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Topic: Best way to manage music in backup pc - Page: 1

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I am in the process of getting a laptop ready for backup purposes.
This laptop will have the same content as my main PC.
My question is how I most efficiently keep the same database on both PC's.
I have all my library scanned on main PC, but nothing scanned on backup PC.
There are different locations on the hard drives so I cannot use the main PC's database files which already include cue points and everything.

Or should I more or less keep a limited backup with a fraction of my main PC library.
How do you use your backup PC's?
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 12:52 pm
Name the drive on the backup, the same as the drive on the main computer, copy the music and the database to the backup.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 1:14 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
With difficulty.
I have two almost identical laptops which are used solely for DJ purposes. My main laptop has a 1000gb hdd whilst my backup only has a 320gb. There roles are almost on the point of reversing due to content unlimited. It's time to buy a new hdd, and clone the main laptop hdd. My backup laptop really only gets used for experimental purposes. My main laptop has a little over 320gb of data..trouble.
I only sync the laptops every year, or so using the hdd manufactures cloning software.
I also have backup portable hdd's for my music.
Nothing is really up-to date except my main laptop.

Note that you can clone a hdd, and put it in an identical laptop, contact Microsoft, and activate the software over the phone using the other laptops product key. You will also have to authorize your software.
I think I'll do that this week.

Hm there again that would wipe Traktor out ?????
Scratches head, and reads the above post.

Anyway something is going to get cloned onto a new 1000gb hdd.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 1:16 pm
A Man and His Music wrote :
Name the drive on the backup, the same as the drive on the main computer, copy the music and the database to the backup.


What about paths and drive letters?
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 2:27 pm
That's why I said name them the same. If your main computer has a drive letter of H, make the drive on the backup H. Now they have the same path.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 2:31 pm
OK. I thought perhaps the database management were more intelligent to "repair" incorrect paths to locate the new locations.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 3:51 pm
blckjckPRO InfinityMember since 2008
If I am infering from your original post correctly, all of your music is on your internal drive.

How I handled my situation might interest you.
I have a 1TB drive in my laptop. It is divided into two partitions (technically there are a couple of hidden windows partitions as well). 200G is the main OS install on drive C, the rest of the space is on drive D. Drive D is where I have my iTunes library kept. I use iTunes to manage all of my music, videos, books, apps. When I mirror that drive to a USB or network drive, almost everything I need for VDJ is backed up. In fact, if I had to buy a laptop on the way to a gig, I could get by as is after install VDJ fresh.

Now, I did do a little more advance stuff with my backup. My VDJ folder is also mirrored to the back up drive, as it my iTunes folder that contains it's database (This is not in the library location if you specify a different location). The VDJ folder and the iTunes library are also backed up to Droopbox. I do this so, if the above new laptop scenario happens, I can get my settings, playlists, and other files quickly.

This is all also backed up to a NAS drive at my house.

My backup PC only has a 320G drive. My VDJ, iTunes database, and CU stuff gets coppied there from the USB drive. I use the USB drive with the backup for my media.

At night, after any songs are added, sorted, deleted, or playlists made, etc. I click two shortcuts for batch files. The batch files mirror all of this while I wander off to bed.

If your interested, I can go into more detail for you. My post is long enough now not to keep going if your not. ;)
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 6:32 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
That sounds almost perfect blckjck, mind you I'm allergic to Apples.

I normally delete the manufactures partition since it contains a lot of bloat-ware. A fresh install from Microsoft, and the manufacturers drivers suit my needs. I also use two main partitions like you, windows, and data.
I can format, and replace the operating system, and VDJ in around 2 hours. My songs normally remain intact in the data partition.
I back up the VDJ documents folder in the data partition, along with any other important software, drivers, or anything.
Then clone the lot.

"If your interested, I can go into more detail for you. My post is long enough now not to keep going if your not. ;)"
LOL you have already provided two projects for me in the future, you're going to keep me busy until Xmas.
I'll pass on this one.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 7:42 pm
@MrJackson2014

if you make a folder for example
C:/music
put all your music in there on both pcs the databases can be the same and all the usual usernames and such will not matter because its outside of the user folder area
anyways this works well for me

also you could use the export playlist to export a playlist of all or part of your music to another PC on your local network with database.. just something to think about.
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 8:00 pm
blckjckPRO InfinityMember since 2008
MrJackson2014 wrote :
OK. I thought perhaps the database management were more intelligent to "repair" incorrect paths to locate the new locations.


If the database is on an external drive, then the drive letter gets corrected if the drive is assigned a different letter.

bigron1 wrote :
LOL you have already provided two projects for me in the future, you're going to keep me busy until Xmas.
I'll pass on this one.


But this one actually speeds up and automates things for you, freeing up time. :)
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 11:45 pm
blckjckPRO InfinityMember since 2008
The biggest gain to using the batch files is the command being called.
It allows mirroring of the folders without copying things that are already present and have not changed.

robocopy is the PC based command, and it is provided by Microsoft
rsync is the Apple OS command
 

Posted Mon 15 Jun 15 @ 11:49 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Point taken !
 

Posted Tue 16 Jun 15 @ 5:27 am
freppaPRO InfinityMember since 2002
A Man and His Music wrote :
Name the drive on the backup, the same as the drive on the main computer, copy the music and the database to the backup.


This is why I always have used external drives, much easier too change on the fly.
And just copy the Vdjmap from the main drive to the backup and you have all cues and settings ready..
 

Posted Tue 16 Jun 15 @ 10:55 am
blckjckPRO InfinityMember since 2008
I like having the internal for speed, ease of setup, less draw on my USB bus, and a few less cables ;)
 

Posted Tue 16 Jun 15 @ 4:42 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
I have an old fashioned distrust of usb, hence internal hdd are my choice.
The other thing is external creates one more vulnerable cable.
 

Posted Tue 16 Jun 15 @ 8:32 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
I should get my new internal 1000gb hdd tomorrow, that may give me the chance to test this thread.
I'm hoping that my backup laptop becomes my new main laptop.
Time will tell.
I hope it's ready for the weekend.
 

Posted Wed 17 Jun 15 @ 11:50 am
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
The mail man damaged the parcel carrying my new Toshiba 1000gb hdd. There was tiny gouge mark on the metal case of the hdd where the parcel was damaged. The parcel did not have a fragile label. I inserted the hdd into a usb case, and connected it to my laptop. It was not recognized. Obviously I thought it was damaged. Before sending it back I checked it using Win 7 disk management tools. They declared it needed initializing. That worked ! Next I located my Acronis disk, and started a direct clone from my DVD drive bypassing windows to the usb hdd.

Current state of play is that Acronis predicts the cloning time will be around 5 hours.
I'll delete all the backup songs, and do a direct copy of my songs from my main laptop.

Is initializing a sata hdd a common problem nowadays?
I used to do a lot of stuff like this in times gone by, I'm a little out of practice.
 

Posted Thu 18 Jun 15 @ 1:52 pm
blckjckPRO InfinityMember since 2008
Drive initialization is normal.
 

Posted Thu 18 Jun 15 @ 6:01 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Thanks blckjck

Love ya, and not in the sexual way lol.
You're a good man.
 

Posted Thu 18 Jun 15 @ 6:17 pm
I have a hard time getting this backup file system to run.
I actually have three different hard drives (C:, E: and K:) on main PC. (All different physical drives)
On the backup PC I made an identical filesystem with just one physical drive and three partitions with of course the same letters C, E and K:
On every drive there is a database file included in the "Virtual DJ" folder which also includes a folder file.
In the main VDJ folder on C: where all settings and everything else is contained , I just copied everything in that folder to the backup PC folder.

Most of the time, when firing off VDJ 8 on backup PC, it won't do anything. I doesn't even start the application.
One time I got error messages "Corrupted database on E:" and next time "Corrupted database on K:".

What am I missing?
Is there something else that needs to be done, which is not included in the database folders or main VDJ folder?




 

Posted Fri 19 Jun 15 @ 5:54 am
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