A few questions from a new MM FAN and customer

[Rednroll]

Ok, I just completed a search on the work PC to verify again, that only one MediaMonkey.ini and MM.DB was present. I will also do a complete search again to ensure to include hidden files during the search, then also do the same on my home PC when I get home.

Here are the search results that I got so far on my work PC, just to show you I'm not crazy.

[Rednroll]

P.S. Since you seem like the guy who I should be talking to, MM really needs some internal preference settings where you can define the MediaMonkey.ini location and the MM.DB location so there are no questions to exactly where the app is looking for these particular files when it gets launched.

[Rednroll]

I agree with you, that it 'should' be exactly like that and work like that.

and fyi, you do not need to 'install' mediamonkey on each pc separately if you have it installed to the external drive.

You simply run it directly from your external drive (make your own desktop or start menu shortcut to mediamonkey.ini).

You may have to change your windows explorer or search setting to search for hidden files, but I still bet you have an extra mm db file somewhere on one of your computers.

My setup is exactly as yours is except I am using J:\Program Files\Mediamonkey and has worked since I started using MM 2 back in 2003 or 04.

Hey!!!! I think we're finally getting some where!!!! BINGO!!!....hidden files found!!! Now I'll get rid of those and do the same searches on both PCs to see if any other MediaMonkey.ini or MM.DB are hiding themselves somewhere and delete them all.



Do you need anyone to update that WIKI to let others know to verify no other "hidden" instances of MediaMonkey.ini or MM.DB are floating around ??? I kind of have a lot of experience in this now.

[Teknojnky]

Anyone can edit the wiki, just log in with your forum username/password.

Feel free to add your experiences or tips, I thought for sure that there was a comment about checking for hidden files, but perhaps there isn't.

[Rednroll]

Anyone can edit the wiki, just log in with your forum username/password.

Feel free to add your experiences or tips, I thought for sure that there was a comment about checking for hidden files, but perhaps there isn't.

Thank you for your help!!.....I'll update to let everyone know if this is finally working right once I make sure all other instances of those files are deleted.

[Rednroll]

Hey good news!!! After clearing out all those other hidden files.....I just noticed my Playlists that I created on my Home PC are now showing up on my Work PC!!! Life in MM land is looking up again!!!

[Teknojnky]

great!

since you may have multiple db files, you may want to MOVE/rename them to a temp folder and figure out which database has most correct/up to date info that you want to keep. I don't think there is any easy way to try to merge them, so you will have to choose the one you want to keep.

[Peke]

RC was sort of right, but not in the fix completely. On other hand Teknojnky was also right in installing on both PCs first.

Here are direct steps:
1. Install MediaMonkey on Both PCs Without Connecting External drive (This works on both Free and gold version or any combination of these)
2. On Each PC Rename Desktop Icon (example "MediaMonkey PC1" and "MediaMonkey PC2")
3. Connect External Drive to one of the PCs you will do rest of setup.
4. Make two Folders on Drive (?=Driveletter): "?:\MediaMonkeyApp" and "?:\MediaMonkeyData"
5. Copy all content of MediaMonkey installation Folder to "?:\MediaMonkeyApp"
6. Copy ?:\MediaMonkey\All Users\Application Data\MediaMonkey\MM.DB to ?:\MediaMonkeyData\MM.DB
7. Copy ?:\MediaMonkey\MediaMonkey.inito ?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.ini (I'll Use PC1 for thi example, from now on but steps are same for PC2)
8. Edit ?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.ini and Add/edit DBName to point to right MM.DB (eg. DBName=?:\MediaMonkeyData\MM.DB)
9. Copy Shortcut "MediaMonkey PC1" to "?:\"
10. Edit properties of Shortcut "MediaMonkey PC1" and add replace commend line with ?:\MediaMonkeyApp\MediaMonkey.exe /INIFILE=?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.ini
11. Start MediaMonkey by using Shortcut "MediaMonkey PC1" (eg. ?:\MediaMonkey PC1.lnk)

Repeat Steps 7-10 for PC2 but instead of PC1 use PC2 in filenames

The end result would be that you can start MM on both PCs using theirs own Shortcuts

EDIT: Too bad I was too slow But to add to last Teknojnky post you will only need to do this instead of steps 6 and 8:
6a. Copy ?:\MediaMonkey\All Users\Application Data\MediaMonkey\MM.DB to ?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.DB
8a. Edit ?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.ini and Add/edit DBName to point to right MM.DB (eg. DBName=?:\MediaMonkeyData\MMPC1.DB)

Happy Monkeying!

[Rednroll]

great!

since you may have multiple db files, you may want to MOVE/rename them to a temp folder and figure out which database has most correct/up to date info that you want to keep. I don't think there is any easy way to try to merge them, so you will have to choose the one you want to keep.

I already lost my playlists in the past trying to figure this out and decided to start over. So what's in my Library in regards to the database currently really isn't all that important. Before I started re-creating my playlists, I just wanted to make sure I got this working properly to ensure my Library information was the same between the 2 PCs I work on and My created Playlists where the same between both PCs. Everything can be updated pretty easily with a rescan of my media file locations. I don't care about rating and play count information. I just need to recreate my Playlists that I lost in the past now that everything seems to be working.

My workflow with MM mainly consists of ripping CDs to my library to MP3. Then updating/editing ID3 tags and artwork information which I embed in the ID3 tags. Then I create/edit/copy Playlists within MM and sync the Playlists and newly added Media files to my iPod.

[Teknojnky]

Hey Peke, I think there is a little confusion.

He has and wants 1 single MM install and database on the external drive.

So MM only needs to be installed once, from any pc, then ran directly from the external drive, with it pointed also the the MM.db on the external drive.

I think Rednroll has it all working now, so it should be ok.

I'm not sure if jboogygroove ever got his configuration ever sorted out tho.

[rovingcowboy]

now see there you got it working and you were getting upset for nothing.

[Rednroll]

now see there you got it working and you were getting upset for nothing.

I really wasn't upset....thus, the smiley after I said "pizz off". It's just that I had already gone down that path and read the tutorial numerous times, gone through the steps 5 times previously and didn't really need a link....I needed more hands on advice that would point me in the correct direction with the symptoms I was having.

I don't really like that wiki all that much either since it has links to other wiki's which are all equally important to making it work. Wiki's that don't have all the information that you need all on the same page are a little hard to follow.

P.S. The reason why I went through the install process on both PCs was because I was not sure if MediaMonkey wrote other needed information to the Windows registry for proper functioning during the install process.

If MM doesn't write to the Registry, and I haven't tried this yet, but the way I currently have it set up, it sounds like I would have a portable version of MM and would be able to just plug my external drive into any other PC and would be able to run MM from the portable drive on any PC.

[Rednroll]

If MM doesn't write to the Registry, and I haven't tried this yet, but the way I currently have it set up, it sounds like I would have a portable version of MM and would be able to just plug my external drive into any other PC and would be able to run MM from the portable drive on any PC.

ahhh....very nice!!!! I just tried it out on my home laptop which I've never have had MM installed on and it seems to run perfectly from my external drive. I now have a portable MM v3.2

[Rednroll]

I think Rednroll has it all working now, so it should be ok.

I'm not sure if jboogygroove ever got his configuration ever sorted out tho.

Yep, I'm good now. I think jboogygroove might be alright also. He PMed me about a month ago and said thanks for the steps that I originally posted and asked if it was ok if he PMed me with any further questions if he ran into any problems.

Everything must have worked out for him because he never PMed me back. I guess my steps were ok...as long as you didn't have any previous installs which left some hidden INI or DB files hanging around. It's kind of funny since the steps I listed worked for others, but were never quite working out for myself the way I expected.

[Teknojnky]

MM does store some settings in the registry, most notibly your gold registration key (if you have one), and most UI settings (columns, window positions/sizes , etc). (this is noted in the wiki article)

You can export the registry key and keep it with your mediamonkey exe and if you go to a new computer you can double click the reg file and instantly have them imported.