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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 29 for Windows => Topic started by: dhiggins on May 27, 2022, 09:17:22 am

Title: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: dhiggins on May 27, 2022, 09:17:22 am
Had a quick question, if anyone might know the answer.

So I've got MC29 running on a Desktop serving up and playing media. All is good.

I installed MC on my laptop, and connected it to the desktop, so now, I can have MC running on the laptop, but controlling desktop playback through my nice sound system.  All good.  Except for one minor thing.

If MC is NOT running on my desktop, then, of course, when I start MC on my laptop, that media server doesn't show up in the Now Playing area.

Ok. That makes perfect sense.

BUT. If I start MC on my Desktop, then go back to my laptop, the Desktop never shows up.
It's as if MC never performs a "see if any servers have come online"

I've tried refreshes, etc. Nothing.

But if I shutdown MC on my laptop and restart it, presto! I immediately see the desktop again

Am I missing the proper "refresh" key in MC? Is there any way to force MC to "relocate" any server machines out there?

Many thanks!
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: JimH on May 27, 2022, 10:08:04 am
Read about running Media Server on Windows startup in the wiki topic. 
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: dhiggins on May 27, 2022, 10:48:33 am
Read about running Media Server on Windows startup in the wiki topic.
Hi Jim

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I've read up on setting it up as a service and that does work. But unfortunately, since it's my desktop, I'd rather not, mainly because when you set it up as a service, there are lots of Media library things you +can't+ do. And to be able to just run MC on my desktop normally in that case, I'd have to open service manager, stop the server, then load MC normally, and do library maintenance type stuff, then close MC and restart the service.

Or course, all that's doable, it just more hassle than it's really worth.

Really, I was just wondering if there's any way to get MC to "repoll" for existing servers on the network without having to completely shut it down?
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: JimH on May 27, 2022, 12:02:40 pm
It isn't a service.  It's just a small footprint version of MC.  It can serve your library or run MC.  Click on the icon in the lower right corner if you want to stop it, but there's no need to do so.

Please try it.

By the way, I've edited out duplicate lines from your posts.  If you're inserting them intentionally, please don't.
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: DJLegba on May 27, 2022, 12:12:00 pm
Really, I was just wondering if there's any way to get MC to "repoll" for existing servers on the network without having to completely shut it down?

You've tried using the File menu and expanding Library?
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: badger on May 28, 2022, 01:43:53 pm
Tools...  Options.... Startup.... Windows Startup

Run on Windows startup:
 - Nothing: default
 - Media Center: Start MC whenever Windows starts.
 - Media Server: Starts the Media Server only, which runs in the brackground and allows to share music, etc. over a network. This one.
 - Media Center and Media Server

I believe if you do the above, you won't ever have to restart MC on the laptop to see the server(s)... cause they will always be running.
Title: Re: Refreshing available media servers
Post by: dhiggins on June 01, 2022, 05:31:58 pm
Sure enough.

I guess I've been running MC so long, I always had it setup as a service.
That still works just fine on my Server, which I almost never log into, but doesn't work great on my desktop.
BUT.. I always log in to my desktop, so the MCServer option makes perfect sense there.
And yep, it definitely works better for a desktop that trying to run as a service.
@Jim. Sorry about the duplicate lines. It wasn't intentional. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Gonna watch this post to see if things double up.

Thanks again
Darin