Moving Library to External Hard drive?
coryhurst650-2389663
Posts: 0
I have an external hard drive with considerable more memory and my PC is filling up. Can I move my library and it still load and work properly? If not but there is another way (hopefully without complete uninstall reinstall or 'move other things' which I can't do as they are nearly all work related and I need constant access to them but nowhere near as frequent with DAZ) please let me know as I love the program but desperately need more space and DAZ is the largest thing on my PC, moving everything would solve my problems rather easily.
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Yep. That is how I do it. The content folder can be any place. You may need to reset the Database and Re-Import the Metadata once you move it but that would be all if that is all you plan to move.
EDIT: Hard Drive space is not Memory. RAM is memory.
What you are proposing is certainly do-able, although there are a few potential issues involved. Of course, in moving your library you will need to rebuild your content database since DAZ Studio will no longer know where to find things. The other potential issue is related to the external drive's interface and speed. External drives are often 5400 rpm disks as opposed to the 7200 rpm disks used in most PCs, so they tend to have a bit slower access speed. The interface can also make a difference: is it eSATA or USB? Is it USB 2 or USB 3? The data transfer rates vary considerably. All things considered, I wouldn't recommend an external drive as a first option where transfer rates are important, as they are with your content. But, it can be made to work. The ideal solution to your problem IMO would be to add a second internal drive, if that is an option.
Actually External Drives were designed just for things like Content. It will be a noticeable difference in load time for the files I agree. But data only is the proper use of external drives. Things that RUN such as programs or stream such as video for real time use are not what Externals do well.
That Said I prefer a True internal Drive for all use and external for back up use only as temp storage. All external drives have a life that is very short of other drives for the most part, unless you invest big money for a very good one.
Have had my content on an external drive since the beginning. It works great.
I got nothing against externals, But I would not trust my content to a low cost one. I plan to add a good one to my setup in the next month or so. They are built to last. The one I now use for backup files is a Cheap one you can buy in most places. Never had a issue but when it goes they often just go fully. Not sector block by block as the good drives do.
I have had very good results by simply re-purposing my old half TB SATA internal drive from the last time I upgraded hard drives. I think I spent $60-$70 for a case to convert it and then just moved my content over to it. Very simple to do. The drive connector inside the case is designed so that the drive slips right into place. After that you close the case with a few small screws and plug everything in. The data is sent over a USB3 connection and there's an external power connector. I might be a rarity here but this seems a more robust solution than the inexpensive external drives on the market currently. At least I have had better results with it. Maybe because internal drives are designed to be more durable from the beginning?
Well, yes you are right I meant space not memory, sleep deprivation there. So how would I reset the Database and Re-Import the Metadata?
The best way is to simply find your CMS Database folder, turn the CMS off then delete the DataBase folder. Then turn the CMS back on and Re-Import the Metadata. But as long as your Database is not Buggy this will work...
I had some computer problems and its been a few months since I was able to get around to doing this, and I saved up for a higher quality HD but do I need to move the 'My Library' first or copy it first or what exactly?
As a rule of thumb, move should only be used if you are actually moving files from one physical drive or partition to another. The reason for this is that Windows will carry any security settings from the old location to the new if it is within the same physical drive and partition. This can sometimes cause problems. For example, if you moved files to a shared folder on the same drive, thinking that they too would be shared, but they were not originally shared, then they would not be shared in the new location, even though everything else there was . Access denied error messages can result. If moving files within the same drive or partition, copy is the best option since it will not carry the security settings over.
In your case, since you are wanting to place the files on a different physical drive, either move or copy will work fine. Moving My Library will not change the content database, it simply will not be pointing to the proper location any longer, but you need to rebuild your content database anyway, so it is not an issue. If you copy, then the original files will still need to be removed before rebuilding your database. The only reason to use copy might be so you can verify the transfer has completed successfully before blowing away the originals.
OK I've done that successfully rebuilt my database. I have 1 hitch however... My Smart Library shows nothing. How do I fix this?
Are you using the default Valentina database or have you installed PostgreSQL?
I have a similar question about moving libraries, though it isn't exactly the same.
I recently did a new install of Windows 7 on a new hard drive, along with a bunch of significant hardware upgrades (motherboard, memory, cpu, etc). I still have my old hard drive hooked up, and nothing on it has changed. It is physically in the same state as it was on the old computer - I just don't boot from it, so the system files are irrelevant and a lot of the installed programs probably won't run, though the files are all there. On the old drive, my content is all in the default location (C:\Users\Me\My Documents\DAZ 3D\etc.)
I want to reinstall Daz Studio on a third internal hard drive, but I don't want want the content in my documents folder on the primary OS hard drive this time around. If I copy the DAZ 3D folder from my old hard drive, leaving all of the sub-folders and files intact, to the new location that I select when I install Daz Studio now, will I be able to use all of the content? I really don't want to go through and re-download and re-install all of that stuff individually.
How do I know which one I'm using as I have no idea. I'm guessing its the default.
How do I know which one I'm using as I have no idea. I'm guessing its the default.
If you go to Edit>Preferences (Apple menu>Preferences on a Mac) is there a tab partially hidden on the right for CMS Settings? if so you are using PostgreSQL, if not Valentina.
If you go to Edit>Preferences (Apple menu>Preferences on a Mac) is there a tab partially hidden on the right for CMS Settings? if so you are using PostgreSQL, if not Valentina.
Then its the default Valentina database.
This may help with the Valentina database - though, as long as you aren't using Carrara, it's probably a good idea to move to PostgreSQL now.
What might help? moving to PostgreSQL? How do I do that? And what is Carrara (so I know if I'm using it)?
What might help? moving to PostgreSQL? How do I do that? And what is Carrara (so I know if I'm using it)?
http://www.daz3d.com/carrara-8-5
http://www.daz3d.com/carrara-8-5-pro
Sorry, my post was meant to include https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/22523891-Trouble-shooting-the-Smart-Content-Pane
I just moved my library to my external Hard drive and did what you said to do (turn off cms, delete folder, tun on cms, re-import Metadata, reset database) but nothing shows up in my smart content tab still. Where did i go wrong. I am on Daz Studio 4.7 Pro.
Please help me,
sam
Did you reset database before or after re-importing metadata? Re-import should be the last step..
@fixmypcmike, Thank you for telling me that. I kept checking both boxes at the same time, that is what caused my issue. It is fixed now, i have my smart content back, thank you.
Sam
Folks, this thread was of help but I've run into trouble after moving content from C drive to D drive where I should have started it all.
My Smart Content is all there to use, but now the feature no longer works to right click and view this content IN THE DATABASE. How can I have rebuilt my database after searching my entire computer for content have it all be ready to use in smart content but not accesible in the database? I am a rather new user with a poop load of content so type slow if you would. (-,"
Oh, also. How can I ensure NEW CONTENT goes to the D drive, I just don't see a simple way.
Do you use DIM to install your new content?
Searching for content isn't the same as rebuilding the database — there are a lot of things you can do, including uninstalling DAZ|Studio and all your content then reinstalling everything, that will leave the database completely untouched because it isn't stored on your computer in the same place as the program or the content. Did you actually use the database controls in the Content Library tab to export the database before moving, then import the database after moving? That's the proper way to do it. If you don't, then the database will still try to point to the old location of your content.
I just freed up 200 Gig by doing a Symbolic Link ........ MKLINK /J "E:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library" "D:\My Library" to my D Drive.
How do you mean Symbolic? And where did you place the link?
It's an operating system thing - part of it is what gets entered into a Command Prompt window. I would not do this if you don't know how to work at that level in the OS (and anyway, you achieve the same by editing paths in DS and DIM).