Question about managing ATRAC MD files on a PC

[Tom B]

I'm using Sonic Stage 4.3 on my XP-Pro computer, connected to my MZ RH-1. I have a large number of recordings of radio shows transferred from my MDs. They were originally made on other machines (mostly a MDS JE480).

These recordings were NOT made with copy protection. (I do not have anything purchased from the Sony store that involves copy protection.)

Now I have added an additional hard drive on my PC. To free up space on the original hard drive, Drive C:, I would like to transfer these files to a directory on the new hard drive, Drive F.

Can I do that by using Windows Explorer to move the files, without engaging copy protection or other problems?

Or does this involve other procedures?

At some time in the future I may want to copy or move these files to another computer? Would that trigger any copy protection or other problem? Or can I simply copy them or move them using Windows Explorer?

If I can transfer these to a new directory on Drive F, is there a preferred directory name or location that should be used?

Thanks

[sfbp]

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE you must run the File Conversion Tool and UNcheck the copy protection box.

Otherwise you may find that you can no longer play the uploaded files when you move them around or try to play them from another computer or another Windows install.

Moving all your files is eminently possible but a real pain.

My solution - JUNCTION.EXE

Make a mount point which is a folder on some other drive and point your CURRENT location at it (after you moved all the files there NOT from SonicStage but using only Windows explorer).

This way SonicStage THINKS it is still pointing at your old directory, but you have in fact moved its contents and they is somewhere else. The only restriction is that it cannot be "across" a network.

[Tom B]

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE you must run the File Conversion Tool and UNcheck the copy protection box.

Otherwise you may find that you can no longer play the uploaded files when you move them around or try to play them from another computer or another Windows install.

Moving all your files is eminently possible but a real pain.

My solution - JUNCTION.EXE

Make a mount point which is a folder on some other drive and point your CURRENT location at it (after you moved all the files there NOT from SonicStage but using only Windows explorer).

This way SonicStage THINKS it is still pointing at your old directory, but you have in fact moved its contents and they is somewhere else. The only restriction is that it cannot be "across" a network.

I have not yet found much that describes this in the manuals of my Sony ATRAC products. If I run the "File Conversion Tool" what does this do to my existing files (where I UNcheck the copy protection box)?

Will there be a change in the file extensions?

I'm unclear what advantage a Sony user would ever have as a result of a system like this. While I'm familiar with a lot that the Sony products do, this is one of the features I don't understand. I do NOT want to apply any new "copy protection." In my case I have not received files from earlier versions of Sonic Stage - just ver. 4.3. I would appreciate understanding the reason for this and what good it all does for me. Thanks.

[sfbp]

If I run the "File Conversion Tool" what does this do to my existing files (where I UNcheck the copy protection box)?

They will be decrypted. Otherwise, from the point of view of sound quality and all other behaviour, completely unchanged. Any files that do not have DRM will not be changed in any way at all, so their extension (see below) will stay. Atrac Advanced Lossless or WAV, for example.

Will there be a change in the file extensions?

They will be changed from .oma to .OMA, which is insignificant for Windows purposes.

Trust me. You NEED to do this if you are even contemplating moving your files anywhere else (as I said, they are currently encrypted with details of your present Windows install). For example to a portable hard drive which you subsequently connect to another system. If you do that, the existing files will not be playable on your new system and you will end up with a big mess.

Heavens, I already answered you once on this. Obviously, you don't trust me.

[Azureal]

Trust me. You NEED to do this if you are even contemplating moving your files anywhere else (as I said, they are currently encrypted with details of your present Windows install). For example to a portable hard drive which you subsequently connect to another system. If you do that, the existing files will not be playable on your new system and you will end up with a big mess.

Heavens, I already answered you once on this. Obviously, you don't trust me.

Well, be nice, perhaps he just forgot ...

Stephen is definitely right though, in order to move the files to another machine, this simple step is necessary. I know it has been for me.

I have great success performing this simple step and then using the SonicStage backup tool to copy my entire 30GB library onto an external USB HD then performed a restore to more than one machine and each in a different directory structure than the original, It works quite well. I am so confident that this is a sure fire way of restoring your ATRAC library that I keep a couple of backups periodically refreshed on different USB drives.

Definitely perform a test run to begin with before you wipe your original. I think you'll find it works quite well.

[sfbp]

I was nice until I realised I had just spent 10 minutes typing in advice on the same subject for a second time to the same person.

But, generally, I am nice.

Tom, take our advice to heart. You will not regret it. We've been through all the pain too, and we are simply trying to tell you the fastest way through the maze. I have lost count of the people who came here AFTER they lost all their precious recordings.

Stephen

[sfbp]

Update: this problem is now, at least in principle, done away with.