I believe it will. I'm not sure if you replace the MM.DB from version 4 with a MediaMonkey.mdb that it will do this.

Will version 4 open an MDB file? (I don't care if it converts it, as long as it opens it).

Do a Portable Install, which can be done with MediaMonkey 4. You can also replace your current DB (rename it temporarily) and open MediaMonkey with the other DB.

I have a current library DB that I am happy with.

I want to open a second DB temporarily without disturbing the current DB.

What is the safest way to do this? Change the default DB location in the *.ini file (and then change it back)?

I am done with this thread. Going to open a slightly different one.

Yes, MediaMonkey 4 should be able to open older database (they will convert at that point though).

Just found a MediaMonkey.mdb file that's even older.

OK. I found an MM.db that has not been modified since 2008.

I also found a smaller one called MM.DB.Pre31. I am assuming this is from some upgrade I made to 3.1 or 3.2.

And I'm still looking deeper.

My next step is to open one of these. Two questions.

1) Will version 4 of MM open them?

2) How do I ensure that I do no damage to my current library by delving into these old ones.

I believe that all version 2 was the same. Before version 2 I don't know.

Lowlander wrote:As long as I've been using MediaMonkey this has been the case. Database locations and names: http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... -ini-files

This link only goes back to version 2.5. How did MediaMonkey store information before then?

As long as I've been using MediaMonkey this has been the case. Database locations and names: http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... -ini-files

Boobounder wrote:Do you mean I just have to find the right one, open it, export, then open my current DB and import?

Yes. The following Addon may be able to assist with importing from another database: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... t+database

Lowlander wrote:MediaMonkey stores Playlists in the database.

Did it always? What was the filename? Where should I look for it?

Lowlander wrote: Playlists can be exported from MediaMonkey (and then imported), but you can't import directly from another database.

Not sure what you mean by "another database". Do you mean I just have to find the right one, open it, export, then open my current DB and import?

MediaMonkey stores Playlists in the database. Playlists can be exported from MediaMonkey (and then imported), but you can't import directly from another database.

My employer manages my hardware upgrades. Each time the contents of my internal hard drive are compressed and saved. I have kept those backups, made about every 3 years for the last 4-5 rounds.

My media is kept on an external hard drive whose folder structure has not changed much in 15 years.

When my PC is upgraded, I often have to reinstall software (like MediaMonkey), and sometimes I neglect to "re-attach" all the user files.

Now I want to recover playlists I made with MediaMonkey a long while back, under versions 3 and 2. In theory, any DB from those versions is still there in those internal hard drive backups. In theory, those playlists still point to the same file locations on my external drive.

What strategy should I follow, and where should I look?

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Here are some thoughts and questions.

I am currently running version 4. Can I direct it to open some file containing playlists from earlier versions? If so, what file(s)?

I am not really interested in merging my old libraries into my current one. How do I make sure that doesn't happen while doing this?

Alternatively, maybe I need to restart an earlier version of MediaMonkey. What are the filenames of the *.exe files that run older versions of MediaMonkey? If I need to start them up, will my installation of version 4 interfere (even if I do not have it open)?

Suppose I do find an old playlist that I want to recover. What is the best way to get it back into version 4? Export to M3U, and then import?

And, obviously, what are the differences between the versions that I need to keep on top of.

FWIW: my regex and coding skills are pretty sharp. If I can get to something, anything, with some semblance of a filename or path, I can probably recover what I need.