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[JustinChase]

If I find/replace in MC on the filename (to have MC point to a different music location), it then starts to ask if I want to replace one file with another.

Is it moving or copying?  I don't know.  I really don't want either action.

Either way, there is no option for "to all".  I need to do this for thousands of files at a time.  There's no way I can click either answer that many times.

I have to kill MC from task manager and repoen.  It seems to leave my actual files alone.  But what a pain.

I have turned off the update tags option, and it still does it.

Seems like a bug to me.  At least give us an option to "to all" for out answer, please.

[KingSparta]

try using the rename option, it works better.

and will move the files.

[JustinChase]

The problem is that I DON"T WANT to move the files!!

I have to keep 2 seperate music databases.  One for my original files, and one for my iPod (converted to .m4a).

In order to keep the libraries in synch, I have to rename the extensions, and the path info to have it point to the right files.

I only want this to be a library info change.  i don't want MC to actually try to move the files.  When it does this, it really screws up my libraries.

Matt, can you please change MC to let find/replace on filenames only update the library, and not actually try to do anything with the files.  Please!!

Thanks

[Alex B]

Renaming the paths is commonly used for moving files.

The trick is to hide the original files:

1. Close MC and rename the base folder(s) temporally.
2. Open MC and rename the folder paths. The library tracks will find the new file locations.

As always, make a library backup and try with a few files first.

[dcwebman]

I agree with JustinChase. I was very surprised when Find/Replace was starting to move files. I thought the operation worked only on the library database. At least the dialog box appears that it's only going to be working with the tags/fields and even from the help.

From the help:
This is a quick way of editing your file tags. If, for example, you find that you have misspelled an artist name, you can easily replace the wrong name with the right one.

You can also use this feature to rename a drive path. If you have moved all your files onto a new drive, or into a new folder from outside the program (with Explorer, for example), search for the old drive and/or path name, and replace with the new drive and/or path name.

This is great, especially with the renaming of a drive path in the library to point to the correct place. But it's still unknown why this does anything outside the library's database.
Jeff

[JustinChase]

Renaming the paths is commonly used for moving files.

The trick is to hide the original files:

1. Close MC and rename the base folder(s) temporally.
2. Open MC and rename the folder paths. The library tracks will find the new file locations.

As always, make a library backup and try with a few files first.

But MC offers a 'Move files' option.

I would WAY prefer if MC would just allow moving of subdirectories as part of the 'Official' move files option, and the rename does only that.  There is just no warning, and it doesn't make any sense.

I've lost some files, and have had to spend hours trying to figure out where all of the right versions are and get them put back where they belong.

Not to mention, when it does try to move the files, you can't just tell it "no" to all the files.  No way to stop the questions without killing MC in task manager.

Not user friendly.

Please change this.

[Matt]

Why would MC knowingly allow database links to be broken?

If I hit F2 to edit a filename, it should change the database and the filename.

It seems the same would hold for Find & Replace.

[Alex B]

This hasn't changed. Renaming has always worked like this in MC. Find and replace in filenames is just another way to rename files.

A "relink" tool would be useful. It has been asked for a couple of times.

[JustinChase]

Why would MC knowingly allow database links to be broken?

If I hit F2 to edit a filename, it should change the database and the filename.

It seems the same would hold for Find & Replace.

Well, it could let the database links get broken because anyone using find/replace on filename is probably doing it for a good reason.

If they wanted to actually move the files, they would have chosen 'move' files.  The only reason to do find/replace on filenames is if the actual files had been moved outside of MC, otherwise why use find/replace?

I sort of understand the logic in your statement but at the very least a warning that MC is going to MOVE the files would be a welcome addition.  If I actually wanted to move the files (and for some reason didn't want to use the 'move' command) I could say 'yes' to the question.  And also an option to apply my answer to all the questions it was about to ask would be VERY VERY useful.  Normally find/replace is used because there are a LOT of filed to be changed and having to answer that same question EVERY time is WAY more than tedious.

Just my .02.

On a side note, MC looks great Matt!!  Great job!!!

[dcwebman]

Here's the reason I was expecting it to work only on the database only, but my logic is probably wrong. I have a server that has the MP3 files on it and I share the drive and map to it from the other computers as drive M. Most of my work is done from my main computer which uses the network drive. I was going to make a LOT of tag changes and figured it would be faster to do it from the server since it would then be a local drive.

On the server, I did a restore of the database that was backed up from my main computer and the library then had all the filenames mapped as drive M instead of the local drive of D. I figured I could easily do the Find/Replace to change the M to a D in the database and go off to do my tag changing. When I got done, I would simply change it back to M and save the database for the other computers to pick up.

In this case at least, I didn't see any reason to do a move of any files since they were there correctly, they just had a broken link in the database. This is easily seen with the broken link icon.

Like JustinChase said, if anybody is going to do a find/replace on filenames, they should have a good reason.
Jeff

[Alex B]

Here's the reason I was expecting it to work only on the database only, but my logic is probably wrong. I have a server that has the MP3 files on it and I share the drive and map to it from the other computers as drive M. Most of my work is done from my main computer which uses the network drive. I was going to make a LOT of tag changes and figured it would be faster to do it from the server since it would then be a local drive.

On the server, I did a restore of the database that was backed up from my main computer and the library then had all the filenames mapped as drive M instead of the local drive of D. I figured I could easily do the Find/Replace to change the M to a D in the database and go off to do my tag changing. When I got done, I would simply change it back to M and save the database for the other computers to pick up.

In this case at least, I didn't see any reason to do a move of any files since they were there correctly, they just had a broken link in the database. This is easily seen with the broken link icon.

Like JustinChase said, if anybody is going to do a find/replace on filenames, they should have a good reason.
Jeff

Previously I had my music files in D:\Music\.

Currently I have them in X:\ on my free PCs.

At first I renamed the D:\Music folder to D:\Mus with Windows Explorer. Then I shared D:\Mus and mapped it as X:\ on my computers.

When I opened MC the links were broken so there was nothing to move. I used Find and Replace tool for changing just the path D:\Music to X:\. MC changed the about 30000 filenames almost instantly. After that I made a library backup and restored it on the other PCs. (This is a simplified version. In reality I had three separate base paths. They are now X:\, Y:\ and Z:\.)


In my opinion Find and Replace is an excellent tool for moving files when a part of the filename path needs to be changed. For example, if I need to change the base path from D:\Music to D:\Media the files must be "moved" to the new location. (Actually, in that case Windows does not move the physical files because the two locations are on the same partition. It just rewrites the internal table of contents.)

Perhaps the Find and Replace tool could have an option for not touching the physical filenames when the filenames stored in the library are altered.

As I wrote earlier there could also be a separate tool for relinking the library entries with new files. It would be useful in many occasions. It could have options for finding and replacing a part of the path and also for pointing the new location. It should work with individual files too.

[JustinChase]

Alex,

If MC offered a 'include subfolders' option in the 'move files' selection, there would be no need to have moved your files first outside of MC.  You could have just moved them from D:\Music to X:\ in one move, right.  Yeah you would have had to share X:\ in Explorer, but that's no big deal.  MC could have done everything you wanted in one shot.  Faster, easier and the find/replace would not have been needed.

Therefore, find/replace could have the ability to move files removed and it could be used simply for mapping changes, which is what it looks like it is supposed to do.

I see that the way it is is useful now, but it just isn't documented that it moves files and doesn't let you opt out of having it move the files.  In order to do what I need to do, I now have to go to explorer, move all of my files to a new folder to break the link in MC, then do find/replace, then go move the files back.  When I could simply just find/replace and be done.

Hopefully this can get worked out so everyone can get what they want out of this functionality.

Again, at the very least, give us the option to say yes or no to ALL when MC is trying to move the files using find/replace, although I would WAY rather have the move function be the only way to move the files, as that's what it's designed to do, and no one will be surprised if 'move files' actually moves files.

[GHammer]

If there is a function that physically moves files, then there should be a way to edit a path/name without it paying attention to the actual file.

Why have the 'same' function in two places and a desired one nowhere?

[JustinChase]

Good idea Johnny.

If we can get 'include subfolders' included in the 'move files' option, there would really be no need to use find/replace to do this any longer.

Finally, if we could make you suggested choice one that could be made permanent, well, at least set in the options dialog, that would make me a happy camper.

[Alex B]

One fact that often gets forgotten is that the file system does not separate the folder paths and the filenames that can be seen inside the folders. They are both included in the complete filenames. On the file system level the OS does not make functional difference if you change the last letter of a filename or the root folder name. The file gets renamed and that's all. How it is displayed is merely a UI thing. For example, what would you expect MC to do if you change just the last letter in a filename? I would expect to see the physical filename changing.

The magic word with the Find and Replace tool is "Find". It makes possible to rename only the files or folders that match the find criteria. A simple "Include subfolders" would not work like that. Though, it would be good in many cases.

"The operation you are about to perform is going to break MediaCenters link with your files on your computer. Would you like MediaCenter to move the files to the new location for you to prevent this happening: Yes/No/Cancel   []apply this choice to all files"

If we say yes it moves the files, if we say no it just updates the library, if we say cancel it aborts the operation.

Yes, I meant something like that with: "Perhaps the Find and Replace tool could have an option for not touching the physical filenames when the filenames stored in the library are altered." I think your choice of wording is excellent and it could be used as it is if this will ever happen.

However, this kind of functional change should be carefully bug tested. I have already a personal wish list waiting, but I am not going to publish it before the next alpha is out. Remember to ask this then.