MusicBee and Formatting

[Cymbaline]

Hey everyone,

I'm getting ready to format my laptop, but I have a few questions regarding MusicBee.

First, all my music is on a folder on my desktop, not on Windows' Music folder, is there any way for me to reprogram MusicBee to automatically assume all the music is now in the Windows' Music folder, after I reformat?

Second, do all the statistics regarding my library and playing are attached to the files itself or will they get erased? If so, anyway to make them carry over when I reinstall? And what about my skin and my layout, any easy way of making it carry over as well?

And finally, given my concerns, can I, and would it be easier, to just make a copy of my current MusicBee folder instead of installing it once again once I format?

Thank you for your time.

[psychoadept]

You can use the Remap Music Folders command to correct file paths if something has moved outside of MusicBee.  But in your case, I would just move the files before the format, WITH MusicBee, so that you can just reload everything and go.

[Cymbaline]

You can use the Remap Music Folders command to correct file paths if something has moved outside of MusicBee.  But in your case, I would just move the files before the format, WITH MusicBee, so that you can just reload everything and go.

That would involve moving a lot of GBs from the desktop folder to the Windows Music folder, which I wanted to avoid, since I already will have to go through that lengthy process twice, putting them on the portable HDD and once formatted, back onto the laptop's hardrive...

[psychoadept]

That would involve moving a lot of GBs from the desktop folder to the Windows Music folder, which I wanted to avoid, since I already will have to go through that lengthy process twice, putting them on the portable HDD and once formatted, back onto the laptop's hardrive...

I guess it depends whether it's more of a hassle to do it now and guarantee things will be right later, or take the chance that you might have to spend a lot of time fixing the library later.  Remap Music Folders is pretty reliable as long as only the root folder has changed, but not the underlying directory structure, but personally I'd treat it as the last resort.

[Cymbaline]

You are right, I'll just leave it moving it all while I'm out and then remap it so it's good to go.

I do apologise, but I failed to understand what you were referring to as the last resort, are you talking about using the Remap Music Folders feature?

And one last thing, could you confirm, if you have any knowledge about it, if by simply creating a copy of my MusicBee folder and putting on my Program Files after formatting, while it run as if I had installed it (and just as it is now) after downloading the installer?

I appreciate your time.

[psychoadept]

Use MusicBee to move the files, that way you don't have to use Remap Music Folders at all.  Yes, I mean using Remap Music Folders as a last resort, if the links in the library have been broken.

Generally speaking, Program Files will be the least important folder to back up.  Check this page for where MusicBee stores its data and settings: http://musicbee.wikia.com/wiki/Backup_%26_Restore