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[haggis999]

My primary installation of MC18 is on my desktop PC, but for the purposes of checking out the ability of MC to work with streaming devices being demonstrated at a hi-fi dealership, I have also installed it on my laptop along with copies of all the FLAC files I have created so far by ripping my CD collection.

I would now like to find a way to quickly configure my laptop MC installation to match that on my desktop PC. Obviously, the folder location of my FLAC files will be different but I would like all my custom audio views and library field updates to be recreated on the laptop without having to do it all again from scratch. Is this possible?

David   

[kstuart]

I have done this with no problem when the folder location is the same.   For example, if your music is on an external drive at F:\Music and you put that same drive on another PC and change the drive letter to F: then it is simple.

Simply go to File->Library->Backup Library on the original PC and then on the copied PC, open that backup with File->Library->Restore.

If you cannot manage to have the file locations match, then someone with more expertise will need to advise...

[haggis999]

I tried restoring a backup from my desktop PC to my laptop but failed to find a way to then modify the file path.

Does MC's 'Library Sync' option perhaps have any relevance to my requirement?

David

[MrC]

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files

[magnust]

I regularly copy my main MC installation on my work pc to my living room pc. I use "backup library" and "restore library". This copies all my tweaked library views and all other settings. I use the dos command mklink to have the music available in an identical path on both.


One odd thing though is that sometimes my split view with view #2 locked as playing now is reset to a single no-split view. Very odd. Can this have to do with which one of the two split views is "active" when backing up or restoring? Really odd that it seems to happen randomly.

[haggis999]

I regularly copy my main MC installation on my work pc to my living room pc. I use "backup library" and "restore library". This copies all my tweaked library views and all other settings. I use the dos command mklink to have the music available in an identical path on both.

I had never heard of mklink before but it sounded like a potential solution so I checked it out. Unfortunately, however, mklink does not appear to have the ability to simulate the presence of a new disk partition. The music files on my desktop PC are on the G: drive but my laptop only has a C: drive.

David

[haggis999]

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files

Perhaps I'm being thick, but I couldn't see anything on that page that seemed relevant to what I was trying to do. I don't want to move any media files. The files on my desktop PC need to stay where they are and I have been using file synchronising software to copy them to my laptop. 

David

[MrC]

Moving files helps you when MC's concept of where the files are is different from where the files actually are.  This is often the case when you move files to a new disk or MC to a new PC.

Your goal is to change all the media's Filename fields in MC so that the paths reflect the true path.  The Rename, Move & Copy tool in Update mode can accomplish this.

This only helps you reconnect the files, and that is what I was addressing.

If you map a drive on all your systems (to say M:) and store your music relative to that path, then you can have MC find all your music there.  That avoids having to change the file locations.

[Samson]

Does MC's 'Library Sync' option perhaps have any relevance to my requirement?

The synch option is limited as to what it synchs,
"What Is Not Synced- View customization (columns, sorting, adding / removing views) , Playlist deletion, Options changes (each client maintains its own options)".

Initially what worked for me was to create a new shared JRiver Library on an external drive.Everything lived on the drive including media, library itself, JRiver files,thumbnails, even MC backups of librrary.There are options within MC to relocate where files are located and other tricks to change default locations. You then just plug the external drive in to one or other pc and changes made in one will be reflected in other.You are literally not synching machines but rather sharing the same library and media on the same external drive ( small sized 1TB mobile drive).You then image or back up that drive to safeguard against loss of data. I have a different setup now but that worked well for me at the time. I can paste a tutorial of what I did if interested but someone would need to inform me how to place embedded screen shots so they can be interspersed between text explanations.

Obviously I didnt need streaming servers in that arrangement but I see no reason that media server should not be enabled and used (but others may ?)

[magnust]

I had never heard of mklink before but it sounded like a potential solution so I checked it out. Unfortunately, however, mklink does not appear to have the ability to simulate the presence of a new disk partition. The music files on my desktop PC are on the G: drive but my laptop only has a C: drive.

David

Create an extremely small partition with the correct disk name (for me e:) and make a virtual directory on it with mklink My mklink even points to a network share but it looks local.

Mounting the network share might be better but I use mklink since the directory paths are not identical when I use mounting.

[csimon]

Perhaps I'm being thick, but I couldn't see anything on that page that seemed relevant to what I was trying to do. I don't want to move any media files. The files on my desktop PC need to stay where they are and I have been using file synchronising software to copy them to my laptop. 

It's under the Library Tools / Find and Replace

You've practically done everything!  You've physically moved the files.  You've replicated the library and settings by backing up and restoring. The ony thing different now is the file path.  So use the Find and Replace bits to change the path of each media file in the laptop's library.

[haggis999]

It's under the Library Tools / Find and Replace

You've practically done everything!  You've physically moved the files.  You've replicated the library and settings by backing up and restoring. The ony thing different now is the file path.  So use the Find and Replace bits to change the path of each media file in the laptop's library.

That sounds like a good solution, but when I go to 'Tools > Library Tools > Find and Replace' after selecting some tracks I am not given the opportunity to modify the path. I just get a fixed list of fields such as Album, Album Artist, Artist, Catalog #, Comment, Composer, etc, none of which include either the path or filename. There is also no facility for selecting any other fields. Please clarify how Find and Replace can be exploited to resolve my problem.

David

[csimon]

I've not used Find and Replace myself, but the instructions say:

Find and Replace will let you change any part of any field. If you do this in "File Location", you can change "C:" to "D:" or "C:\Music" to "C:\Video". MC will move the files and update its library.

It may well be that the Wiki is out of date if File Location is not available. However, you can do the same thing in the Move/Rename/Copy utility (select a file or files, right-click, Library Tools).

[haggis999]

I've not used Find and Replace myself, but the instructions say:

Find and Replace will let you change any part of any field. If you do this in "File Location", you can change "C:" to "D:" or "C:\Music" to "C:\Video". MC will move the files and update its library.

It may well be that the Wiki is out of date if File Location is not available. However, you can do the same thing in the Move/Rename/Copy utility (select a file or files, right-click, Library Tools).

That's exactly where it is. I found it a few minutes ago, prompted by a reference in MrC's last post above. Rather confusingly, MC has two find and replace options. The 'Library Tools/Find and Replace' option doesn't help for path changes but the find and replace option within 'Library Tools/Rename, Move, & Copy Files' does!

David 

[haggis999]

My two installations of MC are now in sync as a result of running a find a replace operation on the file paths. However, the suggestions that I arrange for the path to my music files to be identical on both machines make more sense as a long term solution.

Many thanks to all of you for your assistance on this matter 

David