ok. this isn't a problem with mediamonkey, but i'm hoping someone here can help out.
i am using a laptop with an 80gig drive.
i have a 200 gig external drive.
i have 60+ gig of mp3s.
i would like to keep around 40 gigs of mp3s on my local harddrive.
i want to keep ALL mp3s on the external, including those already on my local (thus serving as a backup for my favorite mp3s).
so, my local is a subset of the mp3s on my external.
i see two issues, and i'm hoping for advice on both:
1) how do i do this library wise? do i keep two seperate monkeymedia installations, one for my local drive and one for my external? or is there a way i can keep just one library, but just have it so i can't play the ones on my external if it's not attached?
if i have one libary using both drives, how will it deal with the overlap (same subset of mp3s on both drives)?
2) anyone know of anyway to keep changes to tags and such mirrored easily?
----
would it be best if i kept two folders on the external?
one that matched the local drive's set of mp3s and one that has all the ones the local drive doesn't? (this way, my main library could be 'local drive' plus the folder on the external containing the mp3s not on the local drive.)
i hope i haven't confused anyone reading this. i just can't figure out a solution to this that isn't a total maintenance NIGHTMARE. but i want to. i have to figure out something. any ideas are greatly appreciated.
large library spanning drives question
Moderator: Gurus
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rovingcowboy
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you confused the h.. out of me.
what i can tell you are trying to do is make two lib.. one with most wanted songs on your internal hd so you can play them. and one on your external drive for storage.
man this is simple i have 4 drives and one partitioned out into 4 more drives.
the songs spread over all of them.
just put the songs you want on the drives you want. then open mm and add files tell it to look in only the places you want it to look.
it will only add all the formats you told it to look for and where you told it to look at. it will list them as different songs. as they are on different local url's
then once you get tired of hearing the same songs just delete the copy off the internal hd. and copy one from the external hd. but use mm to copy it to the other drive that way your lib will be kept in order.
i just let them there on the different drives and let mm find them and play them from what ever drive it is on.
what i can tell you are trying to do is make two lib.. one with most wanted songs on your internal hd so you can play them. and one on your external drive for storage.
man this is simple i have 4 drives and one partitioned out into 4 more drives.
the songs spread over all of them.
just put the songs you want on the drives you want. then open mm and add files tell it to look in only the places you want it to look.
it will only add all the formats you told it to look for and where you told it to look at. it will list them as different songs. as they are on different local url's
then once you get tired of hearing the same songs just delete the copy off the internal hd. and copy one from the external hd. but use mm to copy it to the other drive that way your lib will be kept in order.
i just let them there on the different drives and let mm find them and play them from what ever drive it is on.
roving cowboy / keith hall. My skins http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =9&t=16724 for some help check on Monkey's helpful messages at http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 4008#44008 MY SYSTEMS.1.Jukebox WinXp pro sp 3 version 3.5 gigabyte mb. 281 GHz amd athlon x2 240 built by me.) 2.WinXP pro sp3, vers 2.5.5 and vers 3.5 backup storage, shuttle 32a mb,734 MHz amd athlon put together by me.) 3.Dell demension, winxp pro sp3, mm3.5 spare jukebox.) 4.WinXp pro sp3, vers 3.5, dad's computer bought from computer store. )5. Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Android ) 6. amd a8-5600 apu 3.60ghz mm version 4 windows 7 pro bought from computer store.
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ferris
(this is guest, forgot to put a name before)
no, i think you're missing the main problem.
this is not just mp3s spread out across multiple drives.
the problem is that i have:
set X on local drive
set Y on external drive
and where set Y contains set X (this is the key point)
basically, if i'm out working, or at a friends, i want to play set X. (my local drive)
however, when i'm home and plug in the external, i want the full set Y, not just set X. the main problems are:
a) potential duplication in library
b) mirroring updates to files
i'm trying to figure out a way to deal with A and B that doesn't require a massive amount of maintenance.
it would also be nice if when i didn't have the external drive plugged in, the mp3s i didn't have access to just didn't show.
no, i think you're missing the main problem.
this is not just mp3s spread out across multiple drives.
the problem is that i have:
set X on local drive
set Y on external drive
and where set Y contains set X (this is the key point)
basically, if i'm out working, or at a friends, i want to play set X. (my local drive)
however, when i'm home and plug in the external, i want the full set Y, not just set X. the main problems are:
a) potential duplication in library
b) mirroring updates to files
i'm trying to figure out a way to deal with A and B that doesn't require a massive amount of maintenance.
it would also be nice if when i didn't have the external drive plugged in, the mp3s i didn't have access to just didn't show.
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rovingcowboy
- Posts: 14163
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:57 am
- Location: (Texas)
- Contact:
why are you making it so hard for your self.
it is simple just like i said.
make set x on local hd. with the 40 gbs of songs you want.
make set y on external hd. with all the songs on it.
plug in external hd to computer start up mm tell mm to look in only the places and add only the formats you want.
exit mm unplug external hd. start mm open the list of accessible tracks it has. play from them they will be the ones on set x the local hd.
as it has no access to set y since you unpluged it.
then your set y is not visiable. if your looking in the accessable files playlist.
it is simple just like i said.
make set x on local hd. with the 40 gbs of songs you want.
make set y on external hd. with all the songs on it.
plug in external hd to computer start up mm tell mm to look in only the places and add only the formats you want.
exit mm unplug external hd. start mm open the list of accessible tracks it has. play from them they will be the ones on set x the local hd.
as it has no access to set y since you unpluged it.
then your set y is not visiable. if your looking in the accessable files playlist.
roving cowboy / keith hall. My skins http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =9&t=16724 for some help check on Monkey's helpful messages at http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 4008#44008 MY SYSTEMS.1.Jukebox WinXp pro sp 3 version 3.5 gigabyte mb. 281 GHz amd athlon x2 240 built by me.) 2.WinXP pro sp3, vers 2.5.5 and vers 3.5 backup storage, shuttle 32a mb,734 MHz amd athlon put together by me.) 3.Dell demension, winxp pro sp3, mm3.5 spare jukebox.) 4.WinXp pro sp3, vers 3.5, dad's computer bought from computer store. )5. Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Android ) 6. amd a8-5600 apu 3.60ghz mm version 4 windows 7 pro bought from computer store.
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ferris
ok...
ok. it sounds like that will work in terms of not showing stuff when the drive is unplugged. that's good.
but you didn't answer:
A) will i see two copies of everything that's on both drives when the external drive IS attached?
and
B) unrelated to mediamonkey, does anyone know of good backup software that will monitor both folders and aid me in mirroring the files? for example, say i'm playing a track while away and i notice a mispelling in the title tag. i fix it. i might not remember to overwrite this file on the external when i get home. i'd love some sort of management software for this. i'm sure it exists somewhere, i'm hoping maybe someone here knows of some? i can't be the only person with a laptop/external drive setup like this....
but you didn't answer:
A) will i see two copies of everything that's on both drives when the external drive IS attached?
and
B) unrelated to mediamonkey, does anyone know of good backup software that will monitor both folders and aid me in mirroring the files? for example, say i'm playing a track while away and i notice a mispelling in the title tag. i fix it. i might not remember to overwrite this file on the external when i get home. i'd love some sort of management software for this. i'm sure it exists somewhere, i'm hoping maybe someone here knows of some? i can't be the only person with a laptop/external drive setup like this....
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rovingcowboy
- Posts: 14163
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:57 am
- Location: (Texas)
- Contact:
? if your asking if mm will show you double copys of your lib on the internal hd or on the external hd when you have both connected?
NO it will only show you what it found when you added files to the list it does not automaticly duplicate the lib data just because you pluged in another drive with that same data on. each lib has its own links in mm's data file. because they area on different drives?
so there is no reason for mm to see double lib. data on the interal drive or the external drive. it is just like adding and removing internal drives once you remove the drive the icon and info for that does not show because windows can not find the drive. if you do a registry cleaning when that drive is out it will remove all the hotkeys for the disconected drive because they will show as broken ones.
that might cause some trouble. but not with mm.
mm and nothing i know of will do an automatic update for the data on an external hd when you plug it in and only plug and play can identifie the hd when you plug it in. i dont think mm is a plug and play application??
if you should happen to click on a link in the playlists that goes to the external hd. mm should just tell you it can not find the drive and i think it will ask what to do with the link. just dont delete the link. and it will stay there for when the ext.hd is pluged in.
NO it will only show you what it found when you added files to the list it does not automaticly duplicate the lib data just because you pluged in another drive with that same data on. each lib has its own links in mm's data file. because they area on different drives?
so there is no reason for mm to see double lib. data on the interal drive or the external drive. it is just like adding and removing internal drives once you remove the drive the icon and info for that does not show because windows can not find the drive. if you do a registry cleaning when that drive is out it will remove all the hotkeys for the disconected drive because they will show as broken ones.
that might cause some trouble. but not with mm.
mm and nothing i know of will do an automatic update for the data on an external hd when you plug it in and only plug and play can identifie the hd when you plug it in. i dont think mm is a plug and play application??
if you should happen to click on a link in the playlists that goes to the external hd. mm should just tell you it can not find the drive and i think it will ask what to do with the link. just dont delete the link. and it will stay there for when the ext.hd is pluged in.
roving cowboy / keith hall. My skins http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =9&t=16724 for some help check on Monkey's helpful messages at http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 4008#44008 MY SYSTEMS.1.Jukebox WinXp pro sp 3 version 3.5 gigabyte mb. 281 GHz amd athlon x2 240 built by me.) 2.WinXP pro sp3, vers 2.5.5 and vers 3.5 backup storage, shuttle 32a mb,734 MHz amd athlon put together by me.) 3.Dell demension, winxp pro sp3, mm3.5 spare jukebox.) 4.WinXp pro sp3, vers 3.5, dad's computer bought from computer store. )5. Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Android ) 6. amd a8-5600 apu 3.60ghz mm version 4 windows 7 pro bought from computer store.
An alternative way to manage a subset of a larger collection
Ferris,
Another possible approach (a better one, I think) using the Gold version would be to use the 'Virtual CD' functionality for this purpose. Here's how it would work.
Continuing your example (Drive X=local drive with subset of music and Drive Y=external drive with all music), you could save all of your favorite tunes from Y to the 'Virtual CD' on X. When you do this, a single entry will continue to be used for both the versions of the files on X and Y.
Then, supposing you make changes to files on the 'Virtual CD', all you'd do is reconnect Y, select all the files in the Virtual CD node, click Synchronize Tags, and then the changes would be updated to Y (note: this presumes that changes to the files are made from within MediaMonkey).
With this solution, there's always a single entry for any track in the DB (whereas with the solution proposed earlier, there'll still be 2 entries for duplicated tracks, although one of them should be greyed out if it's not active). Moreover, this solution provides a relatively easy way to synchronize changes.
-Rusty
Another possible approach (a better one, I think) using the Gold version would be to use the 'Virtual CD' functionality for this purpose. Here's how it would work.
Continuing your example (Drive X=local drive with subset of music and Drive Y=external drive with all music), you could save all of your favorite tunes from Y to the 'Virtual CD' on X. When you do this, a single entry will continue to be used for both the versions of the files on X and Y.
Then, supposing you make changes to files on the 'Virtual CD', all you'd do is reconnect Y, select all the files in the Virtual CD node, click Synchronize Tags, and then the changes would be updated to Y (note: this presumes that changes to the files are made from within MediaMonkey).
With this solution, there's always a single entry for any track in the DB (whereas with the solution proposed earlier, there'll still be 2 entries for duplicated tracks, although one of them should be greyed out if it's not active). Moreover, this solution provides a relatively easy way to synchronize changes.
-Rusty
Some help
You could consider the files you keep on your local PC as a backup when they are on the external disk.
So I would create a folder on the external disk with the same files as you keep on the local disk. And another folder for music only on the external drive.
Then you populate the MM DB with the music on the local PC and the folder on the external drive with only music on external drive.
This will prevent you from seeing songs double of which you have a copy locally as you don't have MM scan the external variant.
When the external drive is disconnected you'll still see the external songs in MM. A way around is using the location node which divides the songs by location.
As for managing changed files from one to another location, I'm not aware of any software for that, but I got two solutions:
- You can copy all the local files over the external drive files once in a while (could take a while with many gb's)
- When updating tags move the file to a new folder, and once in a while copy all the files in this new folder to the external folder and move the files back to the normal folder locally.
I know these are not the easiest solutions, but I hope this all still helps.
So I would create a folder on the external disk with the same files as you keep on the local disk. And another folder for music only on the external drive.
Then you populate the MM DB with the music on the local PC and the folder on the external drive with only music on external drive.
This will prevent you from seeing songs double of which you have a copy locally as you don't have MM scan the external variant.
When the external drive is disconnected you'll still see the external songs in MM. A way around is using the location node which divides the songs by location.
As for managing changed files from one to another location, I'm not aware of any software for that, but I got two solutions:
- You can copy all the local files over the external drive files once in a while (could take a while with many gb's)
- When updating tags move the file to a new folder, and once in a while copy all the files in this new folder to the external folder and move the files back to the normal folder locally.
I know these are not the easiest solutions, but I hope this all still helps.
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Lowlander (MediaMonkey user since 2003)
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Lowlander (MediaMonkey user since 2003)
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ferret
Re: An alternative way to manage a subset of a larger collec
wow. this sounds hot. i need to investigate 'virtual cd' more...but it sounds like exactly what i need - MM 'knowing' that a subset of my collection exists on an alternate drive. thank you!!!!!!!rusty wrote:Ferris,
Another possible approach (a better one, I think) using the Gold version would be to use the 'Virtual CD' functionality for this purpose. Here's how it would work.
Continuing your example (Drive X=local drive with subset of music and Drive Y=external drive with all music), you could save all of your favorite tunes from Y to the 'Virtual CD' on X. When you do this, a single entry will continue to be used for both the versions of the files on X and Y.
Then, supposing you make changes to files on the 'Virtual CD', all you'd do is reconnect Y, select all the files in the Virtual CD node, click Synchronize Tags, and then the changes would be updated to Y (note: this presumes that changes to the files are made from within MediaMonkey).
With this solution, there's always a single entry for any track in the DB (whereas with the solution proposed earlier, there'll still be 2 entries for duplicated tracks, although one of them should be greyed out if it's not active). Moreover, this solution provides a relatively easy way to synchronize changes.
-Rusty
i'm about to respond to the next guy too... there seems to be good ideas in both....
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Guest
Re: Some help
Lowlander wrote:You could consider the files you keep on your local PC as a backup when they are on the external disk.
So I would create a folder on the external disk with the same files as you keep on the local disk. And another folder for music only on the external drive.
Then you populate the MM DB with the music on the local PC and the folder on the external drive with only music on external drive.
This will prevent you from seeing songs double of which you have a copy locally as you don't have MM scan the external variant.
When the external drive is disconnected you'll still see the external songs in MM. A way around is using the location node which divides the songs by location.
As for managing changed files from one to another location, I'm not aware of any software for that, but I got two solutions:
- You can copy all the local files over the external drive files once in a while (could take a while with many gb's)
- When updating tags move the file to a new folder, and once in a while copy all the files in this new folder to the external folder and move the files back to the normal folder locally.
I know these are not the easiest solutions, but I hope this all still helps.
ok, this was the solution i had half heartedly decided upon... keeping 2 folders on the one drive... but i was very worried about the huge maintenance issues. (i want to listen to this artist for awhile, so now i need to copy the files from one folder to another on this drive, and to my laptops drive, etc... arghghghghgh)
anyway, i need to go investigate the virtual cd mentioned in the last post.
it sounds like not only will it manage my laptop as a virtual cd, but will also handle tag updates!!!
you don't even know how happy that makes me. i've been thinking about this for quite awhile, and always thought i was going to have to jury rig a maintenance heavy solution. this sounds like it might solve everything at once. if so, MM just definitely earned it's keep.
thanks!
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Guest
Re: An alternative way to manage a subset of a larger collec
ok, so now i've read up on virtual cd.rusty wrote:Ferris,
Another possible approach (a better one, I think) using the Gold version would be to use the 'Virtual CD' functionality for this purpose. Here's how it would work.
Continuing your example (Drive X=local drive with subset of music and Drive Y=external drive with all music), you could save all of your favorite tunes from Y to the 'Virtual CD' on X. When you do this, a single entry will continue to be used for both the versions of the files on X and Y.
Then, supposing you make changes to files on the 'Virtual CD', all you'd do is reconnect Y, select all the files in the Virtual CD node, click Synchronize Tags, and then the changes would be updated to Y (note: this presumes that changes to the files are made from within MediaMonkey).
With this solution, there's always a single entry for any track in the DB (whereas with the solution proposed earlier, there'll still be 2 entries for duplicated tracks, although one of them should be greyed out if it's not active). Moreover, this solution provides a relatively easy way to synchronize changes.
-Rusty
one major question:
to recap: all files on external.
subset on local.
all the ones on the local drive are a 'virtual cd' as per your post.
now, i disconnect the external drive. i can now only access the subset (the ones on my virtual cd)
am i now forced to use the virtual cd node to find tracks to play?
or can i still use the usual artist/title nodes to find something to play?
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Guest
Virtual CD question
At this point, you can use the standard Artist/Library nodes to browse your collection. Those tracks that are available will appear, those that aren't should be greyed out.am i now forced to use the virtual cd node to find tracks to play?
or can i still use the usual artist/title nodes to find something to play?
The Virtual CD node is handy for the occasions when your external drive is connected, as it will show only the subset of files that are on the Virtual CD.
-Rusty