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[trevgrif]

I am testing version 12. I successfully managed to import my iTunes Apple Lossless collection (9180 songs) to my main computer, but when importing them to my other computer, it reports that 9180 songs were imported but only 7620 are listed in the displays. After identifying the names of some missing albums, I manually imported those specific folders. In the recently imported listing, the files are generally missing album or artist titles or both, which is probably why they do not appear in the main audio listings. This was not a problem on the first computer. Why should this be happening? By the way, the songs are stored on a USB HDD connected to the main computer and accessed over the network by the other machine.

[JimH]

Different versions of iTunes on the two PC's?

Or maybe longer pathnames on one?  Quicktime dies at 64 characters, including the file name.

[glynor]

That's really odd... So, to be clear:

1. MC12 on Machine 1 imported the files just fine.  One question, was this the machine directly connected to the external drive, or the network machine?
2. MC12 on Machine 2 imported most of the files fine, but a selection of them didn't import tag data (so they have no Artist/Album/etc tags associated).

Is this correct?

I'd guess that the problem has something to do with accessing the big lossless files over the network.  I agree with Jim as well, if the two machines have different versions of Quicktime, it could make them work a bit differently (MC uses Quicktime to decode the ALAC files).  It wouldn't be the stupid character length restriction because they worked on the one machine and not the other.  However, a few things...

The files on Machine 2 should all be accessible easily, even though they have missing tag data, in MC.  They will simply show up under "Unknown" in the Genre/Artist/Album panes.  I wouldn't do it this way though...

If you have the external drive mounted as a Network Drive, and it is mounted to the same drive letter on the network machine as it is on the local machine (in other words, if the "drive" is called "Drive M" to both machines) then you don't really NEED to import the files on both copies of MC.  Simply import them on the local machine (which would be faster) and then use the same library on both machines.  MC stores it's library files by default at: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\J River\Media Center 12\Library.

You can move the library wherever you want though by making a new one using the File --> Library --> Library Manager tool.  I share my libraries between multiple machines.  There are a few options for this, but the easiest one would be to just put the library ON the USB drive and point both copies of MC there.  To do this...

You'll definitely want to have the drive "named" the same thing on both machines.  I use Drive M (for "media").  So, assuming the USB drive is called Drive M on both machines, then make a folder called: M:\library_data\.  Then, on the machine that "worked" (probably the one connected directly to the USB drive) copy the contents of the current library folder (probably the default folder listed above) into this new folder.  Then go into the Library Manager and add a new library.  You can call the library whatever you want (maybe "Shared Library") and then browse and select this new "library_data" folder.  Load the new library and everything should match the way it was before with the default library.

Then close MC and go over to the other machine (the network one) and go into the Library Manager and repeat the procedure (not copying the files, just creating the new "library" in MC).  Then both machines should match exactly.

The way MC works when two (or more) copies of the program on different machines point at the same library files is that whichever copy of MC "opens" the library first, "locks" them.  Other copies of MC can open the library and use it, but they are "read only" which means you can't make changes to tags, or import new files, but you can use it to play files and whatnot.  To get Read/Write access, you need to close MC on the machine that has it locked, and then restart MC on the "read only" machine.  It works pretty well!  It does this "locking/read-only" thing because if both machines had read/write access at once, the database would get all messed up.

[trevgrif]

Glynor, your remarks were very helpful.
1. Machine 1 is directly connected to the external drive
2. MC12 on machine 2 imported most files fine, but whole albums were missing.

Now, I copied the default library from machine 1 to the default library location on machine 2 and chose it through the library manager. I have instant thumbnails plus all the files. HOWEVER, the files can't play because the pathname does not point the files to the external drive across the network!

I then copied the library to the external drive and pointed machine 2 to that location. Instead of 9180 files there are 7866, with limited album art although I copied all the thumbnail files. It also takes around 45 secs before the files will play. Once again whole albums missing and albums are randomly missing files. It can't be a filename limit problem because it leaves out "Fireball" but includes "Smoke on the Water". Fireball is also a smaller file, so this does not make sense.

After fiddling around a bit, I have established the following:
1. If you put the library into the folder on the external drive containing all the music and point the library manager at the folder containing the music, only 7866 files are shown but the music plays after a long delay.
2. If you do ditto but point the library manager at the actual folder called "library", then you see all 9180 files but they cannot play.

The same applies to machine 1 (only 7866 shown when pointing to the folder containing the files) except that the files play when you point the library manager at the folder called "library".

I will keep on trying out different scenarios.

[glynor]

You have to make both computers see the drives as the same drive letter in order to use the same library files on both machines.  (No ands, ifs, or buts.)  You CAN'T use network pathnames (such as \\servername\sharename\etc), you must map the share as a network drive, and you must make it have the same letter as the drive on the computer it is directly connected to.  If you don't know how to do this, just ask.

That way, the files will have the same "path" (the same full filename, including drive and directory structures) on BOTH machines.  The network machine won't really "know" that it is using them on a network.

Don't copy MC's thumbnail files to the network or external drive (you probably didn't figure out how to tell MC to use them anyhow), but the performance would be terrible.  You can copy over the cover art JPEG files if they're stored with the music files.  Don't move MC's thumbnail database though, it needs to be on a fast, local drive.

Throw away the "bad" library (the one from the network machine).  It's useless.  You want to use the library from the computer directly attached to the drive.

The delay shouldn't be that long for music files, even lossless ones... What kind of network is it?  Is it wireless?

[trevgrif]

Thanks Glynor - my problem is solved. I mapped the external drive from machine 2 to the same drive letter used in machine 1. I also just pointed the library location to the default on machine 1. The thumbnails are also there as a bonus! Well done.