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[rickeyjt]

My machine crashed trying to apply service pack requiring a reinstall of the os.

Is there a way to get all my playlists back in place with a new installation by perhaps installing mc11 then copying the original saved mc11 folder and importing all the jriver registry keys?

Some procedure would be helpful even if I wanted to move the entire thing to another machine and have it appear as the old one.

[Nolonemo]

Assuming you have a copy of your MC library file saved somewhere, couldn't you just copy it to your PC, install and start up MC and open that library (I think the command is under the file menu) and specify it as the default one.  (All your music files would have to be in the same locations as before)?  That might not take care of all your options, but I think it would restore your view schemes and playlists.

[KingSparta]

Did you save your Library database files & play lists?

can't you just copy them back if you did backup your files?

[rickeyjt]

I do not have a current exported backup made from within mc11, just the contents of the install folder and the registry.

I have tried to get playlists to appear in the playlist area of the tree before on another machine running mc11 but cannot seem to do it.

[KingSparta]

I never back up the play lists, my wife gets [stamps her foot] every time i lose the playlists.

but without them from the same computer it may not work correctly

it would be nice if there was a auto backup option, and if the playlists become missing ask if you wish to restore one of the backups.

[rickeyjt]

I found right-clicking on playlists in the tree quickly lets you export all your playlists nicely to a folder in documents and settings\appdata . . ., which I have too.

But as you say it is a mystery where mc11 culls this information to actually reload any playllist easily into the playlists tree on another machine.  I think it can be done on a one by one basis by first grabbing them from imported playists if you can get them in there but your playlist groups need to be recreated and on and on . . .

Hey jriver, has there been any improvement in this area?

[Nolonemo]

it would be nice if there was a auto backup option, and if the playlists become missing ask if you wish to restore one of the backups.

OK, I'm confused now.  Every time I update my library (ususally when I import new files), I have the option to back it up by checking a box (it's copies to to a zip file).  Are you telling me that that backed up library file doesn't include the playlists?

[rickeyjt]

Should it be as simple as copyng the original Library folder structure under docsandsettings\me\appdata\jriver\mc\Library to the same locatoin on a new machine?  So long as the music files are still pointing to the same place on the network, in my case Z:\.

Seems to me I tried it once and it didn't work.  You have the actual m3u playlists in the above folder along with all these .JMD files which I would assume are necessary info about the fields in the database including custom fields.

Also, I do not wish to use Library Server function and would rather update playists manually on other machines.  This give me full edit rights on any machine and lets me drag and drop files sucessfully from mc11 to other programs that do what, hard to beleive, mc11 does not.

[rickeyjt]

Here's something I just tried.  Copy the all from the Library folder and put on the new machine.  Since Z:\ is my music drive on the network, everything showed up in the tree. 

Hope this helps others.

[KingSparta]

OK, I'm confused now.  Every time I update my library (ususally when I import new files), I have the option to back it up by checking a box (it's copies to to a zip file).  Are you telling me that that backed up library file doesn't include the playlists?

thats not what i said, but i also don't know the answer to that question.

[Alex B]

A library backup includes all playlists. Only the configured MC options are not included. You can easily test that. Just make a new library to a separate folder and restore a library backup file.

Also, it is possible to point a new libary to the previous library location. In MC9-10 the default location is somewhere inside the MC program folder. If I remember correctly the name of the folder is Data. In MC11 it is: C:\Documents and Settings\[Your User Name]\Application Data\J River\Media Center 11\. After a vanilla MC installation I have always changed that to something simple and separate like C:\MClib\ before restoring my library.

[rickeyjt]

To your point about creating a folder c:\cmlib and using it -

Is it safe to perhaps make a common network location z:\mclib and have each of my machines point to that for the library?  Or with multiple machines having mc11 open will it throw the saving and reading of data in the library into a tizzy?

I'm a musician doing work on different machines in the house.  I'm the only one ever making changes and want them to be easily refelected on each machine as I want to be able to make changes on any machine.

[Alex B]

No, it is not safe. Even the other users don't manually update the library fields, MC saves view, playlist and statistical information all the time. MC also has temporary databases for its integrated explorer and the Playing Now list.

I have used this system:

I have done this:

Currently I use my HTPC as a file server. It has these local media folders:
- Music archive: "D:\Music" - substituted with the drive letter "X:" (I have a bat file in the startup folder for that)
- Video & images archive: "E:\Video" - substituted with "Y:"
- Rip, DL, unfinished tagging, temp stuff: "E:\Rip" - substituted with "Z:"

The whole media library is imported from the virtual X, Y and Z drives and my default cover art folder is "X:\_Images".

"D:\Music" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "X:" on other PCs.
"E:\Video" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "Y:" on other PCs.
"E:\Rip" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "Z:" on other PCs.

Whenever I have made changes to my library I make a library backup to "Z:\_MCBU" (the underscore makes it to show up first in alphabetical folder lists, thus faster to access).

Normally I use the Library Server & clients, but when I need to change anything in my library, rip, convert, copy or burn I can do it with any of my PCs. I change from the client mode to a local library and pick up the latest backup before starting. All PCs use identical local libraries. Any of the PCs can run the Library Server.

Afterwards I just have to restore the newest library backup on the PC that runs the Library Server if I have made changes elsewhere. That doesn't have to be instant if the changes are minor.

Here is a table of the connections:




These threads have discussion about the matter:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=27758.0
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=28617.0
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=27888.0
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=27213.0

[rickeyjt]

Thanks for the threads.  I do use network shares.  What I noticed in most threads is evryone complaining, for a very long time, about the same thing.  That is, not having the choice to allow users on the network to edit playlists, load new music into the library, etc.

Media Server does not allow me to use drag and drop to other programs.  Other programs do not understand the path information that gets passed using media server.

What I want is yes to share a library on the network that mc11 can read on any machine in real time.  The simple solution is to backup a library and restore on the next machine you go to and this is the step that should be eliminated.

Configure mc11 to have a multi-user mode and check off which machines on the network are allowed to make edits.

Check the dialog in File\Library\Library Manager.  Edit the library location and it does say you can point to a network path for the library.  Am I missing something or is this safely going to do what I am asking?

[glynor]

There is a problem with simply pointing to the Network Share.  Check this thread:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=24829.0

(There are also possible Library corruption issues that I didn't even address.  The bigger issue is just the performance problem though.  To let you know, upgrading to my Gigabit Ethernet switched network didn't solve the "Saving Database" pause, so even if it's a fast network...)

Until they build a real, multi-user server system for MC, I have come up with a (somewhat complicated) but very workable solution.  Check here...

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=26442.0

And last, but not least, improved Media Server functionality has been asked for repeatedly in this thread, and acknowledged as a goal (albeit a difficult one) by the developers in this thread.