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[Gl3nn]

I regularly image my C-drive using Acronis True Image.  By doing this, however, I sometimes run into a situation where some changes I've made to MC12 (and forgotten about) in the interim period are lost when I restore an older image.

I know all about library backups in MC12 & have that covered.  If I also export the following registry segments:

hkcu/software/j river
hklm/software/j river

would I effectively be able to restore MC12 *exactly* to where it was before restoring an older image?  Assume that MC12 was already installed on the date of the prior image, and backups of the library & copies of the .reg files made just before running Acronis.

Thanks.  Just want to double-check.

[Gl3nn]

Anyone...?

[benn600]

I've been looking for this feature for the longest time.  The best solution would be to store ALL program settings and configurations either in the library database (so different settings for each database) or have a separate location, perhaps in the Documents & Settings folder, that would store all your settings.

I did find somewhat of a work around.  If you open regedit, you can locate J River and you'll find a lot of settings.  Just export the J River section.  When I reinstall MC on a freshly formatted computer, I just double click this registry file and it adds most of my settings to the registry.  The only thing it doesn't seem to be able to save is the Secure rip from CD drives, so I always make sure to change this.  I always want secure rip!!  Can J River make secure rip the default?  I'd appreciate that!

The reasoning may be because I use the .reg file on all our household computers, each of which has different drives and setups so the Secure rip setting may not apply to any of the drives because they are named differently, etc.

[thenoob1]

You can save the reg. file. So when you register it than most of the options are the same as before (or all).
Because Mc12 reads the info from the register entries.

run: regedit >Hkey current user > software > J River > rightclick and export the key. doubleclick and the key is registered (after a new install etc).

tn1

[benn600]

I also find that some of the info is stored in the database.  Custom fields seem to be stored here.

One thing I can't figure out is the default library database.  Even when I use the registry export tool, MC doesn't seem to add the library I want (stored on my server).  It also doesn't seem to add watched folders.  So I have to configure all those things by hand, on four accounts, times the number of computers we have.

Also, view schemes don't seem to be stored there, either!  For example, when I'm on my main computer upstairs, I see all my great view schemes.  In the theater on its computer, I lose my custom fields from being displayed.  So I re-add them but then I lose them on my main computer.  It's hard to explain but I will try to figure out what's going on.

[Gl3nn]

Benn600 - Yes, I agree it would be a great feature if one could capture ALL settings in one place!

TheNoob1 - Yes, that's what I've been doing... using regedit to save both of the branches listed in my original post.  I just would like to know whether that's all of it... or is there something more somewhere else?

[AoXoMoXoA]

Often, when I am reinstalling MediaCenter after a new Windows install, as I reset all my options to my preferred settings, I take pause to wonder why such a sophistocated and feature-rich software package does not accomodate this within.

[Alex B]

I just would like to know whether that's all of it... or is there something more somewhere else?

The thumbnails (which are slow to recreate) and automatic library backup files are in the following location (by default):
C:\Documents and Settings\[your user name]\Application Data\J River\...

Also, you may want to back up the complete program and library folders. This would make the "snapshot" complete (a library restore always deletes the old thumbnails and the program folders may contain skins, plug-ins and other similar separately installed stuff).

I assume that if you use a separate cover art folder for the actual image files you already back it up with the media files.

[benn600]

One annoyance is that if I generate most of the thumbnails for my music on my main computer and go to the theater computer, yes, it generates and stores them locally there.  However, then returning to my main computer seems to reveal missing cover art!  It must unlink the cover art.

Perhaps this feature request, basically to store all settings in one easily backed up location, will be implemented in MC 12.1 (since there was 11.1) or version 13?  It is similar to auto-import.  It just seems like a must have feature but it can take a lot of work to make it work right.  I desperately hope they fix this.  I would really like it if settings were just stored in the library database folder--that's what Firefox and Thunderbird do.  That way, you just point the program to the library location and all settings are picked up.  Plus, changing settings on one computer would then be available on other computers (if you're using a central server).

This works so nice for Firefox!  I actually asked for this VERY close to the first day I discovered MC.  Since I use many different computers with the same central database, I like my settings to transfer.  I could search for the thread I created back around June-August 2006 but I don't think any response was given.

I wholeheartedly support this feature request.

[Gl3nn]

The thumbnails (which are slow to recreate) and automatic library backup files are in the following location (by default):
C:\Documents and Settings\[your user name]\Application Data\J River\...

Also, you may want to back up the complete program and library folders. This would make the "snapshot" complete (a library restore always deletes the old thumbnails and the program folders may contain skins, plug-ins and other similar separately installed stuff).

I assume that if you use a separate cover art folder for the actual image files you already back it up with the media files.

Thanks.  I didn't know that about the thumbnails... or that there were automatic backups.

I've moved my default library to a separate, data drive which I backup nightly, so I'm not worried about that.  Ditto for cover art.

I think I should be OK now.  Thanks again!

[Magic_Randy]

It would be nice if we could backup everything in one step.  This includes all options, settings, smartlists, playlists, and registry settings (except for the license keys).  It would also be nice to take this backup and use it to sync multiple PCs.

[benn600]

Why not just store your library on a flash drive?  Then you can take your flash drive with you and therefore have your MC library and settings.  The only problem is that you'd need to fit all your music on the flash drive, too.

Maybe that's not the best idea.  Just combine settings with music library (database) and that would be amazing.

[Gl3nn]

I think your idea of the Firefox-like scenario would be ideal.

[ThoBar]

See if Glynor's system works for you...

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=36031.0

Note that I haven't used it myself, so I can't say what it does and doesn't do, but I know it exists, and may be useful to you.

C.

[gappie]

See if Glynor's system works for you...

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=36031.0

Note that I haven't used it myself, so I can't say what it does and doesn't do, but I know it exists, and may be useful to you.

C.

ive used glynors saving script several times after a reinstall of windows and it works great. my thunbnails are stored on D: besides the library. after a fresh install i install mc and run the last saved from glynors programm. and i was were i where, with the right library, playlists thumbnails etc. its a great little tool.

[glynor]

I was getting there.... 

If you use it in concert with a library backup, it should handle most things.  It does not save the HKLM\Software\JRiver\ key hierarchy though because restoring that causes problems with the registration/activation system of MC.  I should really modify it to save HKLM\Software\JRiver\Media Center 12\ and HKLM\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\, I suppose, but the BuyButton and Media Core keys should really be left alone.

Most of the keys under HKLM aren't really very "option specific" though, and should mostly be defaults anyhow...

One of these days, I'm going to update that script to save some additional stuff in C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\J River.  That's somewhat more difficult because there could be multiple users on the system, but I'll probably just ignore that...

[Gl3nn]

See if Glynor's system works for you...

Note that I haven't used it myself, so I can't say what it does and doesn't do, but I know it exists, and may be useful to you.

C.

Thanks.  Yes, I've already tried it and it works fine.  For someone who wants to automate this portion of backing up MC, it surely serves the purpose.  In my case, doing this manually via regedit is sufficient since I only need it after a re-image, which is a planned event.

[Gl3nn]

Oh... I just looked but I couldn't see a way to move the thumbnail folder location from \Documents & Settings\...\Application Data\J River\... to a location on another drive.  I take it this can't be done?

[glynor]

Not through the options panel.   

HKCU\Software\JRiver\Media Center 12\Properties\Thumbnails - Base Path

[Gl3nn]

Thank you!   

[benn600]

So does this mean the thumbnail database can be stored anywhere?  Theoretically, I could store it on the server and then if I generated thumbnails for everything, using a different computer wouldn't have to generate them, too.  However, how would two opened MC's at the same time, using the same thumbnail database, work?

[Gl3nn]

I edited the registry as glynor described, moving the path to my "D" drive, and it works just fine.  As far as that directory being a network share, that I'll have to test.

[benn600]

That would be AMAZING if my 24/7 server running MC could point to the thumbnail folder and auto-create thumbnails.  Then, my other computers would access this database read-only.  Then, my server could spend a day or two generating thumbnails for everything and my other computers wouldn't have to take all that time to do so!  What an amazing idea!  Then, hopefully the server would generate thumbnails for newly imported content (which would be auto-imported from a CD rip, etc on another computer) and hopefully it would get the thumbnail automatically even while in the system tray.

I don't think it could get any nicer.  We are always waiting for thumbnails--no joke.

[glynor]

You'd better have a FAST network (I'd say Gigabit wouldn't even cut it) if you move the thumbnail cache to a network drive.  MC uses the cache every time it displays a thumbnail, so that's a pretty heavily accessed directory structure...

A much better solution is to keep it on a local drive and replicate it to each of the machines which need it via an automated XCOPY routine (or use something like SyncBack to handle the replication).

[Alex B]

So does this mean the thumbnail database can be stored anywhere?  Theoretically, I could store it on the server and then if I generated thumbnails for everything, using a different computer wouldn't have to generate them, too.  However, how would two opened MC's at the same time, using the same thumbnail database, work?

Besides the speed issue the actual thumbnails are always tied with a certain library and MC instance. An open library (i.e. an MC with the library active) must have fully synchronized and exclusive access to the thumbnail files. It is not possible to run two or more separate libraries with the same thumbnail cache.

If you do the copying carefully when no MC libraries are active (i.e. the MC's are closed or at least use a different library) you can copy the library files and the thumbnails from one PC to another so that the library and thumbnails will remain synchronized.

MC12 has a new option for using a shared library folder with several PCs. The first PC has normal access and the other PCs create automatically a temporary read only local copy of the library on MC startup. Even in this case each MC instance creates its own thumbnail cache.

[benn600]

I just need to try my idea.

Now, remember that gigabit ethernet is faster than any hard drive available.  It can provide a theoretical maximum of 120 MB/second.  Thumbnails are small for a reason.  I'm going to move the thumbnail database right now and see how one user operates with it on the network server.  By the way, I'm only using 100Mb networking.

[benn600]

I just moved it.

1. With \\server\Book1\Profiles\Media Center\Thumbnails, it doesn't seem to be working at all.  No thumbnails are being generated but the display does in fact show the cover art.
2. With Z:\Profiles\Media Center\Thumbnails, it seems to be working great.  In the worst case, this will mean each individual user can have their own thumbnail database.

I'll keep messing with it.

I don't want to have to map a network drive on every computer just to do this, though!

It's also, in a way, faster than my local hdd because my local drive is plagued with constant access due to limited RAM.  It does seem a tad faster.

[rjm]

When backing everything up, don't forget that screengrabs are stored in
C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 12\Data\ScreenGrabs

I have complained about this in the past. I don't think user data should be stored in Program Files, and I don't think screengrabs should be tied to a specific version of MC.

[benn600]

Well, I rarely use that feature at this point.  I still use VLC for most video playback, even though MC does import all my video.  I just prefer a lightweight application for video and besides that, I still have a few problems with MC and video playback.

That does seem strange to store anything in Program Files...I don't like it when programs think they can create a new folder in My Documents, so that isn't the best place either.  My choice would be the desktop and then I'll clean it up myself...but that won't work for most people.  I like the desktop because I can locate everything immediately and from there, I can rename and organize them, then add them to my NAS by myself and place them exactly where I want them.

[glynor]

I just need to try my idea.

Now, remember that gigabit ethernet is faster than any hard drive available.  It can provide a theoretical maximum of 120 MB/second.  Thumbnails are small for a reason.  I'm going to move the thumbnail database right now and see how one user operates with it on the network server.  By the way, I'm only using 100Mb networking.

If you're comparing theoretical max to theoretical max (which is absurd but that's what you suggested), the bus transfer speeds for Gigabit ethernet are certainly slower than current hard drive buses. 

Gigabit ethernet: 1024 mbps (megabit), roughly equal to 128 MB/s
UDMA 133 (ATA7): 133 MB/s (megabytes)
SATA150: 150 MB/s (megabytes)
SATA300: 300 MB/s (megabytes)

None even come remotely close to achieving their theoretical maxes (even with sequential reads), but the ATA based specs come a LOT closer.  Using a drive over a network also requires it to be both bus limited (the drive is still connected via SATA or PATA) and then translated to the network and then suffers network latency.  The issue isn't bus speed, it's latency.  You'll see if you try it and you use thumbs for video or pictures at all... 

[JimH]

I believe the screengrabs are just used temporarily and a thumbnail is created from them.

[benn600]

Remember that hard drives also don't come anywhere near the speed of the bus.  The only advantage here is that they have incredible cache on them which can be sent over the bus very quickly.  This isn't a big deal, though.

The funny thing you are forgetting is that if you examine the thumbnail files (there are 3), they start at 8 Mb but can grow to 16 Mb, and probably larger.  Anyway, both of those sizes could be sent over a 100 Mb network in under 2 seconds--and that is every thumbnail.  Network thumbnails works but it stopped working now for some reason, so I put it back to a local drive.

It didn't seem any slower at all, and almost seemed faster.  With limited RAM in my system at the moment, my hard drive is usually busy so offloading the data access to the network gives the hard drive more seek and access time.