Restore selected files from backup? 2.5k selected files.

September 1, 2005 12:02 AM

A while back I corrupted my MP3 collection, subtly at a really low level. I have a backup library, but it's old and contains lots of files I don't want in my main collection. Help.

I'll try to explain. I made a complete backup copy of my MP3 library. Time passes, tracks I don't like so much are removed. A lot of tracks. Then I tried to install two IDE hard drives on the one channel. (I know, I know.) The "master" drive was randomly corrupted while formatting the "slave". The corruptions are incredibly small, many MP3s are unscathed. Some that have been corrupted are not noticable, but enough do pop and squeek while playing for me to want to fix them once and for all. I need some easy way of copying only existing library files from the backup, as I don't want to have to clean out the tracks I don't like all over again.

This is on Windows and I use MusicMatch for my library program and iPod uploader. Does anyone have any suggestions for tools or techniques that might make this easier than manually creating a batch file from a directory listing? I have plenty of room to make multiple working copies of the entire library and/or backup during the restore process.

posted by krisjohn to computers & internet (7 comments total)

So you have two lists, one big, and one small, right?
So you have two repositories, one big (ok), and one small (corrupt), right?

And the small list is the list you want to copy from the large repository.

Sounds pretty easy to script into a .bat file, assuming they all are in a single directory.
posted by Kickstart70 at 12:18 AM on September 1, 2005

Beyond Compare is an incredibly powerful tool for this sort of thing. Go to Tools->Options->Sync Options and set it up to do the copy you want, then press Sync and you're done.
posted by fuzz at 12:38 AM on September 1, 2005

Kickstart70: It's not a single directory, it's about 1,000, but they are all in one area (and the libaray and backup use the same directory structure). This is why a batch file is plausible, but complicated.

fuzz: Thanks, will try that program this weekend ^_^
posted by krisjohn at 12:43 AM on September 1, 2005

Thanks fuzz, it's doing exactly what I want right now.
posted by krisjohn at 4:36 AM on September 1, 2005

you may want to look at free treecomp. I use that often to keep my mp3 and other file collections in sync
posted by flyby22 at 6:59 AM on September 1, 2005

Assuming 2 folders c:\oldfiles and c:\newcorruptfiles:
Click Start --> Run
Type "Cmd" [Return]
Type "c:" [Return]
Type "cd \newcorruptfiles" [Return]
Type "for %a in (*.*) do copy c:\oldfiles\%a ." [Return]

On preview... Multiple Folders. DagNabit.
posted by seanyboy at 9:57 AM on September 1, 2005

Thanks seanyboy. BTW, that would ask for confirmation to replace every single one. You need a "/Y" (or possibly "/yes") at the end ^_^.

Anyway, all done now.
posted by krisjohn at 4:57 PM on September 1, 2005