Author Topic: Please HELP. MB keeps putting my music on my external drive......  (Read 34160 times)

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
The auto-organiser only moves files on the same drive as the library music folder ie. wont move a file across discs.
The auto-sweep function can move files across drives

By "library music folder" do you mean MusicBee's Library folder, or only the source folder for the music?

Added: Oh, I think I get it!  "Music library root folder" is the folder given in the auto-organize screen, right?  So it can be on any drive.
Last Edit: March 23, 2014, 10:58:11 PM by scampbll
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)

djscottallen

  • Guest
found out MB can't organize music on external drives, which is hugely disappointing btw.

It depends on what kind of drive it is. For USB flash drives, it's true because they are only recognized as a device and MB refuses to auto-organize music files on any removable drives. For external HDDs, it's possible. But if you set them as a virtual device, then again MB doesn't allow use it as the location of auto-organized music files.

[/quote]

I bought this external drive off Amazon:
U32 Shadow™ 1TB External 2.5-in USB 3.0 Mini Portable Hard Drive (Silver)

I don't believe it's setup as a virtual device?  I got the message you spoke of saying that it won't be organized.
I think I'm going to re-read all of your guys notes and install a tester MB on my old laptop and test it.
Thanks again for all your help!

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
The auto-organiser only moves files on the same drive as the library music folder ie. wont move a file across discs.

posting this with the risk the function might be removed

the screenshots I posted earlier are from my auto-organise settings.
My MB library is on my W: drive
With my work-flow, auto-organise regularly moves the physical files to my S: or T: drive (not the library files)

auto-organise also kicks in if I make any tag changes for files already on those S: or T: drives
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

Steven

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 34312
By "library music folder" do you mean MusicBee's Library folder, or only the source folder for the music?
I am not sure what the distinction you are making is - its the root music folder for auto-organised music files labeled as "move files to folder" in the auto-organiser dialog

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
I am not sure what the distinction you are making is - its the root music folder for auto-organised music files labeled as "move files to folder" in the auto-organiser dialog

Yeah, that's what I figured out.  I think the way it's currently worded, it sounds like auto-organize can only be on the drive where MusicBee's Library files are stored (the one set if you click "Move Library", where the database and such are).

Edit: I've tried to clarify this on the wiki.
Last Edit: March 23, 2014, 11:07:38 PM by scampbll
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)

djscottallen

  • Guest
The auto-organiser only moves files on the same drive as the library music folder ie. wont move a file across discs.
The auto-sweep function can move files across drives

Thanks Steven.

Here's my question:  Does "auto organizer" organize files already on the other disc?

For instance,  I just added my mixtape "djscottallen - what is life, if not fun?" album and sweeped the files over to the D: drive.
I used the "sweep and organize" to organize ALL my files to the D: drive.
Now, the files are missing the Album tag, which means they're under "djscottallen - unkown album"
Now does the "AUTO ORGANIZER" keep your files organized on the D: drive and move the files after updating the tags?
From  "D:/Music/djscottallen/unknown"  TO  "D:/Music/djscottallen/correct album name"
Same drive, you're not moving files across discs, just organizing files on it.

redwing

  • Guest
Here's my question:  Does "auto organizer" organize files already on the other disc?

No, it can't. That's what I reported as a "bug" because files that can't be auto-organized (for being on a different drive) are still allowed to remain in an auto-organized library.

If you want to auto-organize files on D drive, then you need to set D drive for the "Move files to folder" setting of the auto-organization dialog.

redwing

  • Guest
I bought this external drive off Amazon:
U32 Shadow™ 1TB External 2.5-in USB 3.0 Mini Portable Hard Drive (Silver)

I don't believe it's setup as a virtual device?  I got the message you spoke of saying that it won't be organized.

If you have the drive connected to your laptop, does it display as a fixed drive or a device on left navigator?

djscottallen

  • Guest
I bought this external drive off Amazon:
U32 Shadow™ 1TB External 2.5-in USB 3.0 Mini Portable Hard Drive (Silver)

I don't believe it's setup as a virtual device?  I got the message you spoke of saying that it won't be organized.

If you have the drive connected to your laptop, does it display as a fixed drive or a device on left navigator?

https://www.mediafire.com/?py8rij1rr2ouwkc

Looks like it's a regular drive. Removable media is down below.  My external 1 TB drives are the ones labeled "Shadow"

I just looked at my devices and it shows the shadow drive there: 
https://www.mediafire.com/?w41wpfidnepbisf

Is that bad?
Last Edit: March 24, 2014, 12:59:33 AM by djscottallen

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
OK. from what I have tested, this is how it works:

Auto-sweep
add to library on;
  • files can be moved to any drive.
  • if location matches drive defined in auto-organise 'move files to folder:' then auto-organise starts after files are found on (ie. moved to) that drive only.
  • if location is not on drive defined in auto-organise 'move files to folder:' then files are moved to new location and linked to library from that location.  Auto-organise can't make changes to the files in this location when tags are updated.
  • But... if those files are sent to the Inbox, then to the Library, auto-organise will re-organise them and can move them to another drive as per 'auto-organise' settings (q.v.).

add to inbox on;
  • files can be moved to any drive.
  • files are only added to inbox, no link to library created.
  • when sent to the Library, auto-organise will re-organise them and can move them to another drive.

Auto-organise
  • files can be moved anywhere on drive defined in 'move files to folder:'.
  • Music Files, Audiobooks and Video tabs can define different drives.
  • Exception rules cannot send files to another drive.


hope that clears things up a bit
Last Edit: March 24, 2014, 01:36:17 AM by Bee-liever
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
If you have the drive connected to your laptop, does it display as a fixed drive or a device on left navigator?

@ djscottallen
redwing was asking about how it appears in the LH navigation panel in MusicBee, not in Windows Explorer.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

redwing

  • Guest
@Bee-liever:


Auto-sweep
add to library on;
  • But... if those files are sent to the Inbox, then to the Library, auto-organise will re-organise them and can move them to another drive as per 'auto-organise' settings (q.v.).


What do you mean by that? I saw your screenshots earlier but you're moving audiobooks and video files to different drives, but it's not possible for music files. Of course, you can move music files to another drive via auto-sweep, but it's only one-time move and it's not possible to keep them auto-organized after they moved to another drive.

@djscottallen:

Probably this way would be easier. Install a portable version of MB on D drive and have music files auto-organized on the same D drive.

djscottallen

  • Guest
@djscottallen:

Probably this way would be easier. Install a portable version of MB on D drive and have music files auto-organized on the same D drive.

Ahhhaaaa!  I was wondering when someone would mention this idea.

This would be an excellent way to acheive this...... however, because I just did a complete transition from being a vinyl record dj to an all digital dj, I have to use digital dj software, which also means, if I want to sync my playlists of my media manager, I have to use iTunes..... another punch in the face from Apple. DJ software only syncs your iTunes library which must be in the DEFAULT location C:/users/username/music/iTunes.

Hence, why you saw my library being in the iTunes folder. I don't even have iTunes installed.
That's why this project is so important to me. Unless I want to buy a 1TB SSD... but I just dropped 1700 on this laptop, F that. hahah

djscottallen

  • Guest
If you have the drive connected to your laptop, does it display as a fixed drive or a device on left navigator?

@ djscottallen
redwing was asking about how it appears in the LH navigation panel in MusicBee, not in Windows Explorer.

Sorry, I think this is it:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/myfiles/#mcd7gm3pq7e584d

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
@Bee-liever:

 I saw your screenshots earlier but you're moving audiobooks and video files to different drives, but it's not possible for music files. Of course, you can move music files to another drive via auto-sweep, but it's only one-time move and it's not possible to keep them auto-organized after they moved to another drive.

I don't use auto-sweep.  I'm only using auto-organise.
All my new pre-tagged and checked Music files are on my W: drive.  When they get put into the Inbox, I add them to the Library (right-click> Send To> Music Library) and then auto-organise moves them to my S: drive.


@Bee-liever:


Auto-sweep
add to library on;
  • But... if those files are sent to the Inbox, then to the Library, auto-organise will re-organise them and can move them to another drive as per 'auto-organise' settings (q.v.).


What do you mean by that?

If you are using auto-sweep to send new files to a location while you work on them, but still want them in the Library, auto-organise can't move them to another drive (as set up in 'move files to folder:') once you have finished working on them you.
If you right-click> Send To, Music Library is disabled,  but you can send them to the Inbox via right-click and then from there, back into the Library where auto-organise will pick them up.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together