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Forum: VirtualDJ Technical Support

Topic: Search for Missing Files - Page: 1
Is there an easy way to get VDJ to search the database and identify which files are missing without having to load them onto a deck or hit prelisten???

I've just spent days reorganising everything, and now there are a huge number of duplicate entries, missing files, incorrect format versions etc scattered throughout the database, and the only way I know which are the wrong ones is when I try to play them.
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 5:58 pm
locodogPRO InfinityModeratorMember since 2013
make a filter folder

Exists = 0

that will give you a list of missing files.
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 6:02 pm
Nope... it only finds them after I've tried to access the files.

I need some way of polling each file in the DB so it triggers the "file not found" detector. Wondering if exporting a CDJ playlist for *every file* would do the job, but that's gonna take a while!!!
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 6:06 pm
locodogPRO InfinityModeratorMember since 2013
oh right, put everything into a playlist.
It will then ID that the file is not at the expected location.
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 6:28 pm
Ah... that's getting closer. Thanks. It only found a few files though (31, when I was expecting about 1000) so either I was better at tidying up as I went along or it's missing a few.

I'll try a few things and update this thread if I work out what's going on. Cheers.
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 6:37 pm
locodogPRO InfinityModeratorMember since 2013
just edited previous post
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 6:38 pm
Still not working. Things I've tried...

- Recursing the music folder
- Creating a playlist with every file in it
- Selecting the whole database and saying "Reload Tags" from the batch menu

There has to be a way to find *all* missing files and remove them from the Search Database, right?
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 11:37 pm
NicotuxHome userMember since 2014
what is fun is "remove missing files" is working but only with currently connected devices
all files stored in external drives (and online) are not taken in consideration and stay in database
 

geposted Sat 18 Sep 21 @ 11:46 pm
I can't be the only person who has had to re-categorise and re-structure their track collection some years after first starting. My library is pretty small by most DJ's standards, but this last week I have gone through about 3000 files and moved them, converted them to a new file format, renamed them, retagged them, and built new collections around them... and I still have another 2000 to go through. And all that means that my VDJ "database" now has countless orphaned track entries in it for files that no longer exist. And the only way to find them is to load them onto a deck! Which will be great fun when DJing live and half my playlists have gone missing.

I'm trying to come up with complex filter folders that can find (for example) "Comments contains #neotango AND file_path doesn't contain /Radio AND filename ends with .m4a" and trying to track down the missing ones like that (and repeat for about 75 other combinations), but *surely* there has to be an easier way!

I'll grant you that my particular reason for doing this is a bit obscure (I wanted to find a tagging method for my tracks that would work both on VDJ and a broadcast system called Radio DJ so I didn't have to tag everything twice), but surely others have had similar or related issues??

Radio DJ has a "Verify Tracks" button. You click it and it scans the database and checks that all the files still exist. Surely it can't be impossible for VDJ to have the same???
 

geposted Sun 19 Sep 21 @ 1:54 pm
AdionPRO InfinityCTOMember since 2006
 

geposted Sun 19 Sep 21 @ 2:34 pm
Nicotux wrote :
what is fun is "remove missing files" is working but only with currently connected devices
all files stored in external drives (and online) are not taken in consideration and stay in database


All files stored on external hard drive‘s should be stored In a separate database file located in virtual DJ folder at the root level of that specific hard drive.
It should show up on your main hard drive
Also Library tools should I have an option to remove missing files from the Database is that it compare
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 12:01 am
NicotuxHome userMember since 2014
Good point ^^
I didn't realize this

so that how can main database contains path coming from other computers and other locations
(I really know these files really exist in external disks and other computers)
but does and appear as missing but not in search and does not clear from db
"C:\Users\User\Videos..." is the only one really on this machine
"C:\Users\Packard-Bell..." is from another computer (previous one)
disk D: may be an external USB key used for transferts
E: are various external devices I may have connected

<Song FilePath="D:\Karaoké\Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - La Décadanse (Duo) (Karaoké).mp4" FileSize="9216466" Flag="16">
<Song FilePath="C:\Users\Packard-Bell\music\Lindsey Stirling - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.mp4" FileSize="85060024" Flag="16">
<Song FilePath="C:\Users\User\Videos\Eruption - One Way Ticket.mp4" FileSize="24122595" Flag="64">
<Song FilePath="E:\MUSIQUE & KARAOKE\Björk - Stonemilker.mp4" FileSize="69583712" Flag="16">
<Song FilePath="E:\CDG\__UNSORTED__\FRANCAIS\Kate_Ryan_-_Ella_Elle_L'a_(IZ).zip" FileSize="3001319" Flag="16">
<Song FilePath="E:\COLLECTION KARAOKE\KARAOKE RUSSE\КАРАОКЕ - Белые розы.mp4" FileSize="27986645" Flag="16">
<Song FilePath="X:\Music\!DJ Music\Club CDs\Club CD 159\Benny Benassi - Whos Your Daddy.mp3" FileSize="5150524" Flag="16">

May be remain from old database before all disks have their own one ^^
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 12:35 am
AdionPRO InfinityCTOMember since 2006
If the disk cannot be written to it will be saved on the main database.
Either way remove missing files checks and removes them if they don't exist.
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 4:36 am
NicotuxHome userMember since 2014
OK, sometimes there are some situations where database can't be read/writen from external drives
(restart after crash, disconnect, ...) but main database can. In these case main database is the final destination

This explain why once external database is writable again some files can appear in double with multiple "first seen" date,
specially when mount drive letter changes the files appear both existing and not existing
relocating missing fix internal and keep external as is
removing missing do not remove them because they are not from main disk
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 5:04 am
Adion wrote :
If the disk cannot be written to it will be saved on the main database.
Either way remove missing files checks and removes them if they don't exist.


And when it doesn't?

That "Remove missing files" option only works if a file has already been flagged as missing (i.e. has a big red X on it). It does nothing if the DB has not already tried and failed to load the track.

- Add a new track to the database
- Load it and play it
- Open a different folder in VDJ and load new tracks on the decks
- Go into Widows Explorer / Macos Finder and rename or delete the new track
- Go back to VDJ and create a filter with "Exists = 0"
- The file you just deleted will *not* be in it.

I know the theory is that you should do all file operations inside VDJ and that way it keeps track of the changes, but without getting me to explain (it'll take hours) just accept that 1. I tried, but in my use-case that was not possible for the majority of tracks as some necessary functions were not available; 2. even for the few tracks where I could use that method, it didn't work anyway and the links are still orphaned.
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 8:05 am
AdionPRO InfinityCTOMember since 2006
Quote :
That "Remove missing files" option only works if a file has already been flagged as missing (i.e. has a big red X on it). It does nothing if the DB has not already tried and failed to load the track.

No, the 'remove missing files' option actually checks if the file exists.

- Add a new track to the database
- Load it and play it
- Open a different folder in VDJ and load new tracks on the decks
- Go into Widows Explorer / Macos Finder and rename or delete the new track
- Go back to VDJ
-Use the 'remove missing files' option
-Search for the deleted track

Did you try this?
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 8:32 am
Adion wrote :
[quote]Did you try this?


Yes. Several times. Starting to wonder if this is one of those features that only works on Win (like the drive exclude option) and doesn't behave as expected (i.e. does nothing) on Mac.
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 9:18 am
AdionPRO InfinityCTOMember since 2006
Just tried on mac, and works fine here.

-make copy of a file and give it a specific name
-open vdj, load file to deck, works fine
-exit vdj, rename file
-open vdj, when searching it still finds the original file and not marked missing as expected
-run database->remove missing files
-search again, the file is no longer found
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 9:33 am
Adion wrote :
Just tried on mac, and works fine here.

-make copy of a file and give it a specific name
-open vdj, load file to deck, works fine
-exit vdj, rename file
-open vdj, when searching it still finds the original file and not marked missing as expected
-run database->remove missing files
-search again, the file is no longer found


Right. This is weird. Definitely not working here like that. This evening I'll restart everything and try again.

Many thanks for checking on your system.
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 10:20 am
NicotuxHome userMember since 2014
Got a similar not working situation
Reason : VDJ silently crashed and restarted silently using database in "read only some infos" mode (i.e.: "first seen" is set to current time) but missing files are still present - not a fully new RO database
Of course removing missing didn't write to database and missing still present after restart
 

geposted Mon 20 Sep 21 @ 10:55 am
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