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In Reply to: RE: HERE IT IS - IT'S LONG!!!! posted by Ryelands on January 28, 2011 at 05:54:29
ok Dave I want to try this but there are a lot of things for which I need more understanding.
First edit of cmp is easy I think. I create a new file in Notepad and replace my original cmp file in Program Files with this new one.
2nd: Second, create C:\logon.bat file:
Net use M: \\MusicServer\Music /user:MusicServer\User password:
where M:\ is the assigned drive letter, \MusicServer is (go on, take a guess) the network name of the music server, Music is the network name of the shared volume on the server and ‘User’ is a user authorised to access it (i.e. on the server, not on the target). The password is blank. No doubt a password would work but I've not tried.
E:\ is a partition on the target set up as the default user's ‘My Documents’ folder. (Under minlogon, only the default user can access things as there is no logging on. It works fine in practice.)
How do I do this? I can create a new file on Notepad but where do I put it? Do I have to name it? I have never 'knowingly' set up a bat file so I am unclear here.
3rd:Third, create C:\Reset.bat file.
@echo off
E:
RD E:\Music /s /q
MD E:\Music
c:\windows\explorer.exe
Again same question as above...how do I set this up?
I think I can struggle through the other steps but this is what I need to get started for now.
Follow Ups:
If I have this right, you are looking for a setup in which you have a small SSD holding an OS and a larger, conventional drive holding a music library. Each album to be played is to be copied from the library drive to the SSD so the former can be spun down during replay.
Let’s assume you’ve put three partitions on the SSD. The first (Drive C:) is, say, 8192 MB and holds the main OS, the second (Drive D:) is also 8192 MB and holds (or can hold) a second OS install and the third (Drive E:) comprises the rest of the drive. We shall move music files from the separate library drive (called, say, M:) over to Drive E: on the SSD to play them.
I do something very similar except that the library drive is on a network, not another SATA port. Why I do that doesn’t matter for now - what does matter is that the scheme is realised with a couple of tiny programs called “batch files” that are so easy to write that even a programming illiterate like me can do it.
You’ll find them described in a hundred places on the net - they work in all versions of DOS and Windows. Any text file with a .bat extension (rather than the usual .txt) will, if you double-click on it in Explorer, invoke it from the command line or launch it from another batch file, perform as a .BAT file. Getting it to perform properly can be, of course, more interesting.
As you’ll only be copying data locally, you only need “Reset.bat”; forget about “Logon.bat”.
++++
First step: Open Notepad, copy and paste in this text:
@echo off
C:
RD C:\Music /s /q
MD C:\Music
c:\windows\explorer.exe
and save the file as “Reset.bat”: go to File > Save As and set “Save as type” to “Any Files” and type “C:\Reset.bat” in the filename box.
Though still a text file, as it has the .bat extension, it will be recognised by the OS as a batch file. By putting C:\ at the front, you’ve told the OS to save it in the root directory of drive C.
In this case, Reset.bat deletes the folder called E:\Music and its contents, creates a new, empty folder of the same name and then, but only then, launches Explorer. As for the code:
@echo off means “Please don’t fuss”;
E: means “go to Drive E:” (edit to suit your setup);
RD E:\Music means “delete the directory and its files”; /s /q means “just do it”;
MD E:\Music means “make a new copy of the directory”;
C:\Windows\Explorer.exe means “Launch explorer”.
++++
Second step: edit cMP’s .pth file. Simply change the “Library Manager” line to read:
LIBRARY_MANAGER "c:\Reset.bat".
This tells cMP that, when you click on the “Explorer” button in the cMP window, it shouldn’t launch Explorer.exe as it normally does but should run “C:\Reset.bat” instead.
++++
Third step: make a directory in E:\ and call it “Music”; right-click on it in Explorer (RH pane) and select “Create Shortcut”. Make hidden and system files visible in Explorer and move the short cut to C:\Documents and settings\Username\SendTo. For now, you can either leave the other crud in the folder or (recommended) delete it. Rename the shortcut to, say, "Music". Restore Explorer's "View" settings.
++++
Fourth step: In cMP’s “Settings” window, set “Default View” to “All”, add E:\Music to the “Folders” list and (optional but recommended) remove all others.
++++
Fifth step: Set your power scheme to power down unused drives to whatever you want. If you're using a "green" drive, it may just power down regardless.
++++
That’s it. To select an album in cMP, click on the Explorer button and navigate to your choice, right click on its folder name and click on “Send to” > Music.
The album is copied from the spinning rust drive to the E:\Music folder on the SSD. That done, close Explorer and you’ll see that cMP is waiting to play your file. Start it as normal.
All the above should take less time to do than it did me to write it up. The screenshots you've already had.
The world awaits your report . . .
Dave
Ok Dave very clear thanks but one more question what if I have just a 4 gig thumb drive plugged into a usb port, will this still work? I know that if I had a true ssd with an os partition and all it would be better yet but running music files off a thumb drive still sounds better than running from any of my 2.5" lap top drives. As a result I would like to do this then migrate to a true ssd drive.
If I have just a 4 gig thumb drive plugged into a usb port, will this still work?
I can't think why not though IME writing to a thumb drive tends to be on the slow side. (That said, mine are both about five years old.)
Whatever, they should be fine for a trial. Obviously, you'll need to alter the batch file slightly.
HTH
Also where do you set your Power schemes to minimize drive power consumption? This a biggie because as Cics has taught us the less power consumption the more efficient that cmp^2 becomes.
I know Cics told us to set power schemes to always on.
Cics told us to set power schemes to always on.
His setup is different.
If you want to turn the conventional HDD off, you can do so in Display Properties > ScreenSaver > Power and set your drives to turn off in, say, 3 minutes.
If OTOH you don't want to turn the drives off, I'd have thought that that might make the exercise a tiny bit pointless.
As I saw it, the idea was to try using an SS storage medium only during playback. The snag, of course, is that these are typically too small for most music libraries. What I'm suggesting is a way round that problem, not a perfect solution but a solution nonetheless. Why not just try both options and let us know?
Whatever, I've just tried using a USB Memory Stick to hold the target data on the lines you suggest. I think you could well be right - it does seem to sound rather better. As feared, it's as slow as old boots at writing data though it reads fine.
Well worth persevering with for a bit longer though I fear an SSD is still a bit pricey for me at the moment.
Couple of strikeouts setting power options to shut down drives after 3 minutes hangs up the pc when I try to go to another drive. So I reset to Always On. When I tried the (lets call Dave way) and I click on Explore I get no data. Do I need to initialize Settings to include Process Explorer for Start up?
I reset to Always On.
Fair enough. The setting seems to work OK here - perhaps a BIOS/ACPI thing??
I click on Explore [and] get no data.
Remember this works only when using the cMP shell. You never get any data if you launch Explorer from cMP in XP Mode. If you haven't already done so, go to cMP Settings > select Start CMP > Restart and try again. See link.
If you have done that, restore the original .pth setting and confirm that Explorer works OK by itself. If not (unlikely), you need to fix that first. Easiest way would be to reinstall cMP.
If Explorer is OK, go back into XP Mode, copy any old data into the E:\Music (or whatever you called it) folder then test the Reset.bat file:
Start > Run > type Reset.bat & hit OK.
The data you copied should disappear and Explorer should start up. If not, you need to fix the batch file.
Do I need to initialize Settings to include Process Explorer for Start up?
No - Process Explorer is something else altogether.
Explorer was not ok : I got hung up in a different way...had to reboot. So I just uninstall old cmp and download cmp from cmp site and reinstall...just like a new cplay version?
Explorer was not ok
It really does sound from here as if you are running in XP Mode. Can you quickly double check that you're in cMP Mode and confirm??
just like a new cplay version?
Yes.
Feel free to use PM if you prefer - this might take a while . . .
I have to say that playing from a USB memory stick is sounding very good indeed - most grateful for the tip. The trouble is that it takes two minutes or more to copy over a CD but even then it's worth it for serious listening.
It's definitely worth your persisting and getting to try it.
I am definitely in cmp mode. This will take a while on my side too. I can't pm you from my side since I use gmail now (theobetley@gmail.com) and AA launches the windows email.
I reloaded cmp and I still cant open explore on top of the cmp screen. It justs dumps me out of cmp and I end up at what looks like my desktop but everything is hung up to the extent I have to reboot.
This is a great idea. Will try today and let you know how it works. Its still the wee hours of the morning here and
I have to wait until the better have wakes.
Edits: 01/30/11
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