Topic: Transfer to Virtual Device (Read 5062 times)

jgreen · « **on:** April 03, 2006, 08:54:01 am »

Could somebody please esplain what the rules are for transfering files to a handheld or virtual device? I set up a folder as a device and I can transfer files to it, as long as the file gets a format conversion. But if I don't convert the file, no matter what the format, it won't go. On the other hand, ANY conversion, even converting it to the identical format, will allow the tranfer to go forward. I must be missing something, but what, WHAT?

Matt · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2006, 09:06:35 am »

Edit this to add support for the unsupported files:
Device Options > Files & Paths > Supported Types

jgreen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2006, 09:13:18 am »

Thank you, Matt. I believe this solves my request for enhancements to the "Copy Disk File" proceedure. By setting up a virtual device (in this case, a backup folder), I can copy tracks while keeping a specified file structure. Sorry to be so thick.

Jaguu · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2006, 10:01:04 am »

I tested the handheld device again to copy files to an external USB hard disk!

Unfortunately 11 out of 12600 image files still got a duplicate file error and were not transfered. It is much better now than it used to be, but still it is not a 100% transfer!

As far as I remember you compare tags and also include some hashed control number, but the file name which is probably the only unique identifier is still not used!

jgreen · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2006, 10:19:30 am »

Actually, Jaguu, if you go into device options/Files & Paths and change Audio Path from the default "\Artist\Album\" to "[Filename]", you will get pretty much what you wish for.

IMHO, this is perfect as it is, and I am a blockhead. This is the online backup I've been carping about for ages. Why didn't jriver tell me? One can only suppose that they've been laughing at me. I'm going to check my office for hidden web cams.

Matt · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2006, 11:03:03 am »

Jaguu,

Name and file size create the unique check key for images. Make the name(s) unique if you don't believe the images to be duplicates.

Jaguu · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2006, 03:01:00 pm »

OK Matt,

thanks, I identified those 11 files as real duplicate files and deleted them, so synching now works perfectly. Next step will be trying to sync directly to my notebook!

One question though: What is the field "Database Path" in "Handeld>Options>File & Path" used for? It is not documented in Help! Is this used to sync the MC library? Do I enter the path of the MC library on the new device there?

jgreen,

I tested your suggestion with [Filename]. Yes, it's true, it's only pretty much what I wanted. I got subfolders for the whole pathname, the drive letter included. D:\ was converted to a folder D_. Maybe I should try [filename (name)].

Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2006, 09:26:57 pm »

Quote from: Jaguu on April 03, 2006, 03:01:00 pm

One question though: What is the field "Database Path" in "Handeld>Options>File & Path" used for? It is not documented in Help! Is this used to sync the MC library? Do I enter the path of the MC library on the new device there?

Media Center will create an XML database on a drive type device, including a virtual device. This is for performance when using the device.

Just leave the setting as the default and it'll go to the root of the device.

Jaguu · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2006, 10:56:13 am »

Matt,

so I successfully managed to sync a subset of my main library to my notebook. It takes time, but it worked very well. Thanks!

This now is a typical situation where an auto-import feature would be very handy. As soon as you start MC on the notebook, MC would detect new media on the drive and automatically import it.

One thing that is still a long way to go however, is a sync of all the various individual settings of MC. Even if I copy the library to the notebook, some settings are stored in the registry and need to be copied separately.

As disks become bigger and bigger the easiest way to backup media is to have identical copies on different jr media center pc's like big companies replicating their valuable data from the east coast to the west coast.

Ideally we would have a sync manager where we could granularly define all the items that one would like to replicate on MC's on other pc's.

jgreen · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2006, 12:10:32 pm »

Trying to use 11.1.160, transfer to virtual device as a backup. Moving 8800 files across, the handheld windo then shows 8760 files in queue. It doesn't tell me which files it left behind or why. All the file types are enabled in options. Is it possible that the handheld script is automatically culling what it views as duplicates, no longer giving a dialogu box?

jgreen · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2006, 12:40:05 pm »

It now seems certain that is exactly what it's doing. Can anyone point me to a setting I need to change? Can anyone suggest a unique identifier that I can put in my filenames that won't disrupt the artist/album convention (or the naming alpha)?

jgreen · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2006, 02:33:16 pm »

Okay. I added Track # and Duration to my filenames, and using a smartlist to search for duplaicate filenames comes up empty. Yet out of ~4400 files I select, only 4350 end up in the queue, and no explanation is given. jriver? Anyone?

Matt · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2006, 04:22:22 pm »

Quote from: jgreen on April 04, 2006, 02:33:16 pm

Okay. I added Track # and Duration to my filenames, and using a smartlist to search for duplaicate filenames comes up empty. Yet out of ~4400 files I select, only 4350 end up in the queue, and no explanation is given. jriver? Anyone?

Press "Transfer" and MC will show a message if there are duplicate files.

LonWar · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2006, 05:47:30 pm »

I did these steps.

Added External Harddrive as a handheld
Picked some files and put it in the AW.

AW just says Drop Files Here... THere is no transfer button...... DO I need to do anything else?

THanks,

jgreen · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2006, 05:57:38 pm »

Matt--
The real skull-scratcher of it is, the queue just doesn't accept these duplicate files in the first place. If I view the queue, and select all visible files and remove them as a test, the duplicate files come into the queue automatically. Note that I have added identifiers so that NONE of the filenames is the same.

If I hit transfer on the original queue (minus the 50 no-shows), it THEN gives me a dialogue identifying an ADDITIONAL 11 files which are duplicates (11 dupes + 50 no shows).

jgreen · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2006, 06:00:18 pm »

Gamer--
If you dropped files on the "drop" area, you should get a transfer button. Try viewing the device to see if there's anything in there. As a test, try dropping some other files. Lastly, I found that the whole process sometimes needs a restart. Good luck.

LonWar · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:29:54 pm »

Quote from: jgreen on April 04, 2006, 06:00:18 pm

Gamer--
If you dropped files on the "drop" area, you should get a transfer button. Try viewing the device to see if there's anything in there. As a test, try dropping some other files. Lastly, I found that the whole process sometimes needs a restart. Good luck.

Ok, I figured it out... I pointed it to a folder that had 100gb of music (Wasn't transfered in MC) when I fornatted it, then it worked fine./

Matt · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:38:14 pm »

jgreen,

Is it possible MC thinks some of those files are already on the device?

Maybe try files in small batches to isolate a file that can't be dropped. Then restart MC and try just that file. Let us know if you figure anything out.

Thanks.

LonWar · « **Reply #18 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:42:52 pm »

If I have album art enbedded in the file, should this transfer?

I have Transfer artwork enabled.
But when I reimport the files on a fresh Library, I can play the files, but no artwork?

jgreen · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2006, 12:09:56 pm »

Matt--
Still no inkling on what's happening with those "no show" files, and MC is still doing it. I will keep mixing and matching settings and hopefully something will eventually squeak.

As for using the handheld interface as a backup manager, the results are positive but not overwhelming, IMO. Everything in HH is tuned perfectly for uploading and managing small devices, and using my ipod with MC is a breeze. But for backups (an unintended use), the automatic culling of duplicates is a pain.

The workaround is simply to create multiple virtual devices, even on the same volume, which can then handle the orphaned dupes. This is a bother, but the ultimate goal is to maintain data fields in my library which account for each backup location of each track, independent of it's folder/tree location.

This brings up another difficulty, which is that in order to perfectly identify which tracks went into the device (given dupe culling and no-shows), you have to start a second sync, and use that info to tag the original library tracks as to which of them made it into the device.

If somebody's got a better, simpler way to do this, I'd be grateful to here about it. But even as it is, I think this method is superior to copy/paste within windows explorer, or using the "copy" function within MC, which is stunted, IMO.

LonWar · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2006, 12:32:36 pm »

Quote from: jgreen on April 05, 2006, 12:09:56 pm

"copy" function within MC, which is stunted, IMO.

That's saying it mildly..... Sorry but must do this.......

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Author Topic: Transfer to Virtual Device (Read 5062 times)