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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 25 for Windows => Topic started by: muslhead on September 10, 2019, 05:46:48 pm

Title: easy migration to new pc
Post by: muslhead on September 10, 2019, 05:46:48 pm
i bought a new pc and am going to rid myself of the old one which has mc25 on it.
Is there a way to export all settings from the old pc and import to new so that i wont have to reset everything up on the new one?
TIA
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: JimH on September 10, 2019, 06:48:24 pm
If your media files will be in exactly the same relative locations, you can backup MC's library on one machine and restore on another.
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: muslhead on September 10, 2019, 07:01:10 pm
i did not ask about the media files.
I asked about the settings?
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: JimH on September 10, 2019, 07:04:13 pm
That is the settings (and the MC database).

The wiki also has a topic on "Moving Files".
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: muslhead on September 10, 2019, 07:46:41 pm
thanks, i will check it out
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: Awesome Donkey on September 11, 2019, 03:40:39 am
Also here's the wiki topic on library backup and library restore: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Library_Backup
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: blgentry on September 11, 2019, 07:47:09 am
Note that MC's Library backup and restore works on two different things:

1.  Media metadata.  Album name, Artist, song Name, etc.  These are the the "library and playlists".
2.  MC Options (settings). 

Each of these has a check box in the Restore dialog box.  When you go to do a restore, you can choose to restore only the metadata and playlists, or the settings, or both.

Brian.
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: glynor on September 11, 2019, 04:16:21 pm
If your media files will be in exactly the same relative locations, you can backup MC's library on one machine and restore on another.

Even if the Media files themselves are in a different "root" location, you can still use the Library Backup/Restore function to move everything, and then fix the Broken Links to the files using the Find and Replace Template (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Find_and_Replace_Template) of the Rename, Move, and Copy Files tool (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Rename,_Move,_and_Copy_Files).
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: wer on September 11, 2019, 05:54:54 pm
If the path to your media files will change, you need to set fix broken links to NO and disable auto import before running your library backup, as preparation for the restore and broken link fixing that Glynor mentions.

Otherwise as soon as you launch MC after the restore, it might try to "fix" things for you before you can use the RMCF tool, and that will make you sad.
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: glynor on September 11, 2019, 06:07:25 pm
and that will make you sad.

Very good point. Very sad.

I'd forgotten about that because I keep that evil death-option disabled all the time.  :D
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: wer on September 11, 2019, 06:14:09 pm
Yeah, so do I.

It might be a good idea for JRiver to add an option to the library restore process to force those two settings OFF as part of the restore process.  Because if you don't have the option of redoing your backup beforehand as I said (like if your old machine croaked) this issue can really screw you.

Then you have to do a two part process: restore settings, turn the bad ones off, then afterwards restore the library without settings to get your media and playlists back.  Too tricky for someone that's not an expert, and none of this is mentioned in that wiki article.
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: glynor on September 11, 2019, 06:50:40 pm
The most important thing is to keep the overall file and folder structure of your media files the same, so that you can save yourself with RMCF.

If you want to re-organize the files on disk, that's fine, but do it from within RMCF after you get everything moved over and re-linked up with MC. If you do it before you try to restore everything with your Library Backup, then you'll really be sad.
Title: Re: easy migration to new pc
Post by: lynes88 on September 19, 2019, 10:12:58 am
Yea, you guys can imagine what happened to me when Windows recently crashed on my Media PC... to the point I had to use external media to completely re-install Windows 10.  All my settings were changed, JRiver had to be restored, and then when first went back into JRiver, my library was all screwed, no playlists etc.  It was a mess.

Part of what happened to me, Windows managed to change drive letters on multiple drives... and my Library was trying to import items from the new locations.  After a few pints and 4 letter words, what finally worked for me was going back into Disk Management, putting drive letters back to my old configuration, making sure folders were the same and in the original locations from a month ago... then went to my Cloud backup (luckily I had one) and restored my previous month Library backup and voila... it worked.  All my playlists were back, media was fine and movies there ready to go.

Just wanted to share in case someone else faces this challenge.  I am technically savvy, just enough to cause trouble but it felt great to get back up and running.  And I poured another pint!!!   ;D