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Author Topic: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?  (Read 3673 times)

delusion_

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Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« on: July 23, 2005, 03:35:59 pm »

99% of my media files are currently located on one computer, on a drive letter of F:\ , however, I am selling the computer and moving my collection to another machine, with a drive letter of I:\ -- how can I globally change the drive letter of all my media library entries? I've already moved Media Center successfully to the new computer (and it kept the library.)

Thanks in advance.
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Alex B

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jgreen

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Re: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2005, 03:50:15 pm »

I recently did this, thanks to Alex and Marko and others pointing the way.

Use MC to select all the files you're going to move.  In your case you're going to move all of them, but start with a few first to get the hang of it.

With the files selected, right click "library tools / rename files from properties".  Use the dialog box settings to set your base path in "directories", which would be I:\ and any further dir structure you want, like "music", who knows.

Use "rule" to add subdirectories for artist, name, whatever you want.  Click down to see the presets.

Use "filename" to rename your files according to what you currelty have in MC.  Set this up for artist and name.  It takes a while to move them, so start with a few and work from there.
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Alex B

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Re: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2005, 04:03:52 pm »

I think delusion_ has already copied the media  files to a new PC. If so it would be best to use the "Find and Replace" system.

Because MC does not have access to the previous file locations it will just change the internal database very quickly.
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jgreen

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Re: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2005, 04:12:48 pm »

I think it comes down to the verb tense employed in the sentence that includes the phrase "am selling".  This is the key point, the fulcrum, if you will.

Does "am selling" mean he's going to sell, and going to move; has sold and has moved; or, more troubling, is still caught in the process of selling and moving?
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Alex B

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Re: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2005, 04:39:58 pm »

Correct, we don't know the situation.

However, I think that normally the files should be copied using the most effective system available outside MC. The database fix takes literally just a few seconds when it is done afterwards. Running database updates for hours is potentially more dangerous.

Usually I hook the old HD(s) temporally to the new PC and copy the files using Windows Explorer or Xcopy with V switch if I like to verify the files. For me, LAN is too slow and possibly unreliable for moving hundreds of gigabytes of data.
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delusion_

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Re: Mass-moving library files to another drive letter?
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2005, 07:02:58 pm »

Thanks, that worked great!
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