SonicStage Backup Tool Restore Problems Post SS v4.2

[vargula]

Hello,

I have started this topic as as I am pretty desperate and need to try anything to resolve my problem.

I use a Sony MZ-NH900 HI-MD recorder for transcriptions of old recordings, most of which are irreplaceable. Lots of separate files as all my recordings are autosplit into 1 min segments in the MD recorder)

I kept the Hi-MD files on my laptop in SonicStage v4 mostly without problems.

Yesterday I saw that SonicStage v4.3 was available, so I followed very carefully the steps to upgrade.

This process started with a request to backup my entire library - this was done onto a connected hard drive with the verify backup box checked - to ensure the files were saved properly.

The backup process seemed to start OK. No interruption to the backup process occurred. All seemed well. I had a total of 7324 minutes of recordings backed up. None of them were purchased online - all came from a Hi-MD MZ-NH900.

I then clicked through the SonicStage v4.3 download and installled and rebooted.

The v4.3 downloaded and installed, the SonicStage database conversion splash came on for a minute during reboot.

I waited for my machine to load everything - until the disk light stopped.

Launched v4.3. Long waits. Loading LIbrary - Initialising UI etc.

Saw the Startup screen, only ATRAC files *.omg, *.oma, *.aa3 was checked.

Do I want to import the music files on your computer? [YES] Default sources to search...

Then I got SonicStage (00004b0c-336)

Cannot Import the tracks.

Possible reasons may include:

- The track (files) cannot be found.

- Special characters are used in the file name.

- SonicStage does not support the file format of the track.

- The track is corrupted.

(Error code 00007173) [OK]

Clicking [OK] you get setup completed [Finish].

My Library is blank.

OK, I think I still have my verified library on my separate hard disk. Don't panic.

So I began the restore process. Exit SonicStage into Backup tool - the latest version as recommended.

Step 1 said "If you use music downloads, you must de-authorize your computer"

I never have used music downloads, so continued. [OK]

Next step 2 - Specified the backup data location: "The folder that contains your saved data"

No probs, thats the external HD... Navigated to it...

Had well over the necessary HD space of 3559MB

Clicked next and restored to the backup source folders [next]

The database was then authenticated online (took many minutes but came back with "Authentication of your database was successful" [start]

The restore operation was allowed to proceed. elapsed time counting.

At 6 min 55 sec I got: "Other Error has Occurred. Error Code=0x2003" but the elapsed time and estimated time remaining carried on so I left it.

It counted down to zero - and then jumped back to 3 min to go! - again and again!

I waited till it counted down to zero again and then clicked the only thing I could - The [OK] button from the earlier error.

Pressed the [Finish] button - just got a window with "Completing Task. Please Wait" - which I did for 5 min and then it went away.

Relaunched Version 4.3 - Blank Library.

Used WinDirStat to check out visually all files on my backup drive - this reveals everything.

There I saw a 3.5 Gb folder with 7331 files, 14655 Folders 1x big MtData.mdb Access file plus folders within = the full set of my original backups in .oma's (all my recs are in 1 min segments)

If I tried to copy the root folder back to the original C drive I only am able to copy 1.53 Gb (3391 files, 6786 folders).

NOTE in WinDirStat, each .oma file (representing a minute-long recording) is 478.2K which seems about right.

SO

1. I have a backup but cant restore

2. I did everything very very carefully, but have still lost my files.

3. I see structure in the backup files, giving me the hope that I can somehow get them back, I need to because they are key to my work.

4. I realise therte is some form of corruption gone on here, but I checked for verification?

5. The upgrade has simply wiped out my files, without giving me any choices in the matter - should I feel very angry at Sony?

6. I will keep my backup secure until some MD genious can suggest a way forward.

7. Why can't we just browse and restore selective bits of the backup, like most other backup tools?

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!

IN THE MEANTIME LET THIS BE A WARNING TO OTHER UPGRADERS...

I was simply upgrading and was very careful.

I hope someone from Sony can also read this and realise the pain involved when these things go bad.

WinXP Pro on IBM Thinkpad T42

512 Mb RAM

20Gb free HD space

[Avrin]

You shouldn't have upgraded to SS43 in the first place. The only real new feature it has is Vista compatibility, plus many new glitches.

Check the "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\SonicStage\Packages" folder to see if the restore process has actually copied your files there. If yes, just reimport them using the Import Folder function.

If things are really bad:

1. Create a full copy of your backup. We will mess with it, that's why it is crucial to keep the original backup if anything goes wrong.

2. In the copy find and delete all folders containing non-OMA files (BIN, MDB, LOG, TXT). There should't be many of these, probably only the folder named "-1". Also delete any non-OMA files in the root folder of the backup.

3. In SonicStage select Import Folder, and choose the copy folder prepared in step 2. Import it.

Now you most probably have all your files back, but you must remember that all the files are now stored in the copy of the backup, not in their original SonicStage folders. Also, the order of the files may be quite random. If you hadn't them properly tagged before export, this may be a difficult situation with 7000+ files.

I would also advice removing SS43 and any traces of it (as described elsewhere in this forum) and downgrading to SS42 before attempting to restore your files. In this case it may even be possible that SS42 will read you original backup properly, though I'm not really sure.

[vargula]

Avrin,

you are a real star - I have heard some of my tracks again and have backed up to WAV!

Its a long hard slog ahead, but at least I got this far with your help. Many thanks!

I will check back to give the benefit of the outcome to the forum.

Ed

[blockflute]

Avrin,

you are a real star - I have heard some of my tracks again and have backed up to WAV!

Its a long hard slog ahead, but at least I got this far with your help. Many thanks!

I will check back to give the benefit of the outcome to the forum.

Ed

It was heart warming to read that thread - it makes MDCF really worth while, thanks.

Jon Finlayson

[Avrin]

jonfinlayson, thank you, Sir. Hopefully vargula will be able to work their problem out. Despite the fact that I got really lazy. It took me less than 10 minutes to work out the solution. Using a mini-CD with just three tracks. Edited April 11, 2007 by Avrin

[vargula]

Hello again, as promised here was the final bits resolving the problem.

Basically tracks (7000+ of them were stored in Albums - this helped as the restore process tagged them with the album name).

As Avrin said, the "pile of files" that are left when separated from the MD database component (which I presume where the glitch was) were all mixed up...

After looking at the options for display in the now re-installed version 4.2, one can right-click on the dark grey headers (No, Title, Album etc and enable "File path".

What this does is take all the mixed-up files extracted from the original folder structures and displays them with their new filenames that were themselves derived from the complex folder structure in the original backup.

Complex-sounding, but all this means is that a RUNNING ORDER is re-established on sorting the grey-header "File path" column - magically sorting some 7000+ files back to their original (sequence-of-backup) order.

OK I now not only had my files back, but also got them in the right order.

The final step was to batch them off by Album name - a bit laborious but it works if you select all of the files for an Album and Right-click, "Move-file" - and send to a pre-named folder (with that Albums name).

Final tricks I learned, though I'm not sure its good practice, is I can now send any set of files anywhere on my connected drives (so that if my C drive is getting crowded, I can just send selected low priority albums to separate hard drives).

OK, so thats about it. Triumph over adversity. I will think again before upgrading, but it ain't been all bad. I learned a lot and met some nice forum members - thanks again.

See you again soon

Ed (vargula)

[A440]

I have to agree with jonfinlayson about this.

If you had asked Sony about what to do, they would have shrugged and said nothing could be done.

Thanks to Avrin, and I, too, am really glad MDCF exists.

Edited April 12, 2007 by A440

[boun01]

I also had a big problem with this backup "tool".

I made a backup of my Sonicstage Library on five DVD with the Backup tool. I had mainly music CDs ripped in ATRAC with the DRM option checked-out and a few MP3 files in this library. On my new PC, the Restore function stopped quickly after an error message. The same thing happened on my laptop. After some trials, Sonicstage give me a new message : the internet verification had failed!

For the fun, I tried to import the ATRAC files on the backup DVDs with the import command in Sonicstage (in fact it was a copy of one DVD on the harddisk). It worked : the files were imported in the library and playable. This is a very long and bizarre method of rebuilding a library, so it's easier to begin a new one with the original CDs.

I have to say that is the first time that I have problems with Sonicstage. I Like the sound quality of the ATRAC format and the gapless playing of musical tracks, a must for Opera listening. CD ripping and transferts on MD work fine. But this Backup tool is very dangerous for valuable sound recordings and a big lost of time for the user.

Noel