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[Dennis Hartwick]

Maybe someone out there can help.

This morning I deleted an album--don't know what file type--by directing MC17 to remove the album from the library and from the disc.  A few hours later I came back to play some music from that library and MC17 won't support any of it.  It's mostly aif and flac files.  This unsupported library is on the hard drive of the same laptop running MC17.  Another library, on an external hard drive, still works fine.  How can I get MC17 to support this library again?  How can I prevent this problem from recurring?

[MrC]

Probably the files are in MC's "Removed" database.  You can force them to be re-imported in a number of ways.  Try this one.  In the Search Wizard, type exactly:

  ~d=r

and click the little right arrow to the right.  You should get a list of files that were deleted from the database.  You can select any from this list you want, and hit Delete.  This removes the files from the Removed database, and MC will no longer skip them during auto-import.

Alternatively, you can right-click the files and Media Center -> Import.

Or re-run auto-import (Tools > Import... > Run Auto-Import Now) provided the media is under a path listed in Auto-Import (Tools > Import... > Configure Auto-Import).

[javidan]

Probably the files are in MC's "Removed" database.  You can force them to be re-imported in a number of ways.  Try this one.  In the Search Wizard, type exactly:

  ~d=r

and click the little right arrow to the right.  You should get a list of files that were deleted from the database.  You can select any from this list you want, and hit Delete.  This removes the files from the Removed database, and MC will no longer skip them during auto-import.

Alternatively, you can right-click the files and Media Center -> Import.

Or re-run auto-import (Tools > Import... > Run Auto-Import Now) provided the media is under a path listed in Auto-Import (Tools > Import... > Configure Auto-Import).

Gosh, where do you learn about "~d=r"?
I've been wondering for the longest time how I can view the list of "ignored files" so that I can clean up my database.
I normally work around it by using auto import but this is specific.

I'm getting really annoyed at myself for being so ignorant of so many features (Which aren't even difficult) of J River which has been there but I've never used them. 

[AUser]

Another way of doing it is to make a new smartlist, and in the 'Modify Results' section, add

Limit database to, removed

[MrC]

Gosh, where do you learn about "~d=r"?
I've been wondering for the longest time how I can view the list of "ignored files" so that I can clean up my database.
I normally work around it by using auto import but this is specific.

It isn't obvious or easy to find, but it is here:

   http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Smartlist_and_Search_-_Rules_and_Modifiers#Modifiers

I'm getting really annoyed at myself for being so ignorant of so many features (Which aren't even difficult) of J River which has been there but I've never used them. 

Don't be too hard on yourself - MC is a large program, with years of features and the eccentricities that come with age.  It just takes some time, so be patient and just enjoy the process.

[jack wallstreet]

Well,  I learned something.  Thank you for question and, more importantly, the answer.

[Dennis Hartwick]

Mr C.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'm still having trouble.  Regarding your suggestions in the order you made them:

1. I went to the drop down menu of the search field--top right of MC17 page--and selected Wizard.  A window opened with 6 blank fields, only one of which didn't have a drop down menu of choices.  So, I figured you must want me to type ~d=r in that open-ended field.  But, there is no little right arrow after that field.  And, there is no little right arrow after the search field at the upper right of my page, either.  There is only a little "x."
2. I opened Windows Explorer and navigated to the folder that contains my missing music.  It's Libraries\Music\JRiver.  Right clicking on the JRiver folder freezes Windows Explorer.  I closed Explorer and reopened it and right clicked on the "Music" folder.  That froze explorer again.
3. Did this.  Got this:

Library now has 24506 files. Search and update took 1:16.
Imported 0 new files.
Skipped 3084 files previously determined to be bad.
Fixed 6252 broken links. (0 fixed, 6252 removed)

[MrC]

Sorry, I meant to paste directly into the Search area (it has a text or wizard mode, you'd paste the expression into the text area, or via the Import/Export area if you're in the wizard).

But let's skip that for the moment.

Let's look at the paths that define your Music library.  Open Explorer and select Libraries from the left column. Now select the Music library and notice the green heading called "Music library" which underneath says "Includes: 2 locations" - you may have 1 location, or 3 locations, whatever number, just click that n location link to bring up the dialog that shows the various folders that create the virtual library folder collection.  Take note of the number of folders in this dialog, each of their paths, and which one is the Default save location.  Post those values when you have them.

[Dennis Hartwick]

JRiverLibrary
C:\Users\Public\Music

is all that comes up and it's labeled as the default save location.

I also have music on an external USB drive.  MC17 recognizes this drive and plays those files fine.  FYI, the problem files, on the C drive, are copies of these external drive files and they had been playing fine off the C drive.  The trouble seems to have started after I deleted, in MC17 in album cover view, an album from the C drive.  The external drive may or may not have been connected at the time.  I mention this because MC17 seemed like it would freeze often or go slow if I tried to use it for C drive playback but without the external drive connected.

[Dennis Hartwick]

Hi MrC,

I did what you said and posted that command in search and then deleted.  Then, I ran an import and received the following message:

Library now has 7004 files. Search and update took 1:15.

Imported 0 new files.
Skipped 3084 files previously determined to be bad.
Fixed 23733 broken links. (0 fixed, 23733 removed)

Now, when I look under "file" I see:
All Locations (0) and, in the window underneath it.  "There are no files.  Double click here to add files to the library."  Note, the external drive is not connected.

[MrC]

I'm not sure where you are currently on this...

When your files are on removable drives, you don't want to have Fix broken links enabled because offline drives will cause MC to remove those files form its DB.  There are a number of threads regarding this issue.

I'd like to see Fix broken links be moved from global in Auto-Import to per-folder, so that users can indicate which folders (and therefore drives) might be on removable media so MC could be told to ignore these during auto-import operations.

[Dennis Hartwick]

Hi MrC,

I don't have time to learn how to set up this software.   (I appreciate your efforts.)  Is there someone who you could  recommend, who is well versed in MC17, who I could hire to set up my computer and tutor me?  I'm in northern New Jersey.  Ultimately, I'd like to offer computers running MC17 as an option for my customers.

Thanks,
Dennis Hartwick
DH Audio and Home Theater

[MrC]

Hi Dennis,

I'm a user like you, just pitchin' in and helpin' when I can.

Since this is a possible biz situation for you and JRiver, its probably best if they speak to the opportunity and best approach.

Meanwhile, the Interact forum members (myself included) are here to help.  If you'd like remote session help, that's a possibility.

[Dennis Hartwick]

Hi MrC, I was under the impression that you worked for J River.  Thanks for setting me straight.  As I said, I do appreciate your efforts.

How do I get remote session help?

[MrC]

We'll figure out a time when you're available.  You'll download a small, safe app (TeamViewer QuickSupport), and you initiate the connection request to my system requesting help.  I'll answer and we'll share your screen so you can ask questions and we can get you going.

[Dennis Hartwick]

Wow, you'd be willing to do this and you don't work for J River!?  That's very kind.  My schedule is flexible today.  I can be here for you at your convenience.  Please let me know what time you'd like.

[MrC]

Ok, drop me a private message here when you're ready.  I'll provide more instructions there.  If you include an email addr, I'll reply via email.

[MrC]

Quick summary...

Dennis and I completed our remote session, and we got him squared away.  Auto-import was configured, and included one folder tree on a removable drive (offline) and one folder on the C: drive in a Windows virtual Music library folder.

There were no audio files in the C: drive folder tree.  Rather, there were files named ._<name>.aif which were all about 4k each.  This lead me to consider that this drive was once attached to some *nix-based system, and these files were metadata of some sort. I don't know what software would have created these (iTunes? which is installed).  Edit: I'd forgotten - these were the resource forks of the Apple Double file format.  I suppose in some future version MC should delete these along with the matching data file (fork).

Regardless, there were no media files; they had been Deleted via MC, using standard Delete option 3 (permanent).

So there were nearly 20k Bad or Removed files in total.  We cleared out these databases.

As the Windows 7 virtual library collections confuses many, we created a new music folder in a user-friendly location, outside that chimera, and reconfigured Auto-import and File Locations paths.

After copying a few music folders from the removable drive to the C: drive music folder, and after some MC analysis, the views started populating as expected.

I demonstrated how to use MC's Copy/update mode to make copies from the removable to C drive.

As an aside, one cause, as expected, for apparent MC sluggishness was that AVG antivirus was (over-)loading the system.  We configured it to ignore MC programs and music folders.  It was producing ~ 3k page faults/second.  Much snappier when it was told to mix out.

Its always valuable and interesting to become reacquainted with a new(er)-user perspective.

Kudos to D.H. for working through the curve.