Multiple Library locations?

[sordup]

Is it necessary?
I have only one physical location for my music library. However in MM (latest vers.) under the Location node, it lists all three of the following:

HD:(C:)/Users/<UserName>/Music
Network/<ComputerName>/Music
<UserName>/Music

...as if they were separate libraries. If I am showing the "Entire Library" collection, duplicates of the songs are displayed with their "different" paths showing as the sources. Also there are different playing stats depending on which node I choose under "Location".
How can I merge all this info and display only the single physical library contained on the machine? Once before I tried simply removing the superfluous location nodes and ended up wiping the database necessitating a re-initialization, despite the fact that I left the one preferred location node that I believed to be most useful ("Network/<ComputerName>/Music") - this is also the node that contains the most accurate PlayStats which is important to me. I would very much like to not wipe the database of this info.
Thanks.

[Lowlander]

Don't remove Location nodes as this will remove the files and their play history and playlist entries from the library.

[sordup]

Don't remove Location nodes as this will remove the files and their play history and playlist entries from the library.

All three must remain? Must I have all these duplicates showing up? The alternate PlayStats?
I know there is another way because it wasn't this way, say, a year ago. I remember when there was just one location node for my library (which exists in only one location). Why does MM populate these node with other versions of the same library? It's quite confusing, I must say.

[nohitter151]

Don't remove Location nodes as this will remove the files and their play history and playlist entries from the library.

All three must remain? Must I have all these duplicates showing up? The alternate PlayStats?
I know there is another way because it wasn't this way, say, a year ago. I remember when there was just one location node for my library (which exists in only one location). Why does MM populate these node with other versions of the same library? It's quite confusing, I must say.

They aren't duplicates, they are valid paths to the same set of files. Same as you could access the files using a file browser like Windows Explorer.

[sordup]

Don't remove Location nodes as this will remove the files and their play history and playlist entries from the library.

All three must remain? Must I have all these duplicates showing up? The alternate PlayStats?
I know there is another way because it wasn't this way, say, a year ago. I remember when there was just one location node for my library (which exists in only one location). Why does MM populate these node with other versions of the same library? It's quite confusing, I must say.

They aren't duplicates, they are valid paths to the same set of files. Same as you could access the files using a file browser like Windows Explorer.

Understood. But why must all these alternatives be displayed? This wasn't the former convention. And how can the same physical file have separate play stats depending on which node it lies under? Another example of its awkwardness is a simple search for a artist in the search box in order to play all tracks by that artist. This yields 3 "duplicates" of each song, and although I know they are not actual duplicates, it is functionally the same because each song will be played 3 times unless I edit the superfluous ones out of the list. It is as if MM references a separate database depending on the route I take to the song(s). I understand the many ways of accessing locations, but I still believe something is amiss here.

I appreciate the advice as to what not to do and what things are not, but could you perhaps direct me a little more positively towards what to do and what things are so that I could better understand?

Thank you.

[nohitter151]

And how can the same physical file have separate play stats depending on which node it lies under? Another example of its awkwardness is a simple search for a artist in the search box in order to play all tracks by that artist. This yields 3 "duplicates" of each song, and although I know they are not actual duplicates, it is functionally the same because each song will be played 3 times unless I edit the superfluous ones out of the list. It is as if MM references a separate database depending on the route I take to the song(s).

That is not the correct behavior and in this case you should open a support ticket. I'm not sure how you could get the same track to appear in the library like this.

[skafan00]

This happens to me too, MM version 4.1.3.1708 I have songs that ARE THE SAM SONG i.e. if I play one both songs are in bold (because they are the same song with the same exact info). the songs have the same exact path as well so not sure that this is exactly the same. Trying to get rid of multiple versions of songs (downloaded multiple times by accident, but found this issue instead.

[Lowlander]

Either remove extra copies from Library (make sure from Library only) or clear the database and scan in again.

[sordup]

Either remove extra copies from Library (make sure from Library only) or clear the database and scan in again.

I'm sorry, I have to re-address this issue as I have not found a solution.
I now have 4 (!) folder hierarchies displaying what I know to be my single physical music collection (contained in the "Music" folder at the end of each of the following) under the "Entire Library" -> "Location" node:
HD:(C:) -> Users -> [User Name] -> Music
Network -> [Computer Name] -> [User Name] -> Music
Network -> [Computer Name] -> Users -> [User Name] -> Music
and
[User Name] -> Music

If I choose "All" under each of these nodes and compare the count of files contained therein, the count differs between them! In addition to the multiple library nodes, in the library window (list of tracks) when doing a search or collection display or displaying the entire library, each track is shown twice: one in the path format of
C:\Users\[User Name]\Music and one in the format of \\[Computer Name]\[User Name]\Music
I know this probably has to do with Windows various ways of arriving at items contained in Libraries and networks, but for simplicity's sake, I would prefer to see just one library node per actual library if possible. My preference would be Network -> [Computer Name] -> [User Name] -> Music, as I am sometimes on a network that includes other libraries that would show up under this node when accessible. But is there a protocol for getting MM to behave this way?

I have tried removing just one of the above extraneous entries under Location and the entire database disappeared requiring a total re-scan (and loss of play stats and the like) or reliance on a backup. This agreed with your statement,

Don't remove Location nodes as this will remove the files and their play history and playlist entries from the library.

So, please... what do you mean exactly when you say "remove extra copies from Library(only)"?

[Lowlander]

HD:(C:) -> Users -> [User Name] -> Music
Network -> [Computer Name] -> [User Name] -> Music
Network -> [Computer Name] -> Users -> [User Name] -> Music
and
[User Name] -> Music

That means you've scanned files through several Paths. This is a user action. To resolve you can easily remove those folders (right click > Remove) that you don't want (like HD:(C:)) leaving only those that you do want to use. Always make sure to select from Library only when removing as otherwise the physical files will be removed!

If I choose "All" under each of these nodes and compare the count of files contained therein, the count differs between them!

Likely because they either haven't all been rescanned or because they contain files removed from the hard drive.

have tried removing just one of the above extraneous entries under Location and the entire database disappeared requiring a total re-scan (and loss of play stats and the like) or reliance on a backup. This agreed with your statement,

Removing HD:(C:) should not remove the Network entry nor files from it. Always make sure to select from Library only when removing as otherwise the physical files will be removed!