Topic: Syncing iPod with files on network drive (Read 6995 times)

10sne1 · « **on:** December 31, 2004, 02:25:36 pm »

I have installed MC11.0.162 on my laptop. I created my own library but the music files are on a drive on another computer on the network. I couldn't create the library the normal way because I couldn't find a way to choose that drive, so instead I opened My Network Places and found the drive with my music, then right click and choose import with Media Center. It took 7 hours! (I have 105+ gigs of files)
Now I've made my playlists with Media Center and tried to sync my ipod. The playlists which I recreated exactly on MC before syncing--then choose during ipod sync--all is still fine. I made NEW playlist with media center and did quick sync (way too fast) but checked ipod through MC and looked like all was there. When disconnecting ipod--everything is listed but goes right over song to next, next, next, like file is less than second long (or as I suspect, not there). Same happens when ipod is connected and I try to play song through MC from ipod. Deleted all from that new playlist and tried to transfer song individually and same behavior, looks like it works but didn't.
Now I'm thinking it won't work on network drive. Is that true??

And Happy New Year!

bspachman · « **Reply #1 on:** January 01, 2005, 02:14:33 am »

Strange.

I keep my media files on a mapped network drive. Are you useing drive mapping or UNC paths to point to your files?

FWIW, my library is on the local HD.

All works fine with my iPod--albeit with MC10 & ~300GB of files (250GB APE & 50 transcoded AAC files).

When I've had the skipping songs problem, a quick initialization of the iPod from within MC and synchronization takes care of it.

I don't think it has anything to do with keeping your media files on a remote machine....

Best,
brad

10sne1 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 01, 2005, 09:25:01 am »

Ok, with your encouragment I tried that: reinitialize the ipod on the laptop and synchronization--but same result. Now no songs listed on the playlists are actually there. Funny--it lists them with correct length but skips over them. Sync was too quick--I know it didn't work.
Now I've done the same procedure on my desktop (reinitialization, sync) and it's going at a normal pace--phew...at least I can get iPod back to where it was.
Why can't I sync on the laptop and why doesn't MC knew it's not working??

SteveG · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2005, 08:30:11 am »

10sne1,

Please show me how MC reports the path for one of your files on the remote drive. Drag and drop this one file onto iPod and see if you can play the file on iPod.

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2005, 09:26:58 pm »

\\Dripps2004\d\music\comedy\comedy central\ccp-Lewis Black.mp3 is the exact path, Dripps2004 being the networked computer, d is the drive, the rest is folders.

It seemed I was able to transfer the track and play it through MC.

I then tried to sync the new playlist--same result. MC and iPod thinks they are there but they aren't, nothing plays, just skips off it to next track.

Also a couple of the playlists I had added from my main machine are now not read by MC on my laptop on iPod and they aren't listed on iPod BUT the tracks are still there.

JimH · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2005, 06:51:07 am »

Try renaming the file, replacing the hyphen with an x.

SteveG · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2005, 11:46:49 am »

Quote

I then tried to sync the new playlist--same result. MC and iPod thinks they are there but they aren't, nothing plays, just skips off it to next track.

When you view the files on iPod in MC there is a filepath. Using Explorer, go to that path and see if the file physically exists on the iPod.

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2005, 12:22:04 pm »

Steve, yes the path looks right.
I just put one file on the iPod by dragging onto IPod in tree and then selecting transfer. I watched it copy and sure enough, it's there and I can play it and then disconnecting iPod, I can find it and play it.
NOW, I made a new playlist on the laptop MC. I selected it to sync to iPod. I could see the progress and actually while on one song it took a normal amound of time, then quickly went through rest on the list. Now when I check MC the path on songs in the iPod looks right. It lists all the songs in that playlist and the path is right (K:\ipod_control\music\F10\and name of tune here) It lists them with correct duration. When I try to play them with MC from iPod it says buffering, but song never starts. I found one which does play - the one I saw transfer at normal rate. When I eject iPod I can see the playlist. I select the mp3s in that playlist to play and it skips from one to the next to the next (except plays that one which is really there).
Also there are a couple playlists which are on iPod which I don't have on my laptop. These playlists disappear from the iPod when I sync on laptop. (I don't see them on iPod through MC or when just looking at iPod) The music is still there though. I can find it if I don't try to play it via playlist but just look for those tracks under music.

By the way, when I hook up the iPod to MC on my desktop I can see the tracks of that new playlist (not the playlist) on the iPod. If I try to play an mp3 I get message: " Media Center encountered errors while trying to play the last several files. Error: Unknown error. Please make sure the path in your media library points to the right location."

SteveG · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2005, 02:22:38 pm »

10sne1,

There is a bug I fixed today which would account for incorrect files being in the playlists on iPod and incorrect playlists ending up on iPod. After today's build is available, please get it and try again.

Thanks,

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2005, 07:13:34 pm »

Exact same behavior. $:-\$

SteveG · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2005, 11:49:47 am »

10sne1,

Lets start simply and work our way up. Initialize the iPod. Create a playlist of 10 files. Sync it. Does it look correct on iPod and are the files playable on iPod?

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2005, 12:38:16 pm »

OK, done.
Same result. I started by initializing on laptop. All clear.
I tried to sync 1 playlist. No songs actually transfered although it went through procedure. I can tell it's not working because of speed it flies through.
I check on MC for iPod songs. The path looks correct, like they are there. The duration is correct. If I try to play through MC I get that error message on MC saying it can't find file. If I disconnect iPod I see the playlist and the songs on iPod. I try to play first one in list and it skips over to next, etc to last one and then stops.
I did this procedure twice, with different playlists.
Everything works fine on my desktop computer. I can sync playlists and add mp3's no problem.

10sne1 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2005, 05:34:37 pm »

I was wrong about all working on my desktop computer. After initializing on laptop and not getting playlists to sync I went back to desktop. I could load all the music on when doing sync but playlists never appear. NONE. The mp3's of there though. I tried various combinations, reinitilize from desktop, only one playlist, trying to create playlist on iPod, but no luck. No playlists would appear.
I restarted MC, disconnected iPod, reconnected, a few times.
Then I reinstalled MC 11.0.62 (cause I know that worked before) and voila, it worked.
My playlists are back. This only works on my desktop though...

SteveG · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2005, 02:54:28 pm »

10sne1,

I posted in another thread that the changes regarding playlists did not make it into 166. Please get 167 when it is available and try again. Thanks.

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 08, 2005, 08:42:47 am »

same problem still exists on .168 with my laptop referring to files on network drive.

SteveG · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:11:42 am »

10sne1,

Lets redefine clearly what the problem is.

On a cleanly initialized iPod, if you sync a playlist with 10 files in it, the files appear on iPod, but not the playlist? Yes or No?

Thanks,

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:22:54 am »

NO
This doesn't work on the laptop. The files are listed. The playlist is listed. The path looks correct on MC. The files are NOT there. The sync takes 2 seconds--just zooms over them and reports done but it's NOT.

SteveG · « **Reply #17 on:** January 10, 2005, 03:23:58 pm »

OK,

What is the filepath of one of the files in MC? For the same file what does the path lookl ike on iPod (when viewed in MC by clicking on 'iPod' in the tree. Should be a folder like F01 or similar)?

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2005, 03:58:56 pm »

I outlined that above--but here it is: K:\ipod_control\music\F10\and name of tune here. That is sample of one. It looks the same as it does on my Desktop computer.

SteveG · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2005, 09:23:17 am »

10sne1,

If it looks the same on the desktop, are you importing the files from iPod into MC? If so, this is generally not a good idea.

Steve

10sne1 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 13, 2005, 03:01:21 pm »

Steve, I deleted the library from my laptop and mapped the network drive on my laptop. From here I was able to import the files (after more than 5 hours) and I have my laptop library back. Now I tried the same thing again. I built a new playlist on the laptop and put it on the ipod with the Sync procedure. This time it was working.
I'm not sure why THIS worked as opposed to the other way I did the library (see first post in this thread) because everything looked and worked the same on the laptop both times. Anyway, now the files can be installed on my iPod.
I have one remaining problem. This new playlist did work to transfer the files onto the iPod and both playlist and songs appear BUT all the playlists I already had on there disappeared. Fortunately the files are still there and can be played,
I went back to the desktop and did sync there where the other playlists exist--they were quickly put back on the iPod, but now the new playlist which I had installed on the laptop was gone....actually songs still there, just listing of the playlist is not there. I decided to make the playlist on the ipod and move the files into the playlist. If I don't create the playlist on MC though it will be wiped next time I do the sync.

SteveG · « **Reply #21 on:** January 13, 2005, 05:53:00 pm »

10sne1,

Whenver you sync, whatever playlists you have on a device will be removed and then the newly selected playlists will be created. At the end of sync, you should have on iPod exactly what was selected in the sync playlist tree. Keep in mind that the underlying files are not retransferred unless you have 'Delete unselected files' checked.

Steve

PS my best guess as to your previous issues is that something in the library was screwed up from the import/reimport of files.

10sne1 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 13, 2005, 08:07:16 pm »

Is there a way to put a new playlist on without deleting the existing ones? Since I can't copy the playlists over from one computer to the other without using Media server and the same library, it is cumbersome to recreate the playlist on the other computers. I have loaded the laptop with it's own library (from the network drive) because I want to be able to put these selections on my iPod from the laptop. If I use media server my understanding is that it wouldn't be possible. Am I wrong??

SteveG · « **Reply #23 on:** January 14, 2005, 08:58:05 am »

Quote

Is there a way to put a new playlist on without deleting the existing ones?

Yes. Drag and drop the playlist onto the iPod tree item and then click transfer in the action window.

Quote

If I use media server my understanding is that it wouldn't be possible. Am I wrong??

I think that is right, but I am not really following what you are doing and why.

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Author Topic: Syncing iPod with files on network drive (Read 6995 times)