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[speeddeacon]

I read the Wiki on renaming, Moving and Copying libraries and think I have a handle on what some of the options are, but I'm not any clearer on what the best way to go about really is. 

Info: I have a medium sized library (3Tb) of exclusively music source files on an external hard drive currently but have added a NAS and will use it to store my source going forward. I will keep the attached drive as a backup, (and available library)  so will obviously need to copy those source files onto the NAS.  Since I've spent years customizing my Library, I want the Library that points to the NAS to be an exact copy of the one that points to my external drive.

What is the best way to do this?  Simply Copy in MC (library and source files) to the NAS using Copy in the Rename, Move and Copy tool or copy the source files to the NAS first, then clone the existing library, rename it and point it to the NAS source files instead of the external drive. Is there any difference or an even better way I'm not considering?  TIA

[lepa]

First create library backup so you can restore your database in case you mess something up 

I wouldn't use MC to copy media files. Use explorer or e.g. robocopy to copy media files to NAS keeping the folder structure.

Then select all your media files inside MC and use RMC tool in update mode to point MC database to files in NAS.
Use Find What: Replace With: section to update file paths e.g
Find What: E:\
Replace With: Z:\
to change file path begin from E:\ to Z:\

Library (database) should be in the same computer where MC itself is.

[speeddeacon]

First create library backup so you can restore your database in case you mess something up 

I wouldn't use MC to copy media files. Use explorer or e.g. robocopy to copy media files to NAS keeping the folder structure.

Then select all your media files inside MC and use RMC tool in update mode to point MC database to files in NAS.
Use Find What: Replace With: section to update file paths e.g
Find What: E:\
Replace With: Z:\
to change file path begin from E:\ to Z:\

Library (database) should be in the same computer where MC itself is.

Thank you. That's kinda what I was thinking with the clone library option since I don't want to change the Main Library, only add the second. I've not used the Find, Replace tool before so I'll  mess around with it a bit.

[lepa]

Yeah try with couple of files and see from the preview if results would look good. Also as you are using  RMC tool in "update do not move rename etc files" mode you can just restore your database from backup if something goes bad as there is file moving / copying happening.

One reason I would not use MC to move/copy large amount of files is that MC database updates path immediately even though file is not yet copied so you are out of sync if something happens during the file operation.

So for me the most trouble free method is to copy files with file manager and then just update MC database to point to new destination

[markf2748]

Use explorer or e.g. robocopy to copy media files to NAS keeping the folder structure.

Yes, but keep in mind there can be a big difference between File Explorer and Robocopy with regard to preserving file dates.

If you are interested in preserving all dates (I would be) then check out Robocopy's timestamp options.  Another way of preserving dates is to use Beyond Compare (Scooter Software) for the file copy (BC is also a great way to confirm the entire folder structure in one fell swoop).

In any case, first copy a few folders and check using File Explorer > View > Details, with columns for all the dates showing, to make sure you are getting what you want.  You can also check other file attributes while you're at it.

[lepa]

Good addition if user wants to use old files later to sync backup. My original point was mainly just to state that you should copy a big mass of files outside the MC for library reasons

[speeddeacon]

So it will certainly be much faster to copy the actual source files to the NAS outside of MC. Just to be certain, the next step, is to make sure the new MC Library, with all the metadata that I have added over years preserved, knows where to find the files.

I back up my library frequently and always after a change or addition of a new file, so my thought is I will clone my existing Library and Rename it "NAS", leaving the attached external HDD Library named as "Main".  With the new "NAS" library loaded, I should be able to go into RMC tool, go to Find/Replace and tell it to Find the drive letter of the external drive, lets say they are located on drive E: and then replace it with the drive letter of the NAS, lets say N:. 

My thought is the library and all the data has been preserved and the location of the files has simply changed. By cloning the original library first, nothing happens to the original library or source files.  Am I understanding you correctly and is my thought process correct or would this somehow alter the source files?

I'm not sure what the significance of dates you are referring to is.

[lepa]

the idea is that you don't create new library at all but just change current library to point to new files. That way all your metadata is kept the same including play counts and import dates

Actually created a tutorial a while ago...
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,134520.0.html

In your case you just don't move the files but copy. (in step 1)

File attributes / dates are helpful IF you are using some backup software afterwards so backup sw can just copy files that have actually been changed in the first run. But if that external drive is just gonna be shelved after this copying then it is not significant IMO and just use any file manager you are used to.

[markf2748]

I'm not sure what the significance of dates you are referring to is.

FYI, here is a long thread with additional information on the significance of file dates in MC:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,134623.msg932552.html#msg932552

[JimH]

So it will certainly be much faster to copy the actual source files to the NAS outside of MC.

Doubtful.

[speeddeacon]

the idea is that you don't create new library at all but just change current library to point to new files. That way all your metadata is kept the same including play counts and import dates

Actually created a tutorial a while ago...
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,134520.0.html

In your case you just don't move the files but copy. (in step 1)

File attributes / dates are helpful IF you are using some backup software afterwards so backup sw can just copy files that have actually been changed in the first run. But if that external drive is just gonna be shelved after this copying then it is not significant IMO and just use any file manager you are used to.

Ok, that makes sense. I will probably run an auto backup once the NAS is up and running so that could be important moving forward. Thanks for that info and the link to the tutorial.  I won't be shelving the drive, it will be a backup and plan to continue to have it as an optional library, ergo don't want to just point the old library to a new location. I want to have a new, but identical Library that points to the NAS. I'm thinking a clone of the original that is then pointed to the NAS instead of the external should accomplish this but perhaps what I should do is point the Main library to the NAS location then clone it for the external drive as backup so all the data stays with the NAS as my primary library.

I'll take a look at the tutorial today.

Doubtful.

I say this due to my particular hardware, not MC software. I have my source files on a separate machine just for backup but not in a MC library, and that is newer computer and has a much faster external HD attached, so I could use those files to load the NAS rather than copying from my older, but dedicated music server with the slower external drive. Once the files are on the NAS, I won't need them on that computer anymore and will free up some space on that drive.