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More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: datdude on April 04, 2004, 08:20:19 pm

Title: Media Center Lost Data
Post by: datdude on April 04, 2004, 08:20:19 pm
Hi all,

I had spent several hours updating the MC Library (user defined tags) when my computer crashed and when I opened up MC again, all the data that I had entered was lost during that time period.  I did not have a chance to backup the data and there are no windows sytem restore points to go back to.  The data is not in the file tags nor MC's library.

Any Suggestions?
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: pipsqueak on April 04, 2004, 09:29:45 pm
datdude

im sorry to say the info's gone. the only consolation i can offer is its quicker the 2nd time round (i too have had something similar happen)...
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: DJMUK on April 05, 2004, 02:13:42 am
I know it's now 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted' but what I do, and what I suggest you and others do, is to use File->Library->Backup Library after editing for, say, 5 minutes.  You can just keep overwriting the default filename for the day.

It only takes 10 seconds to do and at the most you will lose 5 minutes work.  The good folk at JRiver having given us the facility to do this it's criminal not to use it

It's a sad fact that people only learn to backup work once they have lost enough for it to hurt!

EDIT: I should have said that when you do backup the library save the backup to a different drive/external drive/CD/DVD to that on which the MC library is stored in case that disk crashes.
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: pipsqueak on April 05, 2004, 05:23:40 pm
aah DJMuc i needed that advice a month ago.

Everything except MC (which saves to c:\program files as a default) was backed up up to an external drive, and then keeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrasssh. all my lovely little categories and tags and settings = gone.

pip
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: DJMUK on April 06, 2004, 01:57:38 am
Pip,

Sorry I was not quick enough with the advice :)

I'll give you another bit which may save you in future  :)

I think I have mentioned this before on the forum but an essential software tool is 'Second Copy' which you can find here: www.centered.com (http://www.centered.com).

It will automatically backup any combination of files you like on user defined schedules to any local/external/network drive.  I use it to protect all my data, including MC and the music files.

In my case, as in yours, the MC programs are in the default directory but I have moved the library and cover art folders to my server with the music files.  Second Copy is set up to copy any changed files to an external drive every two hours - on the first pass it, of course, copied all the files.  I can manually trigger this as well if needed.  This is in addition to the manual library backup I do, as mentioned in the earlier post, to my PC.

Do give it a look.  I have used it for about 6 or 7 years now and it has saved the bacon on a number of occasions.

David
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: Nolonemo on April 06, 2004, 01:48:18 pm
SecondCopy is great, you can create custom jobs, even specifying a single indiviudal file, and have it back the job up as often as you want (like every 5 mins).  But, if the file is in use, it won't be able to back it up.  That might be the case with the MC database when MC is open, I don't know.  If that is the case, your only option, as far as I know, is to periodically close and reopen MC.
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: pipsqueak on April 06, 2004, 02:17:25 pm
still sounds better than my currect manual weekly option

thanks guys
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: JustinChase on April 06, 2004, 02:26:33 pm
I'm downloading now, whoops, I'm done (small file).

I have been looking for this for about a year now.  Hope it works as advertised.

THANK YOU for the tip!!!
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: IanG on April 06, 2004, 05:36:40 pm
I've been using Cobian backup (it's free!) - http://www2.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu5.htm - it doesn't have any problems backing up while MC is in use, though I don't know what would happen if the .jmd files were being written to at the time.

Ian G.
Title: Re:Media Center Lost Data
Post by: KingSparta on April 06, 2004, 05:53:39 pm
A Plug-in could be made to do backups, but i do not have access to a ZIP Control Such as Media Server And The Backup Option Uses.