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[Piblokto]

I have just reconfigured my home setup and now primarily use a PC with MC20 running as a client drawing its library and music from another copy of MC20 running on a server PC in my office.

I process new music files on the client system but have found that tagging is disabled when running as a client - that is, it will not save tags to files.  I realise that it cannot amend the tags in the main library, but I want to write tags to new files that are held on the client PC, prior to moving them to the server and this is also disabled.  I can unload the library and then write tags but the library contains a number of my own fields and these are lost when I unload the library, as are the existing records which can provide tag entries quickly for artists that are already in the library, saving me typing.

Is there a way to enable saving tags on local (non-server library) files when running as a client?  One get-around that I have considered is to create a dummy library which I would load for editing purposes, then unload and re-load the server library for listening.  Alternatively, could I install a second copy of MC20 (or a copy of MC 19) to solely use as a tagging system?

Thanks

[JimH]

MC can sync tag changes to the server.  You need to use authentication on the server.  It's set under Media Network.

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

[Piblokto]

Thank you for your reply Jim, this link helps a lot.  I had already noticed that frequent syncing occurred but didn't realise that it could be two-way and now see that from the client I can amend tags of files that are in the server library.  Impressive, and very useful.

However as far as I can see, I still cannot write tags on the client PC to files that are not in the library at all (and which may not be intended to be placed in the library).  Although the tag changes are displayed it does not show the message 'writing tags to file' at the bottom of the screen and the files themselves are not amended.  This means that I cannot use the explorer screen in MC as a general tagging program if the server library is loaded - this had been my way of working up to now.

[Vocalpoint]

However as far as I can see, I still cannot write tags on the client PC to files that are not in the library at all (and which may not be intended to be placed in the library).  Although the tag changes are displayed it does not show the message 'writing tags to file' at the bottom of the screen and the files themselves are not amended.  This means that I cannot use the explorer screen in MC as a general tagging program if the server library is loaded - this had been my way of working up to now.

This is because - you are in "client" mode and are connected to the library server. When you are a "client" there are restrictions and one of them is the ability to use that copy of MC as an standalone "editor". Hopefully you can see why this is - since allowing you to randomly tag and files that are not part of the loaded library - doesn't make any sense. You do not have a library open to write these changes to.

If you are going to use a specific instance of MC as a tag editor - it must have it's own local library loaded so you can mosey around to different areas on your drive (like the File Explorer) and do your thing. I work around this very thing by never having my main workstation be part of the server library. I have a unique local library that points to the same media location as our HTPC (running library server). This allows me to edit tracks that will be part of the library (as the HTPC is constantly scanning for changes) and also affords me standalone access to anything on my local machine that I want to edit or play in MC - and not have it be part of our master "served" library.

VP

[Arindelle]

However as far as I can see, I still cannot write tags on the client PC to files that are not in the library at all (and which may not be intended to be placed in the library).  Although the tag changes are displayed it does not show the message 'writing tags to file' at the bottom of the screen and the files themselves are not amended.  This means that I cannot use the explorer screen in MC as a general tagging program if the server library is loaded - this had been my way of working up to now.

Hi.
Adding to what Vocal point just brought up about being in client mode ... Why not just set up a new library on the client ?(or load  the client's Main Library and import the files that you want to tag In case this is not clear, "Main" is the local library on each JR install and  the shared media server library) this will be very fast if the files are local files. You can either clear that library, or keep it when you are done tagging. I do this with mp3 copies used for portable devices and I do not import these files in my real library.

should you want to tag your main media server library from a client PC, bear in mind that the sync works both ways ... if you are doing a long tagging session, either turn the auto sync option off temporarily or manually sync the server library. I always force a sync at the end of the tagging session just to be sure.

Also, should you be tagging files that could eventually be moved to the media server file location, make sure your tag fields that are important to you are marked written to file in the options. That way on reimport to your main library you will not lose the metadata and will automatically be included.

[Piblokto]

Thank you all for your helpful replies, some useful tips in there.

Essentially you have confirmed the assumptions that I had initially arrived at and that one way around this is to have a 'tagging library' that I load on the client when undertaking a tagging session and then go back to the server library for listening.  I hadn't appreciated the auto-sync abilities which I will need to be aware of when connected to the server.