Cover Art file, and only has embedded Cover Art in one file. Sometimes MC seems to build a thumbnail for an Album when only one file has embedded Cover Art, and sometimes it doesn't seem to do it. I think it might be because MC only looks into the "first file", but I'm not sure what it sees as the first file. i.e. What order it is using to determine that. I suspect that a similar thing happens for the "Display" (bottom left corner of the window) area.


Remember, when using Client/Server you can't fix Cover Art on the Client. It must be fixed on the Server. So you need to go back to PC1 for the Albums that are missing Cover Art on PC2 in some files, and check if the problem exists on PC1 as well, for some files in the Album. If any files are missing embedded Cover Art on PC1, just right-click on the one file that does have Cover Art and select "Cover Art > Copy To Clipboard (first file)", then select all the other files in the Album and select "Cover Art > Paste From Clipboard (Image or URL)". With your settings as they are now, when you do that MC will embed the Cover Art into all the selected files and put a Cover Art file into "M:\Cover Art\" as a backup. Sync both MC and using GoodSync and all should be good on PC2 for that Album.


When using the local "Main Library" on PC2, MC will rely on Cover Art embedded in the files, the Library tags, and if necessary the Cover Art files which you have GoodSynced to "M:\Cover Art\".


Now the issue of those Albums being dumped into "Unknown Album by Unkown Artist", and having the [Name] tag changed to something like 'Peter Gabriel - Darkness', this implies that the file has just been imported into MC again, and was not in the Library previously. I would expect this could happen on PC2 if you changed a file name on PC1, GoodSynced the new file version to PC2, then opened the "Main Library" without restoring a backup of the "Office Library" which had been made after the file name changes. The "Main Library" would simply see a new file appear and would import it, and if the file didn't have the important tags in it, then it would be imported as using just the information that CARNAC could gleen from the file name, which possibly would mean no Album name, no Artist name, and the Track name being set to the file name.

If the Cover Art issue above only happens with the files that have been renamed on PC1, and you are using the "Main Library" library without restoring a backup of the "Office Library" first, then ignore all the stuff above other than to improve your understanding of Cover Art, and either use the "Office Library" in Client/Server mode on PC2, or run the [Procedure to prepare for taking the laptop on a trip] before using the "Main Library" on PC2.

However, even if MC had imported these files into the "Main Library" on PC2 as new files, they should not have been put under unknown Artist and Album, or had the [Name] tag changed, as those tags should already be stored in the media files, and MC should have found them during the import. I checked this just now by copying a file out of its directory, renaming it "Bad File Name.mp3" and placing it back into the directory it cam from. MC correctly imported it with the Album, Artist, Track Name, and so on intact.

So this implies that these important tags are not stored in the media files on PC1 at the moment. This would be bad. You can check that by looking in the Tag Dump area of the new Tag window, and looking for the Album, Artist, and Name tags at a minimum. Do this on PC1.

If those tags aren't in those in the files you can add them by selecting the files then right-clicking and select "Library Tools > Update Tags (from library)", then check again that the tags are now in the files. If this was part of the issue, you should do the same to all your files on the external drive of PC1. You have a backup of all your files on the "Laptop Drive", so this is relatively risk free. The tag updates may take some time, and when done you should check the results as best you can before you run GoodSync again.

That is probably enough information for now. Your head is probably spinning. See what you think of all that, and what you can confirm as the issue. I am working a little blind here so I could be off base with some of it. More information may clarify the Cover Art and Unknown files issues.

[rsg]

Now I assume that you are using the "Office Library" in Client/Server mode when you noticed the Cover Art is missing? That really shouldn't happen, because the "Office Library" on PC2 should be identical to the "Office Library" on PC1 once you have done a MC sync, and MC on PC1 should serve the Cover Art to PC2 when required. What could be happening is that PC1 had the Cover Art at some stage and created the thumbnails that it required, but no longer has the external Cover Art file, and only has embedded Cover Art in one file. Sometimes MC seems to build a thumbnail for an Album when only one file has embedded Cover Art, and sometimes it doesn't seem to do it. I think it might be because MC only looks into the "first file", but I'm not sure what it sees as the first file. i.e. What order it is using to determine that. I suspect that a similar thing happens for the "Display" (bottom left corner of the window) area.

Sorry, should have clarified this point. No, the cover art is missing on the Main Library on PC 2. I agree with you that it would be unlikely (or impossible) to happen in the Server/Client mode as the Server (Office Library on PC 1) does not exhibit this issue. I am instructing the Office Library to update tags from library just in case there are hidden glitches. This is unlikely since I have checked the Smartlist 'Missing Album Art' (empty) and also I find no files located in weird places such as "Unknown Album by Unknown Artist" on PC 1. So, PC 1's library looks all intact and correct, and the problem only shows up after I have synced PC 2's external drive with Goodsync and then carried the drive back to PC 2, plugged it in, and hit Auto Import Now. Very strange how the album art is only there for, usually, the last track of the album but not all the other tracks. (I can see that it is album art and not thumbnail because, while the thumbnail is there for the album, the album art in 'Display' is not present for certain tracks). I am going to do a backup of Office Library on PC 2 before trying this again.

Just discovered something interesting...I found an album with album art for only the last track, so 9 out of 10 tracks have no album art. I know this because I can check in 'Display' when an individual track is played and see if the cover shows up. BUT the album does not show up in the Smartlist for 'Missing Album Art'. Weird

[RoderickGI]

That makes much more sense then.

I don't know why only one file in an Album would have Cover Art and not the rest. But it could be historical. Maybe MC did just save Cover Art in one file per Album at some time, and then just found the art for the Album whenever a file in that Album was selected. Maybe that is why MC will now populate the [Image File] tag for each file when it is played, if there is any file in the Album which has Cover Art. That would be a good way to automatically populate the [Image File] tag if the functionality had changed.

Or it could just be that you didn't have the "Also store image in file's tag" checkbox selected in the past, and MC just hasn't added Cover Art to each file yet, since they haven't been played, and you haven't force MC to add the Cover Art for all files.

Maybe the Smartlist has also changed. You are calling it the "Missing Album Art" Smartlist, but on my system it is called the "Audio -- Missing Cover Art" Smartlist. Check the definition of your Smartlist against the definition for mine, in the image below. Mine certainly works.

Also note for me, as above, when I play a file and Cover Art is available somewhere, MC adds it to the file. So if you check a file by playing it you are probably fixing the problem for that file. Hence, it isn't in the Smartlist. But it should have been before you checked it. Perhaps best to check if Cover Art is in a file or available in the "M:\Cover Art\" directory either by opening the Tag window and checking the [Image File] tag, or by selecting the file and right-clicking, selecting "Cover Art > View (first file)". The [Image File] tag will state below the image if the Cover Art is inside the file or will point to a directory where it is stored, or will say "no image".

[Question] So when you find an Album with Cover Art on just one file, can you fix the other files and does the fix persist?

[rsg]

Maybe the Smartlist has also changed. You are calling it the "Missing Album Art" Smartlist, but on my system it is called the "Audio -- Missing Cover Art" Smartlist. Check the definition of your Smartlist against the definition for mine, in the image below. Mine certainly works.

Yes, sorry, the actual name of that Smartlist is "Audio -- Missing Cover Art".

[Question] So when you find an Album with Cover Art on just one file, can you fix the other files and does the fix persist?

Yes I can fix it with Cover Art > Copy to Clipboard and Paste from Clipboard, and it stays.

Problem now is this: I did 'Update Tags' on PC 1 for all files just to be sure all tags are complete. I then made a few changes to one album as a test case and plugged in PC 2's external drive into PC 1 to do a backup and to test everything is working. Thought I would see just that one album's changes. Trouble is...Goodsync noticed something weird and wanted to copy every single file all over again from PC 1 to PC 2 (while keeping the files already on PC 2 drive...so doubling everything in fact). Not a good thing! To get around that, (and this is maybe the heavy-handed approach),and to get everything up-to-date, I moved the Music:\ folder off of PC 2's external drive. I created a new Music:\ folder to replace the removed one. Now I am reloading up PC 2's external drive with all my files from PC 1. Then I should have an exact match PC 1 to PC 2. Then I can test what exactly happens when I rip a new CD and what happens if I make tagging changes to albums/tracks on PC 1 and sync up with PC 2.

[RoderickGI]

It would be normal for GoodSync to want to copy every file again because every file has been updated when the tags were written to them. Their "Date Modified" would have been updated to today. So, nothing weird.

What is wrong is that GoodSync wanted to keep the old and new versions of the files. I would expect there to be a setting in GoodSync to specify whether to just update the files, or keep multiple versions, or not. So look for such a setting in GoodSync.

No harm in what you have done though, and it means you have a clean copy of the files just in case. But delete that extra copy when you are satisfied with the new copy GoodSync is making.

Just remember, you only need the files on the laptop drive when you are going away, and you should always update the "Main Library" with a backup of the "Office Library" before you use the "Main Library" on the laptop. It's not a disaster if you don't, but you may see some issues like you did earlier today. If Cover Art and tags are in all files though, then Auto Import on "Main Library" should keep it up to date and the same as the "Office Library", since it is just importing the same files.

The only real issue is if GoodSync doesn't delete files on PC2 that have been deleted on PC1, that it deletes the old version of a file and syncs the new version when a file is renamed on PC1, and that it doesn't try to keep multiple versions of files on PC2 but just keeps exactly the same files as PC1. That should all be in settings. Maybe because you have been using the Backup process instead of the Sync process in GoodSync, it is trying to keep multiple versions. I really haven't had much of a look at GoodSync.

But anyway, you are testing the process to see what can go wrong, and that is good. You don't want to have to do a complete sync of all files every time you want to take the laptop off the network, so you need to get the incremental syncs working and trust them.

You are almost there.

[rsg]

It would be normal for GoodSync to want to copy every file again because every file has been updated when the tags were written to them. Their "Date Modified" would have been updated to today. So, nothing weird.
No harm in what you have done though, and it means you have a clean copy of the files just in case. But delete that extra copy when you are satisfied with the new copy GoodSync is making.

Whew! On the right track!

The only real issue is if GoodSync doesn't delete files on PC2 that have been deleted on PC1,

That seems to work from previous testing.

But anyway, you are testing the process to see what can go wrong, and that is good. You don't want to have to do a complete sync of all files every time you want to take the laptop off the network, so you need to get the incremental syncs working and trust them.

Yes, incremental steps is the way to go for sure. I anticipate it working. In fact, I have done a few incremental backups without a hitch; the only time Goodsync wanted to create a whole other set of files was after I did 'Update Tags' today. Any other tagging changes plus additions (new album rips) and deletions have only showed up as updates.

And, not forgetting, having a fully up-to-date library on an external drive on another computer (or off-site, or both) is absolutely necessary for one other reason: peace of mind!

[rsg]

Just finished testing the procedure for restoring the library (it works)...and I think as far as I can tell that covers pretty well everything. All is working...Yay!

And I have to say, I am totally impressed, not only with the extremely clear and precise explanations you provided, Roderick GI, that took me through the whole procedure, but also with MC 23 itself. I have always been a huge fan of the program in the way that I used it: on a single PC. But, now I really see its outstanding capabilities when on a network. I hope that this whole discussion is immensely useful to readers of the forum, because, as you will surely agree, many users will want to go beyond single-PC use and into networking for convenience but also for the sake of having reliable, up-to-date backups for security purposes. I will be doing another backup myself on to a 3rd external drive which will stay outside in the shed! I know it took me a long time to get with the program here, and I think the missing link was a good syncing program that would allow incremental backups. Although, even if I had acquired such a program online, I could not have done it without the carefully written instructions for RoderickGI, which really make MC shine. Now MC on my two computers stays in-sync, and I really like the fact that the Client PC can access the up-to-date library from the Server PC but play them from the Client’s own drive, making everything very efficient.

[RoderickGI]

Thanks rsg.

I hope that this whole discussion is immensely useful to readers of the forum.

That is my hope as well.