2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

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Barry4679
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2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Barry4679 »

I installed the regular build of MM5 for the first time today (v2333). Haven't done much with it yet, but the speed is good. I did a ManageDatabase|rebuild, and the difference to the debug version was significant.

I did have issues, which I consider fails, but have nothing to send you because it isn't a Debug version.

Fail #1 - Install frustration.
  • I use a normal MM install (ie. not a Portable install).
  • I uninstalled MM5 using the standard Windows 10 App uninstall facility ... It warned that it was unable to delete everything, but gave no specifics.
  • I found and deleted the MM5 database, because I wanted a copy sync'd to my current production (MM4) database ... btw both MM5 and MM5 db's are in a custom location for auto backup|recovery reasons.
I installed MM5 ===> (?!) It didn't offer import from my MM4 database

This is a frustrating 1st experience, because it is hard to understand what to do
I consulted the MM5 Online help ... I could find nothing to help with what is probably going to be a common install frustration.
I acknowledge that knowing what to do would probably have been simpler if I didn't have the MM db in a custom location, because I would have seen the ini & json files etc

I think this is a fail because:
  • MM5 needs an Install|Import Wizard, and to be frank its absence is piss poor, due to the complexities of regular vs portable installs, and people wanting to relocate the database for backup reasons. I hope a wizard is under consideration for version 5.2
  • the MM5 online help should address this common problem ... Maybe it does? I couldn't find it,. Please advise.
Fail #2 - sync to android phone frustration
  • I attached my android phone (Pixel 4)
  • My phone has MMA, and I used Wifi sync as per the advice in the MM5 UI ... the phone has over 60GB of free space
  • I selected some albums, and configured for them to be also transcoded from FLAC to mp3.
I came back later ====> (?!) the sync had stalled at 64 tracks out of the 2,500 I had requested.
  • the wheel was spining, the the count was not moving ... I looked into the phone, and could see that some tracks had been transferred, but nothing more was arriving ... no error debox ... no error message, no status bar message re the stall
  • I tried to close MM5 ... I approved the message warning that it would terminate background tasks (or something like that)
  • ===> (?!) MM5 still sits there spinning its wheel, and doing nothing
  • deployed Windows Task Manager to kill MM5
I think this is fail because, additional to the task stalling, there are subsequent problems:
* I have no log file that I can review or send to you ... can this be considered for v 5.1?
* the message where I authorised you to terminate background tasks should be guaranteed to result in MM5 closedown ... can't you go nuclear on it?

BTW, I restarted MM5, and restarted the Sync task, and it transferred the remaining 2,440 tracks to my phone without problem :D and relatively quick too.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Ludek
Posts: 4947
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:00 am

Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Ludek »

Hi,
re installation of regular build, the prompt to import the database might fail to show because you have already imported it in the past and thus the C:\Users\Barry\AppData\Roaming\MediaMonkey5\ folder already exists including the imported Mediamonkey.ini and MM5.DB ? Can you check? I guess that deleting the MediaMonkey5 folder from the AppData\Roaming and running MM5 will show you the prompt to re-import settings from MM4 ?

Re Wifi sync failure: Hard to guess what was wrong without seeing the log(s).
You indicated performing of Wi-Fi sync, but based on your description it looks that you actually rather performed USB sync? But logs are needed anyhow.
Barry4679
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Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
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Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Barry4679 »

Hi Ludek,
Ludek wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:14 am Hi,
re installation of regular build, the prompt to import the database might fail to show because you have already imported it in the past and thus the C:\Users\Barry\AppData\Roaming\MediaMonkey5\ folder already exists including the imported Mediamonkey.ini and MM5.DB ? Can you check? I guess that deleting the MediaMonkey5 folder from the AppData\Roaming and running MM5 will show you the prompt to re-import settings from MM4 ?
Yes it did exist, and the problem went away once I deleted the ini and json file there.

I probably should have remembered all that, but its been a while, so I forgot.
I can see that it is probably for the best that your uninstall proc doesn't delete those files, but It is a bad first impression of MM5 when it goes wrong. ... I think that you are saying that it would not have gone wrong if this was my first install of MM5 ... that diminishes the issue I suppose.

But the situation, and how to fix it, should most definitely be covered in the online help.
And I think that an Install|Import wizard should be considered for version 5.something

Ludek wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:14 am Re Wifi sync failure: Hard to guess what was wrong without seeing the log(s).
You indicated performing of Wi-Fi sync, but based on your description it looks that you actually rather performed USB sync? But logs are needed anyhow.
No, it was a WiFi sync.

"Hard to guess what was wrong without seeing the log(s)."
What logs? ... there is something that can be sent from a regular install?

If no, what is the plan when this happens?
Couldn't there be a transient log from Sync batches for this purpose?

And can something be done to allow MM5 to close successfully once there is dbox acceptance that the background tasks be terminated?
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Ludek
Posts: 4947
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:00 am

Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Ludek »

Logs can be generated only using debug build, so if you can replicate the "background tasks not being terminated" using debug build then please share the log.

Thanks!
Barry4679
Posts: 2398
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
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Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Barry4679 »

Unable to replicate "background tasks not being terminated" issue with 2338 debug build.
Am not very surprised. The issue happened after a sync to mobile device ceased up during the sync. ... I can't get a sync to fail anymore.

btw I think that you were correct when you guessed that I was in usb mode ... would have sworn that I was in wifi mode.

Also I installed debug mode over the top of the previous version, which was not in debug mode.

I started debug session and getting many errors in the debug log.
"Waiting for IpcRecv failed to read 8 bytes with error code 258"
About 5 errors per second.

MM5 works regardless ... the sync went OK, but I have never seen these error messages before.

Something to do with installing debug version over the top of a non-debug version?
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Ludek
Posts: 4947
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:00 am

Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Ludek »

Hi,
just tried to install 2338 release to a new folder and then reinstall by the debug version (to the same folder) and run with DbgView started prior MM start
=> I don't see any debug strings like "Waiting for IpcRecv failed to read 8 bytes with error code 258"

Are you sure that these are MM5 strings? i.e. that aren't in the DbgView despite the MM5 app being run ?
Barry4679
Posts: 2398
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
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Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Barry4679 »

You are probably correct. My Python IDE would have been running. I will confirm in the morning.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Barry4679
Posts: 2398
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: 2333 - some frustration: install prob, and phone sync prob

Post by Barry4679 »

Is OK. The messages where coming from Dropbox client. They went away after I rebooted.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
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