Tips on improving performance with a large library?

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svburke
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:01 pm

Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by svburke »

I am about at my wits' end with my laptop computer's incompetence in dealing with MM4's demands. It is constantly going into a "(not responding)" mode, slowing down, crashing, taking forever to "read in" the selected node, etc. I am wondering if there are any tips I might try before junking this computer and getting something more muscular.

I have an enormous library, about 240,000 tracks, over 5TB on three external drives. So I can understand certain things taking more time. But not the crashing. And in fact on the desktop I use at home, connected to my stereo, there are far fewer problems.

My laptop is a Sony Vaio, VGN-NW270F. Specs:

W7 SP1 x64
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T6600 @ 2.20Ghz
4 GB RAM
Total Physical Memory: 3.84GB
Available Physical Memory: 1.96 GB (What does this mean? Why is so little available?)
Total VIrtual Memory: 7.68GB
Available Virtual Memory: 5.40GB

So I wouldn't have thought this computer would be so incapable. But it just sucks.

I'm not really a computer expert. Building my music library is basically the most ambitious thing I've ever done on a computer.

Any tips on things I can look into to get it to work better?

Thanks guys,

SB
Lowlander
Posts: 56492
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by Lowlander »

Have you run File > Maintain Library with complete optimization enabled?
svburke
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:01 pm

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by svburke »

Yes, but not in quite a while, a good tip, thank you. What does it do precisely?
Lowlander
Posts: 56492
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by Lowlander »

It fixed database inconsistencies that can improve performance (by a lot sometimes). Also defragmenting the database file on the hard drive can improve performance a lot.
svburke
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:01 pm

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by svburke »

Optimization did make a big difference, however it's still not "optimal." How do I defrag the DB file? Thanks again, SB
Lowlander
Posts: 56492
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by Lowlander »

You can use Windows defragmentation. I personally like Defraggler as it can defrag individual files: http://www.piriform.com/defraggler
svburke
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:01 pm

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by svburke »

Tried defragging and it appeared I was already without frag. Nevertheless Defraggler looks good, thanks for that tip.

Having spent a bit more time with MM this morning it really does seem that optimization made a substantial improvement. So thanks again. Cheers,

SB
Lowlander
Posts: 56492
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by Lowlander »

You could also look at addons as that may slow things down and can even disable plugins in the Plugins folder if they're not used (needs to be re-disabled after each update though).
MusicBringer
Posts: 622
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:53 pm

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by MusicBringer »

Lowlander wrote:You ....can even disable plugins in the Plugins folder if they're not used
Pls tell us How To.
My Plugins folder is under Program Files (x86) [not under users].

Not all Plugins are listed in Extensions nor Scripts from the MM Tools Menu.
MediaMonkey user since 2006
Lowlander
Posts: 56492
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Tips on improving performance with a large library?

Post by Lowlander »

In the MediaMonkey/Plugins folder in the Program Files folder (or wherever you installed MediaMonkey) you can rename from .dll to .dll.off those plugins you're not using.

For example if you don't have an iPod rename d_ipod.dll to d_ipod.dll.off. If you choose to delete instead you can recover them when needed by reinstalling MediaMonkey.
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