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Author Topic: How to restore broken Library links after Pictures & Videos folders were moved?  (Read 312 times)

dpluigi

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Hello,

I did a clean install of Windows 11 (24H2) and reorganized my media folder such as D:\music to D:\JohnDo\music between the old installation and the new one.  MC33 was reinstalled on the new Windows installation but the restored MC Libraries is still pointing to the Old locations even though in MC Options the default Windows user Music shell folder is pointing to the correct new Location.

How can I help the MC Library update the location it has archived from D:\music to D:\JohnDo\music and similarly for Videos?

I could move the Windows Music Shell back to the old location and then I suspect the restored MC Library will see consistent files locations but I'd prefer to keep all my Windows user shell folders for user JohnDo under D:\JohnDo.

I am still learning to manage my media files in MC33. My apologies if this was already posted and discussed, I looked up on the forums and could not find a recent thread for MC33. All I found was about moving files from within MC but in effect it is already done outside of MC33.

Thank you for your help and inputs.
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BryanC

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Highlight all of the affected files in MC, hit F6 to open the rename, move, and copy tool, in the dropdown in the upper left choose the "update database" option, and then change the base directory OR use Find and Replace to point the database paths to the new location.
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JimH

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Moving Files topic on our wiki.
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dpluigi

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Moving Files topic on our wiki.
Thank you @JimH for your reply. I just had found https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files ,
which pointed me to this relevant thread: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files

I got the gist of it but now trying to figure out how to select the files of interests.  The change is for the whole of music, pictures and videos files.
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dpluigi

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Highlight all of the affected files in MC, hit F6 to open the rename, move, and copy tool, in the dropdown in the upper left choose the "update database" option, and then change the base directory OR use Find and Replace to point the database paths to the new location.
Thank you @BryanC for the quick reply, it looks simple enough. 

I am still confused about where I can globally select the files.  I tried to select the files from Drives & Devices / Explorer / D:\JohnDo\Music pressing F6 over that folder root but nothing.

Now trying for example to work on Audio /Files selecting all the files by highlighting them (Shift select 1st and last) in the Files pane, F6,
"Update database to point to new location (no file rename, move or copy)"
Find  Replace  D:\Music D:\JohnDo\Music
Nothing seems to be happening after pressing OK.

The idea is simple but I am apparently not following the right MC procedure.



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JimH

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You can use search to isolate the files you want to change.
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dpluigi

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You can use search to isolate the files you want to change.

Here is a screenshot oof the selection I made in in attachment.
It looks like the selection is made, however the next steps I got from BryanC above or the Wiki instruction do not seem to give the expected results.
The issue for me is not to change the physical file locations but for the backup library, that was just imported back in the new installation of MC33, to point to an updated location.  That is, all my media tree was moved down one level in a subdirectory.

Could you give me a step by step instructions or point me to what I am missing in the current Rename/Move  Copy Files windows included in the screenshot in attachment?

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BryanC

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You are just missing the colons in your search and replace.
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JimH

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We don't do step by step, but you can ask if you don't understand the tool.  It's important to experiment a little.
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dpluigi

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We don't do step by step, but you can ask if you don't understand the tool.  It's important to experiment a little.
This is what I have been doing today, experimenting and figuring out the short hand instructions. ;)  Note also before I submitted the first post that I was already reading through old posts from several years ago and then on the MC33 forum more specifical. 
I came across the Wiki doc just before posted your reply too - synchronicity. I am also aware that MC is defining Library in the context of a database handling and sporadically playing music files from playlists or Albums.  Please, bear with me, I am not proficient with MC and the intricate menus commands and options.

I apparently don't understand how to properly use "Rename, Move & Cop File" tool (shortcut F6) to update files location saved in restored Library.

I am only trying here to update the Library, not the media files location on physical drive.
Can you at least tell me if, based on the screenshot, I am using the right tools and the adequate options for what I trying to achieve?

The update commands I initiated (called with F6) did nothing even though I thought that I followed the recommendations from the post quoted above and BryanC.  The commands from the library Tools are great, but most are not relevant.  I am also afraid that misusing commands can mess things up since I read that files can be relocated physically - I am only trying to change the reference within the library.

So I'll keep going in circle on figuring this simple task... hopefully I'll found along the way tutorials to get me up and running better with MC.  It's been 7 years since I first invested in MC, buying many updates since, but I never felt proficient with it - often feeing lost in its intricacies.  Today is an illustration of that among the full data and programs restore I am doing following the clean Windows on PC this weekend.

Thanks again for your pointers.

Best regards

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cncb

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As BryanC said, you just need to add the colons in the Find & Replace text boxes: "D:\Music\".
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-Craig    MO 4Media remote and player:  Android/TV/Auto | iOS | Windows 10/UWP

dpluigi

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As BryanC said, you just need to add the colons in the Find & Replace text boxes: "D:\Music\".
With the semi colons it worked right away.  Thank you, it was my mistake and I totally didn't notice.  My laptop keyboard is acting out and I keep having to correct dropped characters on quick keypress.

This was confusing because I originally understood and followed BryanC's instruction but did not notice the dropped colons. 

Note that I was reluctant to change the Base Path by selecting Directories as it changed the format. I just understood how to use the Rule option and the one to select to match what I had setup before.

It was silly, all is good now.  I'll still look up Videos and tutorials to get better at handling my Libraries and managing my media archives.

Thank you again for your help.
Best regards
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JimH

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Experiment.  Set up a test library and try things
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