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[WeeHappyPixie]

Guys,

Please can someone tell me why MC always modifies (updates) my ID tags everytime I use MC.

The problem I have is when I go to sync my music on my laptop to my server it is copying all my music which is in excess of 90GB because the modified flag has changed as well as the date of the file.

I can understand if I updated the tag myself or renamed a file, added cover art etc but these are files that are complete and not being changed. What setting is updating my files.

Thanks,


John

Edit: OK, I have searched the Wiki and found this option "Update Tags When File Info Changes: If this option is checked (default), tags will be updated when changes are made in the library." so does MC update the library each time I load it and therefore updating my tags and changing the file date in the process.

[olinbg]

I believe in the auto-import section there is a checkbox for "update for external changes" - maybe this is pulling in new info and causing the modifications?

[Alex B]

MC has two Auto-Import tasks that can change file tags, Analyze audio and Get Cover Art, but once these are finished nothing should change the file tags automatically. It is also possible to disable these tasks in the Auto-Import options.

"Update tags when file info changes" is an on/off switch that can disable all tag writing. When it is unchecked all new or changed field data is stored only in the library. Unchecking this setting is not needed to preserve the files as they are (until the next intentional tag change).

Something else must be going on. Do you use any third party plugins?

[WeeHappyPixie]

Something else must be going on. Do you use any third party plugins?

I don't have any third party plugins. I have had this issue with MC15 and now 16.

Will disable all auto import settings and monitor the situation.

John.

[Alex B]

when I go to sync my music on my laptop to my server it is copying all my music

Even when the above mentioned Auto-Import tasks are enabled MC is not supposed alter all files. Only the new files will be analyzed (if they don't have the replay gain tags) and MC will try to download cover art if it is not already available (embedded in the file tags or in the set cover art location).

I wonder if the problem is actually in the code that is responsible of the sync process.

Could you please verify that the disk files actually change (outside MC) and/or the Date Modified field inside MC has similarly changed values?

[WeeHappyPixie]

Even when the above mentioned Import tasks are enabled MC is not supposed alter all files. Only the new files will be analyzed (if they don't have the replay gain tags) and MC will try to download cover art if it is not already available (embedded in the file tags or in the set cover art location).

I wonder if the problem is actually in the code that is responsible of the sync process.

Could you please verify that the disk files actually change (outside MC) and/or the Date Modified field inside MC has similarly changed values?

Hi Alex,

I have double checked and nothing is altering my files externally.

Here is what I have and do in case you see something I am missing.

I keep my music in 3 places other than on my laptop. My laptop is my master and the one I use for ripping.
I have a Win 7 Media Center which has a copy of my music and its own copy of MC16.
I have a copy of my music in a music folder on my Windows Home Server (WHS 2011 full realease version MSDN)
I have a copy of my music on an external 3TB WD USB 3 drive.

I normally use a program called Directory Opus 9 to sync my music folder on the laptop with one of my destinations. I only do a one way sync which is always FROM laptop to destination. Directory Opus always copies the source date/time and file attributes so in theory when I do a sync it should only copy files that have changed on my laptop but its copying everything.

I have also tried other 3rd party sync tools including SyncTOY, PureSync and TrueSync and they all do the same.

Is it possible to have my MediaCenter version on MC16 (it's own library) sync with my laptop MC16 library.

Thanks.

[Alex B]

Is it possible to have my MediaCenter version on MC16 (it's own library) sync with my laptop MC16 library.

I actually thought that you were using the Library Sync tool (File > Library > Sync Library...).

However, it is not a fully featured backup/sync tool that can replicate everything you have. It is intended for copying just the available media files from Library Server to a local drive and creating a library of them. On a second thought, I don't know if it is even designed to monitor the file modification dates and recopy the changed files.

I normally use a program called Directory Opus 9 to sync ...
I have also tried other 3rd party sync tools including SyncTOY, PureSync and TrueSync and they all do the same...

So the files do change, but we don't know what causes that.

[rick.ca]

This is indeed strange if [Date Modified] is changed for literally all the files in the library. Are all the date-times within a range that MC was running? Are they updated each time MC is run? If so, each update should be captured in the log (if logging is enabled), and so you might be able to determine what's going on from the log.

Will disable all auto import settings and monitor the situation.

What was the result?

If MC is not changing all the files—just a lot of them—it would be worthwhile to review the fields that are set to be saved in the file tags. In Managing Library Fields, use the drop-down box to "Show only fields saved in tags." You might have some that result in a large number of files being updated (e.g., play stats).

[Alex B]

I thought about the play stats (Last Played and Number Plays) and the possibility of setting them to write file tags, but since probably not all files are played between two syncs, I didn't bother to mention them.

[rick.ca]

I thought about play stats...

But what if [Date Modified] were being saved in file tags?

[Alex B]

 

[WeeHappyPixie]

OK, a wee update.

I have found that when the option Update tages when file information changes it does indeed change the modified date when a track is finished playing and it updates it's rating. If I switch this option OFF then it's fine. I only need to remember to write the tags back manually if I edit any in the future.

I also noticed that my Zune and WMP software were creating hidden JPG files like AlbumArtSmall, AlbumArt_{88ECC9FC-0483-443C-BE69-40DCD3158C5D}_Large

Some folders have various files called AlbumArt_ and then that huge number which sometimes may contain about 10 different files with different numbers in the same folder.

I am still looking into it.

Would still like the idea where my laptop MC can me a MASTER and my other MC's can sync from it and update themselves.

John