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[paulrr01]

Hi all, I've had a good look around but can't seem to find a reference to anything similar.
MC 25.0.114, media stored on NAS, MC server on Mac, MC client on PC.
Now, as far as I know, nothing has changed in my set up/config - Ive certainly not made any view changes.
I've been going through a process to tidy the library - mainly 'merging' albums with more than one CD i.e. before each album was different because the album name included 'CD1'...'CD2'....
The process I've followed for weeks is : On the PC client, select the albums, delete 'Remove from Media Library'. I then use MP3tag/win explorer to sort out folders and tags. I repeat for a batch of albums.
Then when done I use JRemote (Ios) to run auto import...(I know this is happening cos the NAS goes very busy). After a period of time I look in 'Recent Albums' view to cross check the albums I've edited have reappeared, which they did.
What's happening now is the 'Recent albums' view is not showing those albums I've edited - BUT they do show up within another 'artist' view I have.
Any ideas?

[RoderickGI]

Any ideas?

Yes.

Don't delete the albums from MC.
Do all your tagging inside MC using MC functionality. At worst, if you must use MP3tag, leave the files in MC and set MC to "Update for external changes", and/or run "Update Library from tags" after tagging.
Do not use Windows Explorer to move files around. Really, just don't. Especially after deleting them from the Library. Use the MC Rename, Move, and Copy Files function to move them, and associated bits, so that MC knows what they are and where they are moved to, instead of having to reimport them and work it all out again.


Sorry, I'm not going to diagnose this.

What's happening now is the 'Recent albums' view is not showing those albums I've edited - BUT they do show up within another 'artist' view I have.

Just change your workflow so that MC is involved in all steps, and you won't need to diagnose the issue either.

[paulrr01]

Thank you for your time and trouble taken to answer.

However, and maybe I did'nt write clearly enough, my question is, why am I getting a different experience/results now from 'before', when as far as I know, nothing has changed.

"instead of having to reimport them and work it all out again" - isnt that what it's designed to do? Why have various 'levels' of delete? Sorry but don't quite get the logic.
Thank you again for taking the trouble to try and help.

[wer]

I think Roderick's point is that you are making it much harder on yourself, and by extension those you ask for help, than you need to.  Your workflow is quite convoluted.

There are any number of things that could go wrong, at multiple stages.  Your description of the problem is, to be kind, somewhat imprecise.

Without screenshots, full descriptions of your view configurations, an examination of the tags of some of the files in question, etc, it will be difficult to determine where you went wrong.

"It doesn't appear in my recent albums view but does appear in another Artist view" might imply that the Date Imported field has not changed, like you assume it has, but it would depend on the configuration of your views and the actual metadata in the file in question.  You've provided none of that.

Do you want to do what it takes to troubleshoot this workflow, or do you want to adopt a simpler workflow less prone to issues?

[RoderickGI]

Thank you Wer. You are, of course, correct.

Not all fields in the MC Library are stored as tags in the files. MC has some capability to recognise files that have been deleted previously and then re-imported, and hence reinstate the Library record including additional fields as it previously existed. But if you delete files from the Library, then change tags in it, and then move the files or rename them, MC can't be sure the re-imported file is the same one as it previously knew about. So it will re-import them as new files. Hence, metadata only stored in the Library and not in file tags will be lost.

What has changed now, so that your workflow no longer works, but used to? It could be many things, as Wer says, such as you started renaming files, or started changing important tags that affect the identification of a file, or you started moving and renaming files. Without detailed analysis, we will never know. If you gain more understanding of MC functionality you may be able to work it out though.

isnt that what it's designed to do? Why have various 'levels' of delete? Sorry but don't quite get the logic.

No, that isn't what it is designed to do. As above, MC has some capability to recognise files it previously knew about, but that works best if the file name, location and tags haven't changed. It is therefore most useful if you accidentally deleted, or simply temporarily wanted to delete, files for some reason.

The three levels of delete descriptions are pretty self-explanatory, I think. With some commentary that might be rewritten as;
1. Just remove this file from the Library for now, because I still want to keep it, and may re-import it later. I'm hiding it from the kids/wife because it's going to be a surprise. Or I don't want to get rid of the file, but I'm going to archive it somewhere.
2. Remove this file from the Library. I don't think I want to keep it, but just in case I change my mind, put it in the Recycle Bin. I may want to recover it from there in the short to medium term... or maybe not.
3. Remove this file from the Library. I don't ever want to see this again!

Deletion before doing external updates is neither required or advised.

[paulrr01]

Thank you for the explanation wer and RoderickGI.
You are of course reasonable suggesting a better understanding of the working of MC would be a good idea. And thank you for your advice illuminating my bad practice. I guess, like everyone else, we are comfortable with what is familiar.

Once I've gathered my thoughts etc, and as some questions are now valid about my setup, I'll resurrect an earlier thread about my setup.
Thank you again, and stay safe.