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Author Topic: Switching laptops and delineating libraries  (Read 1175 times)

brucemck2

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Switching laptops and delineating libraries
« on: April 02, 2008, 10:11:56 am »


I've currently got an XP laptop running MC12.  I use MC12 only for audio.  All the music files are on an external hard drive, mostly in FLAC.  The "library" is where ever the "default" location is (I assume it's on the laptop's C drive.)

I'd like to accomplish the following:

Transition from my old XP laptop to a newly purchased Vista laptop, retaining all my song ratings, cover art, etc.

"Move" approximately 60% of the music that's currently on the external hard drive to the hard drive on the new Vista laptop.  I can't move 100% over because the laptop only has 320gb and I've got 600gb of music.  (Doing this lets me get rid of a USB cable and the external drive for the vast majority of my listening.)  Ideally I'd be able to simple plug in the external drive at any later date and have the "complete extended music selection" available, just as if it were all stored on a single drive.

Can you point me to instructions on how to accomplish this?

Thanks.
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brucemck2

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Re: Switching laptops and delineating libraries
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2008, 08:07:24 am »


bump ... the instructions in the Help section are pretty cryptic

I think (?) this gets me part way there ...

Back up my library onto the external hard drive

Install JR on the new Vista machine.  (Do I have to purchase a new copy, or can I use the install key from my prior copy??)

Use the backed up library on the new Vista machine

Somehow (?) use a "move" command to relocate the actual music flac files, their folders, and all the J River information about them to the new Vista hard drive??
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John Gateley

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Re: Switching laptops and delineating libraries
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2008, 10:31:03 am »

Your license is good, see http://www.jrmediacenter.com/buy_12.html from the links in my signatures.

See http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=41177.0 for info about Library Sync, it should do what you want.

j

Alex B

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Re: Switching laptops and delineating libraries
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2008, 10:35:13 am »

Since the media files are on the external drive you can just restore a library backup file from the first PC on the second PC. Just make sure that the drive uses the same drive letter on both PCs.

You can create a library back file in File > Library > Back Up Library...  The restore feature is in the same menu.

Once the backup file is restored and the library is working with the external drive you can use MC's standard tools for copying or moving the files to whatever location you prefer.
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Alex B

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Re: Switching laptops and delineating libraries
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2008, 10:51:19 am »

... Transition from my old XP laptop to a newly purchased Vista laptop, retaining all my song ratings, cover art, etc. ...

If your cover art files are in a separate folder and the folder is not on the external drive you need to copy the folder in a separate step outside MC.
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