Author Topic: Using MusicBee on multiple computers  (Read 28787 times)

garay

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I've just spent the whole weekend trying to get MB set up on a second PC, it's my second attempt to get this working. I have a small windows 7 home network running 3 PC,s, plus a Media center and a laptop. It was working fine on 1st PC. Gave up previously on trying to use network music file folder for both PC's, kept doubling up on some files and missing artwork on others. Finally went through entire library in MB and corrected everything back to where it was before I started. Then decided to try setting MB up completely independent on 2nd PC.
Followed instructions for backing up and restoring to second PC. Also instructions for copying necessary files from 1st PC after installing MB and prior to running it for first time.  I reckon I've installed and uninstalled MB on second PC half a dozen times trying to get it right. Where I'm at now is 2nd PC had same amount of files listed as on 1st PC, 4285. After leaving it for half an hour, it went up to 4343, so I ran manage duplicates, not that I noticed any, but anyway now have 4280 files. Some artwork is missing and some files have blue exclamation mark.
As far as my 15 playlists go, they all have the correct amount of files listed, but half the artwork is missing, and every files has a blue exclamation mark next to it. My music file folder is in exactly the same place on each PC, my library settings are exactly the same in each copy of MB. I can't figure out what is causing this, or what I maybe doing wrong, I've read MusicBee Wiki instructions and searched through the forum over and over. I can manually go through the library on 2nd PC and correct missing file links, but I don't know what to do about playlists. The funny thing is that I had playlists correct when I started this a few weeks ago using network folders. I'm continually adding files to my library through my main PC, but play music through 2nd PC connected to amp. I also take my laptop away and use it to play music. I also want to install MB on my media center PC and run through 65" plasma. Windows media player is not a patch on MB, but I didn't have any problems networking my music folder. Surely someone out there has done what I'm trying to do?
Sorry about the long post but the more I explain hopefully the more someone can help.

redwing

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Why don't use one music files folder, one library files folder, and access to them from each MB on your multiple PCs? If you have copies on each machine, how are you gonna keep them in sync whenever you make changes in tags or add, delete files?

garay

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I tried that originally but I kept getting multiple listings in MB library, after I'd close MB on one PC then open it on another. It also played around with album art and a few other hiccups.

I also received this advice:

scampbll
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Re: Link (and monitor) to playlist
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2014, 08:42:56 AM »
   Reply with quote
Quote from: garay on March 06, 2014, 07:49:22 AM
MB installed on the second PC is directed to the library folder on the 1st PC, picked all files up no problem.

Sorry this doesn't answer your question, but I wanted to warn you that having multiple copies of MB using the same library files is a bad idea.  Could easily lead to database corruption.  You can probably still share playlist files without too much risk, or at least less to lose if something goes haywire.
   
 

psychoadept

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Why don't use one music files folder, one library files folder, and access to them from each MB on your multiple PCs? If you have copies on each machine, how are you gonna keep them in sync whenever you make changes in tags or add, delete files?

This will only work if only ONE copy of MB is running at a time, otherwise you risk corrupting the library files.  Tags and such will be synced with each restart as long as they're saved in the files.  However, having a central playlist folder is probably a good idea, else you'll have to make changes independently on each machine.  [Edit: Ha, I see this is redundant]

Are you copying the library database as well as settings files?  If yes, I would suggest starting with a new library for each installation and letting it scan the files for itself rather than trying to reconstruct their location from an existing database.  If no, what are you telling MB to do with the files when it scans them in?

Also, do you have either Auto-Organize or "Automatically Sweep and Organize New Files" turned on for any installation (both in Library Preferences)?  What version of MusicBee are you running?
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garay

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I copied my library database from 1st PC and located it in same place in 2nd PC. Then copied setting files as instructed in Wicki MB, once using MB backup library feature, and then several times by copying and pasting from 1st PC. Do not have auto organize or automatically sweep checked, have found no reference to them while researching. When I first set up MB on 2nd PC using network database, 2nd PC MB recognised new added files but playlists would not, that's what led me to try setting up MB individually. I was then going to use AJC to regulary update library database and playlists, but that's out of the question if I can't get it running properly on 2nd PC first.

garay

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I also couldn't find enough info on setting up MB on a network apart from some guy using portable MB and a dropbox.

garay

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The other problem I had when initially using MB networked was that MB music library on 2nd PC was never the same as 1st PC, artwork missing, artist/title wrong etc. I would correct it using 2nd PC MB, close program then open MB on 1st PC, and then there would be errors there. I could never get it to sync properly.

garay

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Someone must have it working properly on multiple PC's, I can't be the only one out there. I've done some extensive Googling on the subject but to no avail.

psychoadept

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How is your artwork stored?  Embedded?
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garay

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Yep, fixed it all when I first stated using MB with its great built in tag editor

Bee-liever

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I have MB set up on multiple computers (2 PC, 1 laptop).  They all have there own libraries.
I use one PC as the main MB instal and tag and update files from that one only, using MB's backup feature to put everything onto a network drive that the other installs use 'FreeFileSync' to update from.

Have you run 'Rescan/ Add Files' with the 're-scan files already in the library' option checked?
When you copy over library and settings files you generally have to do this as well (see here)
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

garay

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I've previously read your post and tried that but had problems, I'll give it another go.

Bee-liever

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@ garay
have 'notify' on in this thread so just give a yell if problems occur again. I'll get back ASAP.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

garay

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 copied MusicBeeSettings.ini, but don't have CustomTagConfig.xml, GenreMapping.xml files and Filters folder

Bee-liever

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copied MusicBeeSettings.ini, but don't have CustomTagConfig.xml, GenreMapping.xml files and Filters folder

If you haven't set up any Custom Tags, altered the default Genre Mapping or have filter sets for your Library; those entries won't exist for you yet.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together