Can't Import MP3 Files After Restoring Backup

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Hello, and thank you very much in advance to anyone willing to try and help me. I appreciate it. And, man, I wish that I'd found this site six-some years ago when I first discovered the joys of SonicStage . Seriously, though, thanks for any assistance. My problem: I've been running SonicStage 4.3 on a laptop with Windows XP Home since 4.3 first became availabe, never having any problems beyond the software's obvious limitations until I recently did a fresh reinstall of my Windows. Before the reinstall I was using Hi MD Renderer v0.54--a brilliant program; thank you so so much to the developer--to slowly convert all of my Atrac files to MP3 with the dream of one day escaping the clutches of SonicStage. Album by album I would convert to MP3, then import the MP3s into My Library, then, after checking that I could both play the MP3s and transfer them to my NW-HD5, I would delete the original Atrac files. Slow and tedious, but I had a goal. Now, however, after backing up My Library to an external hard drive using the SonicStage Backup Tool, doing a fresh reinstall of my Windows XP Home, reinstalling SonicStage 4.3 using the same .exe file that I'd used when I originally installed 4.3, and successfully restoring My Library using the newly installed SonicStage Backup Tool I'm no longer able to import MP3s into My Library. Literally, within a second of clicking on the button to import the selected files SonicStage hangs and shows 'Not Responding' in Window's Task Manager. One (1) second. I've uninstalled SonicStage, deleted all the music files, and reinstalled 4.3 twice--once with the same .exe file and once with a 4.3 .exe files I got off this site, both times again successfully restoring My Library from the backup, but still being unable to import any new MP3 files to My Library. With the fresh installation of 4.3 from both .exe files I was able to import MP3s into an empty My Library, but as soon as I restore My Library using the SonicStage Backup Tool I'm no longer able to import any new MP3s into My Library. Also, none of this music came from the Connect Store, not one song; I imported all of it directly from either CDs or Minidisc recordings of cassettes. Sorry if this is a bit confusing; my head feels as a balloon full of lumpy gravy after all of this. Please, if anyone knows of an existing thread with help or has an answer to this issue I'd be very grateful.

Ahhh, regardless of the outcome of my present situation, can anyone recommend any alternative software to SonicStage for using an NW-HD5, if possible something still allowing me to achieve 48 kbs? Oh, and also, today's winning lottery numbers .

Edited April 29, 2009 by LouieChuckyMerry

[Avrin]

Welcome to the Forums!

The Backup Tool tries to connect to the authentication server, which is down for good. So, the tool won't work properly anymore.

Try copying the content of your backup disk to your hard drive, and then simply importing this folder w/subfolders. MP3s are not supposed to be protected in any way, so they don't require any keys to play/transfer them. Not sure about rights for your device, though.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Avrin

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Avrin: thank you for taking the time to reply; I really appreciate it. And also thank you for your work improving SonicStage; maybe there's still hope for using my NW-HD5. I think, however, that I wasn't clear in my original post, so I'll try again (and thank you for your patience).

After my reinstallation of Windows XP Home, I have not had any problem restoring my SonicStage backup; first I (re)install SonicStage 4.3, then I restore the backup using the SonicStage Backup Tool; the internet authentification process seems to proceed without a problem and, after the restore, I can access/play all of the restored music files. My issue is using SonicStage 4.3 to import music to My Library after I have restored My Library. Simply, on my laptop with a fresh reinstall of Windows XP Home: if I install SonicStage 4.3 and do not restore my music files, then I can import additional MP3s to My Library with no problem. However, if I install SonicStage 4.3 and do restore my music files, then I cannot import additional MP3s to My Library. That is, I have no problem restoring my backed up files, but once I've restored those files I can no longer import any other files. Any ideas? And thanks again for your time.

[Avrin]

I see what you mean. All trouble arrives after using the Backup tool to restore your Library. My idea was to simply avoid using this tool anymore. Import your old files (if you need them) by simply importing them from a copy of your backup, this should not affect SonicStage functionality. Then you may rip CDs and/or import other MP3 files as usual

Edited April 29, 2009 by Avrin

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thank you for your patience; I'm in southern Thailand so the time is different. Also, I'm a bit slow , so please bear with me. Are you suggesting that I start over with a fresh reinstall of SonicStage that includes deleting all of my restored music (C:/Program Files/Docs and Setts/All Users/SonicStage/Packages), then importing my backup folder as is, in it's form created by the SS Backup Tool, just clicking on that folder and selecting import files, therefore restoring without using the SonicStage Backup Tool, or, are you suggesting a fresh reinstall of SonicStage without deleting my restored music files, then importing the music files in that form? And, whichever way you're suggesting, would you recommend using the official SonicStage 4.3 or either the 4.2 or 4.4 stand alone AvrinSonicStage? And, are the 4.2/4.4 AvrinSonicStages able to load an NW-HD5, the last generation 20 GB HDD Walkman? Sorry for the questions, but I'm nowhere near my minidisc backups--and won't be for a long, long time--and I really don't want to lose the 50 GB of music that took me years to import from cassettes and CDs, suffering SonicStage all the way. Basically, given the fact that I can restore my backup files, but in the process I lose SonicStage functionality, what would you do? Sorry again for my ignorance, and thank you very much for your time; I really, really appreciate it.

Edited April 30, 2009 by LouieChuckyMerry

[sfbp]

I did a backup as a test, and it puts the file copies intact into some weird numeric directories. If I was awake I could figure out what they are but they don't relate to the way stuff is normally saved in \imported sound.

So Avrin's suggestion of importing all the files from the backup would probably work but the music might be horribly (?hopelessly?) randomized.

Stephen

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thanks for the information. I have a 52.3 GB Packages folder after reinstalling SS and using the Restore Tool; everything is labeled perfectly and plays fine, I'm simply unable to import anything beyond the restored music. I tried uninstalling/reinstalling SS, then importing the 50+ GB Packages folder; all seemed to be imported, but all organization was lost. I guess I could import the restored files to a fresh SS reinstall in small enough chunks to check/fix disorganization--hey what's fifty more lashes from SS after thousands previously?--but was hoping to avoid this. Any thoughts? Also, if this is what you think must be done, would you recommend the AvrinSS, either 4.2 or 4.3Ultimate, over the official Sony version? And--thanks for your time--do you know if Avrin's version(s) is-are able to compress-load an NW-HD5? Thanks for your kind help.

[Avrin]

My versions, except the Ultimate one, are nothing but original SONY versions with Microsoft pre-requisite components removed (since most people already have these components installed). The Ultimate version has its OpenMG module replaced with a more stable later version. All original functionality is fully preserved, including device connectivity.

I don't actually know what to recommend for importing a 50+ Gb folder. If the folder is separated into albums, it may be easier to import it. But if most files are in the "Optimized Files" folder, it may take ages to rearrange them.

You may actually try using some other, more convenient, MP3 management software to arrange files into separate folders, and them import them into SonicStage. AFAIK, SonicStage requires that Artist, Album Name, and Year tags be the same to import all songs into a single album. But you may still run into trouble when importing compilation albums, since the compilation token must be specified in SonicStage itself, otherwise it may split a compilation album by artist.

Edited April 30, 2009 by Avrin

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thanks for your continued input. Today I did as I'd already done with the two different internet-based .exe files, but instead I used your Ultimate 4.3 standalone version. I was once again able to restore my entire 52.3 GB from backup using the SonicStage Backup Tool--I don't understand how, but it authenticated via the internet and two hours later everything was in it's place. Happily, this time I was actually able to connect my NW-HD5 without receiving a message stating that I needed to reformat it in order to use it; sadly, however, I was still unable to import any new MP3 files beyond those restored from backup . C'est la vie, I reckon. Since I've already tried to import the restored files to a fresh SS install only to have My Library very disorganized, I figure that I'll take "advantage" of this most recent kick in the groin from Sony by uninstalling your Ultimate 4.3, reinstalling your Ultimate 4.3, and then importing first my already-converted-from-Atrac-to-MP3-and-carefully-tagged files (about 30 GB), then converting the remainder of my Atrac files (about 20 GB, but most at 48 kbs so quite a few ) to MP3 using HiMD Renderer v0.54, carefully tagging them, and then importing them into My Library. Hopefully, by the time I'm actually able to complete this project I'll (still be breathing and) have saved enough money to purchase a new music player that has a good equalizer and enough storage so that I won't need the NW-HD5's sound options or the SonicStage ability to compress to 48 kbs and still sound very good. Hey, you can't take away my dreams. Anyway, a final thanks for those who spent time trying to help me solve my problem. Ahhh, one last thing: does anyone know where any of the top Sony executives reside . . .

[sfbp]

sadly, however, I was still unable to import any new MP3 files beyond those restored from backup

Just a thought: did you look and see what happens to the file names of the ones you restored? Could it be as simple as that importing an MP3 is trying to use a file name already in existence?

The most useful option I ever discovered in SS was the one that forced it to rename files when you edit the properties (file name of that file) in My Library. Under Tools->Options->Advanced Settings, the third checkbox (last item on the page).

Something else - Sony's import software always removes spaces in the names of MP3 files even though it doesn't need to. It changes spaces and most non-alphanumeric characters to underscore (_____). This might be contributing to the same effect. Now if you could persuade all "old" files to be in one folder and the newer files to be in another, you might just be in business.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thanks for your idea, and I, too, always found the Rename Files... option useful, sort of a poor man's tagger. I dug deeper after reading your suggestion, but when I restore my files using the SS tool, all my music is returned to it's original locations, the standard C:/Program Files/Documents and Settings/All Users/SonicStage/Packages/"Original Sub-Folder Name(s)", as if nothing had happened. Now, I've tried importing new (beyond the restored) music files two different ways: 1) as I always had before, by adding the folder "Whatever New Music" to ...Imported/Packages manually, then importing it into My Library with the 'Import Music Files' option from the Music Source button; this causes SS to immediately hang and show 'Not Responding' in Windows Task Manager, or, 2) by importing the file "Whatever New Music" from an external hard drive, once again using the 'Import Music Files' option from the Music Source button; this gives me the usual two options, something about importing the music to my hard drive first and then to My Library or just to My Library; when I choose to import it to my hard drive first it does, but then SS immediately hangs/'Not Responding' before it imports it to My Library. I've checked: the music is in fact imported into ...Imported/Packages, it's just not imported into My Library. Yep, my head hurts, too. Anyway, thanks for the thought and I'm still willing to try any reasonable new ideas that you might have.

[Avrin]

Just thinking aloud: do you actually disconnect the external hard drive after restoring the backup, but before importing new MP3s? Disconnecting it may lead to two possible problems. First, SonicStage may consider it a "major hardware change", thus requiring reauthentication. And second, it may "remember" some paths on the external drive, and freeze because of their inaccessibility

[sfbp]

And second, it may "remember" some paths on the external drive, and freeze because of their inaccessibility

That's the one that makes sense. I have often seen something like this in other contexts.

Isn't there an option to "optimize the database"? (Under Options->Advanced Settings). Maybe this would purge it of all such links?

I had a lot of trouble until I deleted everything from the "optimized files" directory. What used to happen was SS would find another file that matched the encoding. This is ringing bells now, something like MP3 encoding failed if I had already encoded the same file to ATRAC.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thank you both for your thoughts; I appreciate them. I do-did unplug the external hard drive before importing new MP3s, and I surely wouldn't put it past SS to throw a hissy-fit over that fact . So, I tried the optimize option under tools>advanced, but SS still hangs/'Not Responding' within a second of clicking on 'Import'. Next, I tried to import new MP3s from the same external hard drive from which I'd restored, plugged into the same USB port, but SS hung within a second plus it didn't even give me the option it had given me before, to import the music to my HDD before importing it to My Library. Arg! I've already done a fresh reinstall of SS using Avrin's Ultimate4.3 (thanks again, by the way, it seems much more stable; I can actually listen to music from My Library while importing music to My Library without SS crashing ), but my girlfriend is suffering the problem now, as we both did fresh OS/fresh SS reinstalls about the same time. She has no new music to import now, but I'm sure she will eventually, so if you have any more ideas I'd be happy to try them on her laptop.

[sfbp]

I don't suppose your external HD is on USB? Maybe time to clean up the device map and remove ALL the non active USB devices......

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Could you possibly translate that into "Idiotese" so that I can understand it! Thanks.

[sfbp]

1. You have to enable the showing of hidden devices in Device Manager. This requires 2 variables in your personal environment,

which you can achieve by the following recipe:

a. right click My Computer, select Properties

b. on the "Advanced" tab, select the button that says "Environment Variables". Add two new variables, one is "devmgr_show_details" and has a value of 1, the other is "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" and also has a value of 1. (you won't put the quotes)

2. start up device manager (there's a button on the Hardware tab, or you can rightclick My Computer and select "Manage"), and look at all the greyed out devices by selecting "Show hidden devices" from the View menu. Expand the USB controllers entry by clicking on the + sign. You should probably try uninstalling everything there that is of relevance that's greyed out. (lots of ways to do this)

When I did this first, I systematically went through and deleted everything in the device map that was greyed out, too. Took quite a while. For example under Disk Drives, there is (right now) Sony HiMD WALKMAN USB device. OFten there is all sorts of junk. Don't be afraid with most devices, the way XP works is to find replacements automatically, in many cases its not the end of the world if you delete an active (non-greyed out) device by accident.

3. Reboot the computer. Rebooting is one of the few things that guarantees you write the registry properly and forever, and deletes that junk completely.

Thanks to Avrin and his colleagues in Russia for the original post of this info.

I have no idea whether this is will solve your problem but it (your problem) does sound sort of device-related.

Good luck!