'synch' always just copies - what gives

Inspired · Post by **Inspired** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:55 am

Hi folks,
I've had this issue since I started using MM, which was about a year ago. Been happening on all 2.x versions, all 3.x beta versions, and I suspect it will happen on the latest public release of V3 (non-beta).

Basically it sucks. Takes me a very long time to sync an 8 GB Sansa e280 and even longer when I have a memory card in there.

For me it renders the syncing system useless. I might remove an album, add another album or two, then resync and my whole device gets cleared and rewritten. This is a very poor implementation of synchronisation technology. It's a major flaw in MM as far as I am concerned. I'd dearly like to see it fixed, or to at least know whether there is anything I can do about it at my end (although I doubt it, as it looks like it is a "feature" of MM for now).

MM Tech people... what's up with this "feature"?

BTW... EZMAN... if you can, please edit the subject of this thread to better reflect what it is about... i.e. "Complete rewrite of all files on sync, why?" or something to that effect.

Regards,

Jonathan

sg60 · Post by **sg60** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:39 pm

I think this is a pretty common issue judging from some of the posts I've read and as someone said a bit of a flaw in the design of the synching process. I posted a similar problem on this forum. I use an auto-playlist to sync files to my 8Gb Nano and the playlist is set up to only include songs that haven't been played in the past few weeks. I want to sync the Nano on a daily basis so I don't have songs on the Nano that have already been played but synching replaces almost all of the songs on the device, not just the songs that have been played. The sync time could be dramatically reduced if just the played songs could be replaced.

Inspired · Post by **Inspired** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:57 pm

sg60 wrote:I think this is a pretty common issue judging from some of the posts I've read and as someone said a bit of a flaw in the design of the synching process. I posted a similar problem on this forum. ... The sync time could be dramatically reduced if just the played songs could be replaced.

Yes, it does appear to be a pretty common issue, but despite this I have not managed to find any official (i.e. from the developers) comment on the matter. Have you?
Yes, I think "a bit" of a flaw might be an understatement, but I certainly agree. And yes, it would be a very dramatic reduction in sync time in my case as for some reason my Sansa e280 will not function on my USB 2.0 PCMCIA card, so I have to resort to connecting it with the built in USB 1.1 on this laptop. Takes many hours to sync each time I want to add or remove a few tracks using the sync system in MM. Bummer.

Thanks for your input. I am keen to know if ANYONE is NOT getting this issue? Anyone???

Much thanks,

Jonathan

sg60 · Post by **sg60** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:13 pm

I think you're right when you say it's more than a bit of an issue and I also agree that I have never seen an official response on this issue despite numerous postings about it. I'm disappointed with that because I normally find MM tech staff to be really good about commenting on issues, especially ones that affect a lot of users. I can symapathize with your plight with syncing your Sansa because even though syncing my Nano is more of an inconvenience in terms of sync time, I also have an 80GB iPod and syncing that thing goes way beyond inconvenient Hope we'll get some useful response on this issue from MM.

Sinosec · Post by **Sinosec** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:20 pm

I haven't looked into the issue yet, but it's happening with my new iPod. I changed a few tags and some album art and now it's copying all 2221 songs. It did not happen the last time I used MM with my Sansa e200 last Summer.

edit: As I typed this it was around 25% complete. Now it's done.

I dunno.

mad_scientist · Post by **mad_scientist** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 2:57 am

I'm not experiencing this using the Auto-Sync (Tools->Sync) option. I can add a couple of files and only those will get synced next time. I have the 'Delete Tracks' option on as well to remove files no longer in the sync list.

I'm using an iRiver clix (gen 2) in MTP mode. I have used it in MSC/UMS mode previously with the Send-To/Sync option and did experience the full re-send behavior. Maybe the "Send-To/Sync" option is poorly labeled?

For Auto-Sync, I setup a dedicated playlist and set it as the only auto-sync source. Haven't tried anything else since this works fine for me.

forya · Post by **forya** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:53 am

I have an 80GB Gen 5.5 Ipod and I have an auto playlist that I auto sync with my Ipod. Since I upgraded to 3.0.1.1127, everytime I sync, It recopies all of the new songs I've added(to my playlist), or played, since the upgrade. It is leaving the untouched ones for now.

Inspired · Post by **Inspired** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:05 am

Sinosec wrote:I haven't looked into the issue yet, but it's happening with my new iPod. I changed a few tags and some album art and now it's copying all 2221 songs. It did not happen the last time I used MM with my Sansa e200 last Summer.

edit: As I typed this it was around 25% complete. Now it's done.

I dunno.

Thanks for your input. I'm keen to get to the bottom of this. So far it appears, in my opinion, to be a bug that affects some configurations and not others.

Tell me, when you were using your Sansa was it in MSC or MTP mode?

Also to each other person who has added here that they also experience this issue, or not...
1) When you DO experience this issue, is your device in MSC mode or MTP?

2) When you have NOT experienced this issue (i.e. the autosync just adds/changes the files you have added to your synclist since the last time autosync was run) was it in MSC or MTP mode?

What I wish to determine is whether there is any pattern with regards to the connection mode and this issue.

Mad_scientist has indicated that he/she only had this issue in MSC mode, and not MTP. I am wondering if there is a theme here.
I'll try my Sansa now in MTP. I recall I was using it in MSC so that the MicroSDD card would be accessible.

Regards,
Jonathan

Inspired · Post by **Inspired** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:40 am

Hi Folks,
I've set up a poll to try and collect some info on this issue.
Please check it out over at
http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 442#119442

I invite you to select an option on the poll and to add a comment re your experience with this syncing issue.

Regards,

Jonathan

forya · Post by **forya** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:08 am

The only files that ALWAYS resync are the ones I've added to the library since the upgrade to version 3.0.1.1127. all the other ones are behaving just fine.
if this helps?

shicaca · Post by **shicaca** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:50 pm

The problem I have w/ this entire situation is this: It doesn't copy EVERYTHING over, and it doesn't JUST copy things that you've changed. For example, I've taken my Creative Vision:M and connected/synced it. I then realized I had forgotten to put a song I downloaded on Amazon and put it into MM. I put the new song in there, make it all nice and pretty/organized, and then resync. It works to get the song on (usually), but for some stupid reason, MM thinks it's super important to resync 500 songs that were already there and had not been changed.

Literally I sync, it syncs 500+ songs (and takes FOREVER), say "cr_p!", put the new song in MM, sync again, have it sync 500+ songs AGAIN. It doesn't make sense and I wish it would be looked at by admins/coders.

forya · Post by **forya** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:26 pm

I have been checking the apple boards, and there is a firmware update coming to the gen 5 ipods in the next couple weeks

thekidkid · Post by **thekidkid** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:47 am

Alright guys I think I just figured it out. It has to with ratings. If your tracks are rated, it will re-sync them every time (weird?!) I just learned that even if they appear rated, for some reason they still are so here is what I just did, and although it may not work for you, the problem is completely solved for me. I recommend only trying one album so you don't have to worry about losing all of your ratings.

1. Select all of your music, every single track.
2. Go into properties and choose "unknown" for the rating.
3. Now on the bottom it will say it is tagging all of the tracks, let it go.
4. Now click sync, it will, once again, sync all of your music to your device
5. Now when you hit sync again, it won't sync anything!

Again, don't go and remove all your ratings, I make no guarantees

. Good luck!
BTW, I'm using MM 3

TrevorPrinn · Post by **TrevorPrinn** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:18 am

thekidkid wrote:Alright guys I think I just figured it out. It has to with ratings.

I don't think that's it. My iPod Classic seems to want to synch everything every time (over 8000 tracks, mostly in ogg format - takes all day) but I don't have any Ratings defined, and never have had. I suspect what you have done is modified every file in some way that has caused it to sort itself out somehow, but I can't think quite what that might be.

For info, the iPod is new and I've only done two synchs. The first copied on one album just to check it worked, and the second copied everything on. I then modified loads of tags and tried synching again, but it wants to synch everything. I haven't had time yet to let that run and then see if it has sorted itself out.

forya · Post by **forya** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:40 pm

I can't delete any of my ratings, I use them to generate auto playlists and that would mess me all up. But i just re-synced, and It re-sync's only a few albums (that I didn't touch), but always the same ones. Odd that it chose these albums, they were added to my library a long time ago.

Still working on it........

'synch' always just copies - what gives

Any info from MM on this issue?

It used to be good in 2.5?

Pinpointing the issue...

Please visit the poll

it's only the ones I've added since the upgrade

Drives me insane

apple has a new update coming

weird stuff