Syncing from external drive to laptop

[queuewindow]

Hello,

I have my FLAC collection saved on an external drive that I keep connected to my work laptop at home. Now I'd like to be able to sync this connection to a local folder, converting it to a lossy format to save space. Can I do this within MediaMonkey or will I need another application?

[Lowlander]

If you make the external drive part of the MediaMonkey Library and the setup the local folder as a Sync location you can use Auto-Sync with Auto-Convert.

[queuewindow]

Thanks for that. I've run into another problem, which is that the files aren't syncing to the location I specified in the sync profile. Bizarrely, some of them are copied to the root C drive with the correct filename format, whereas others are copied to a file named Music within the correct directory but with MediaMonkey's default filename format. Any idea what's going on?

[Lowlander]

How are you Syncing?

[queuewindow]

I added my local drive as a storage device under Devices and Services, configured the sync profile, then hit Sync Now

[Lowlander]

Then check the settings under File Location. Make sure it's set correctly for all Types included in the Sync.

[queuewindow]

I checked and double-checked that, but as far as I can see, the issue isn't here. There's only music in my collection so I only changed the first path.

[Lowlander]

Can you please retry a Sync with MediaMonkey 2024.2 beta?

It'd be best if you delete all the erroneously Synced files, then start a new Sync. Do the files end up in the wrong place again?

[queuewindow]

I'll give that a shot in a couple of weeks when I'm back home. I don't have access to the original files where I am

[queuewindow]

Tried again with the latest beta after deleting all the previously synced files, still seeing the same behaviour

[Lowlander]

Please capture the Sync in a debug log (step 4b) and attach the log to a Support Ticket: https://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=86643

This will help a developer analyze why this happens on your setup.

[Peke]

I checked and double-checked that, but as far as I can see, the issue isn't here. There's only music in my collection so I only changed the first path.

If you keep your normal files in same folder "C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Music\*****" then please change Auto-Conversion files folder to some Temp folder because they are just cached converted files to be served to devices not to be used as sync destination.

EDIT: I reviewed this and if I understand things correctly what you are trying to archive is to keep tracks on External drive in Sync with local one, but in Lossy format instead of Lossless (FLAC) from external drive. If yes then what I would suggest is that each time you connect External HDD use MM Folders browser -> Select all tracks from external -> Auto Organize -> COPY (MOVE/REPLACE will remove them from external HDD) -> Select Destination+Mask and Force not overwriting existing files while adding newly copied tracks to library. That way you will make Copy of External HDD files locally.

[queuewindow]

I checked and double-checked that, but as far as I can see, the issue isn't here. There's only music in my collection so I only changed the first path.

If you keep your normal files in same folder "C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Music\*****" then please change Auto-Conversion files folder to some Temp folder because they are just cached converted files to be served to devices not to be used as sync destination.

By normal files do you mean the pre-converted ones? No, those aren't stored in the sync destination. Or did you mean that the files being erroneously synced to the root C folder are only there temporarily before being moved to the sync destination after the sync is finished? So far I've not let the files sync completely as there's some 7,000 of them, I cancel the sync when I see that the new files are being created in the root C folder instead of the Music folder.

EDIT: I reviewed this and if I understand things correctly what you are trying to archive is to keep tracks on External drive in Sync with local one, but in Lossy format instead of Lossless (FLAC) from external drive. If yes then what I would suggest is that each time you connect External HDD use MM Folders browser -> Select all tracks from external -> Auto Organize -> COPY (MOVE/REPLACE will remove them from external HDD) -> Select Destination+Mask and Force not overwriting existing files while adding newly copied tracks to library. That way you will make Copy of External HDD files locally.

Before I attempt this, I'd like to clarify what I'm trying to do because I'm not 100% sure I understand your description.

- My original files in FLAC are stored on an external HDD
- My laptop has limited space so I keep a lossy copy of the files in Music folder
- I'm running MediaMonkey on my laptop with the library/rescan location set to the Music folder
- New music goes on to the external HDD
- When I connect the external HDD to my laptop, I'd like MediaMonkey to sync the new files from the former to the latter

Knowing this, would you still suggest your approach?

[queuewindow]

Hello, I'm still trying to figure this out. I wasn't quite sure I fully understood Peke's message. Would you mind elaborating?

[Peke]

Hi,
Thank you for bump. I thought I replied, but it was left not submitted. Strange here is what I wrote:
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Hi,
Yes, I still think it is the right way. Point of my presentation is that you keep your original/source FLAC files on your external drive, you make converted copies locally on LAPTOP but manually do conversations on FLAC files -> Local MP3s and have them listed separately. Setting sync path to library scan folder will (at least that was the case in my tests) create issues like you describes where MM do not know if tracks are synced tracks or tracks in library. What I propose give you full control of tracks on external Drive (when connected), but you always have your local converted to MP3 copies available like they are actually the source files too.

In previous MM versions there was a feature called "Virtual CD" which allowed tracks from Removable drives and Network URLS to bi cached (available offline) locally (in set format) while still pointing to original path. It unfortunately made many confusions and due the demand was removed from MM. Your question and usage case made me question to introduce some sort of similar feature for local files not just Cloud based files.

Hope I have made it more clear now.
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