Moving ATRAC files from one hard drive to another, Managing the Library

[Tom B]

I'm having to move my collection of ATRAC files from one hard drive to another on my XP Pro PC. (This is not about moving files from one computer to another.)

I find the files will play back with Sonic Stage 4.3, even though some of them have .OMG extensions and some have .omg extensions. At some time in the past I ran the file conversion tool, and later added other files. (I expected trouble with the .omg files and that I would be stopped from playing these files, but that is not the case.)

"Options" shows the new file location, and lists my files. But when I select each one I get an error message "The music file for the track was not found. Specify the music file to restore track playback." There is an option to either remove the file from the library, or "specify the location of the music file."

Selecting the "Browse" control displays a file folder. There is another control marked "Auto search" that finds the file quickly, even though it is not in the file folder that's displayed. Once selected, the file begins playback.

I have a lot of these files I recorded. (None are purchased files. None had copy protection.)

Is there a way to resolve this with some feature of Sonic Stage, or one of its related programs, so I don't have to go through this for each one of the files?

[sfbp]

Are the files on a different location from where the database used to point to (under Tools->Options->Location to save imported files)?

Let's suppose they used to be at C:mymusic but are now on an external drive at J:mymusic. (If you didn't change the default which is located under the user tree C:Documents and Settings<your user name>blah blah, you may have more trouble because of spaces in the name, but I'm certain you're smart enough to figure that out.... just thought I would warn you). Note that shorter pathnames also probably means a smaller and therefore more efficient db, but that's by the bye.

Get "junction.exe" from Sysinternals (actually they were bought by Microsoft so it's part of the microsoft site somewhere). Create an empty folder called C:mymusic.

Now do this: junction c:mymusic j:mymusic

Magically all the files of SS will appear in the right place.

I hope it's not too late for you to do that.

BTW you mention ".omg" - I'm sure you meant ".oma". Some files (eg AAL) don't need any encryption struck from them so they stay as .oma instead of being renamed by the FCT to .OMA.

Hope this is of use

Stephen

[freddyjollo]

Always run the file conversion tool periodically to strip away encryption? then u can move them any where. The time will come when u have forgotten to do this and move them to another pc and lose some or all?

If i move files around I just delete the old ones from SS without removing the file from the pc and then load them from the new postion ie select the folder containing them, as if loading fresh( with Import Folder ). finding them one by one is slow and tedious. If its a whole sale move i would just delete the whole database( but not use the delete file option!!!) and load from the new folder(s) using "Import Folder" ie re create the dstabase. works for me. done it a number of times

"

[SileEeles]

Always run the file conversion tool periodically to strip away encryption? then u can move them any where. The time will come when u have forgotten to do this and move them to another pc and lose some or all?

If i move files around I just delete the old ones from SS without removing the file from the pc and then load them from the new postion ie select the folder containing them, as if loading fresh( with Import Folder ). finding them one by one is slow and tedious. If its a whole sale move i would just delete the whole database( but not use the delete file option!!!) and load from the new folder(s) using "Import Folder" ie re create the dstabase. works for me. done it a number of times

"

I find this to also be the best way of refreshing the library after either the contents of a folder change, or the location changes.

[Tom B]

Should I do a backup of the system before running the conversion tool? (I have Norton Ghost installed.)

Are the files on a different location from where the database used to point to (under Tools->Options->Location to save imported files)?

Yes. I changed the file location in "Location to Save Imported files" This is a new folder I created called C:ATRAC Files The files do play OK from this location, whether they are .oma or .OMA.

Since this has a space in the folder name should I change it, maybe just to be cautious? (So far there has not been a problem.) I also just found another old location where some other files I recorded are located. I'm thinking about using Windows copy & paste to copy them to this new folder. Or is there some better way?

More, below.

[Tom B]

Get "junction.exe" from Sysinternals (actually they were bought by Microsoft so it's part of the microsoft site somewhere). Create an empty folder called C:mymusic.

Now do this: junction c:mymusic j:mymusic

Magically all the files of SS will appear in the right place.

I hope it's not too late for you to do that.

Since I am not using an external drive on the system (except for Ghost backup images) I can probably get this to work with regular commands in XP-Pro, and therefore won't need "junction.exe."

I just need to get everything in the folder where .oma and .OMA files are located to be fully recognized in the library, so I don't see the effor message about file location, and am not prompted to go locate each file. (Keep in mind that a few have already been corrected, one by one, so I trust that another run of the conversion tool won't upset them.)

I did make a mistake in my first posting, where I should have called the file extension .oma or .OMA. (There are no .omg files.)

Thank you. While I have used ATRAC files for a number of years I haven't had the kind of experience you have.

[Tom B]

Always run the file conversion tool periodically to strip away encryption? then u can move them any where. The time will come when u have forgotten to do this and move them to another pc and lose some or all?

If i move files around I just delete the old ones from SS without removing the file from the pc and then load them from the new postion ie select the folder containing them, as if loading fresh( with Import Folder ). finding them one by one is slow and tedious. If its a whole sale move i would just delete the whole database( but not use the delete file option!!!) and load from the new folder(s) using "Import Folder" ie re create the dstabase. works for me. done it a number of times

"

Is there a way to clear the data base and cause SS to re-build it? Hopefully from everything in the one folder?

[sfbp]

If all your files are on "C:" drive then you have a different problem, that you have files in multiple places. One solution to this is to move the directories you have ATRAC in, to directly under C:ATRAC Files (using your explained example). However be careful, do not nest them so that the ATRAC files are in folders exactly one level deeper than that C:ATRAC Files.

The reason I suggested the junction idea was to avoid regenerating the database. If you have tons (or tonnes) of ATRAC, then it becomes a huge pain to do that, because the db is large (and sometimes a bit fragile - I get hiccoughs when I delete stuff sometimes, pays to always optimize - the FCT does that every time for you, so they must have spotted that one!).

Junction is still useful even if you have different folders on the same drive that are NOT under C:ATRAC Files. Because, essentially, there is no need to move them, you just move a pointer to them. Like a symbolic link in Unix, if you know what that is.

If you do a mass scan when importing files (File->Import->Scan Folder), for ATRAC, it's perfectly fine, as long as you select "Settings" and then carefully check the folders that you know you want to load ATRAC files from.

[Tom B]

Thank you. I think I've resolved this because I put everything in the one folder, C:ATRAC
The idea of "Junction" is interesting for those who have a lot of files in various different locations.

If all your files are on "C:" drive then you have a different problem, that you have files in multiple places. One solution to this is to move the directories you have ATRAC in, to directly under C:ATRAC Files (using your explained example). However be careful, do not nest them so that the ATRAC files are in folders exactly one level deeper than that C:ATRAC Files.

The reason I suggested the junction idea was to avoid regenerating the database. If you have tons (or tonnes) of ATRAC, then it becomes a huge pain to do that, because the db is large (and sometimes a bit fragile - I get hiccoughs when I delete stuff sometimes, pays to always optimize - the FCT does that every time for you, so they must have spotted that one!).

Junction is still useful even if you have different folders on the same drive that are NOT under C:ATRAC Files. Because, essentially, there is no need to move them, you just move a pointer to them. Like a symbolic link in Unix, if you know what that is.

If you do a mass scan when importing files (File->Import->Scan Folder), for ATRAC, it's perfectly fine, as long as you select "Settings" and then carefully check the folders that you know you want to load ATRAC files from.