How to tell MUSIC app to rescan the library?

milosz

New Member
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4
Location
Chicago
I have 60,000 music tracks (5,000 CDs) stored on a Windows 7 machine that I use as a home server. I have mapped the folder where these are all stored as Z:\ drive on my Windows 8.1 (32 bit) tablet.

I tried using WMP as my music library player, but after 3 days of scanning the collection, the computer crashed because WMP had filled the C: drive with album-cover artwork, and STILL wasn't done scanning everything.

I read that the Win 8.1 MUSIC (the app formerly known as Zune I guess) app 'handles large collections' so I told it to look at my mapped dive Z:\ for music but it's not looking, not finding anything. NOTHING is showing in the library. Opening Z:\ in Exlorer, I can see all the subfolders and the music therein, but the MUSIC app is not bothering to look.

I've read that using a network share to store tracks for MUSIC requires that the folder with the tracks be mapped as a drive and that it be included in the Windows Search indexing schema. As far as I can tell, only Windows 8.1 PRO allows indexing of network files, and I just have 8.1 standard.

Anyway- is there some command to tell the MUSIC app to RESCAN it's music storage locations?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 32
First of all: Using WMP for music collections is a bad Idea. It's ui is rubbish. But what's more it also messes up the media folders. It creats thounsands of cryptically named copies of the albums art files, it stores them hidden and marks them as system files and in some cases it even converts a ordinary folder.jpg file into a hidden system file. Get some decent media player like Winamp, Media Monkey or even VLC player.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update 1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self built
    CPU
    AMD FX-8350
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 Rev. 3
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Zotac GTX 770 Amp 2 GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    GDATA Internet Security
First of all: Using WMP for music collections is a bad Idea. It's ui is rubbish. But what's more it also messes up the media folders. It creats thounsands of cryptically named copies of the albums art files, it stores them hidden and marks them as system files and in some cases it even converts a ordinary folder.jpg file into a hidden system file. Get some decent media player like Winamp, Media Monkey or even VLC player.

Right. But I'm not talking about WMP. I'm talking about the Windows 8.1 app called "Music" which used to be called Zune Music I think. It's not WMP, it's different and has a more "metro" UI than WMP

Winamp, Media Monkey and current versions of VLC are all OK but their GUI is designed for a mouse, it's not "metro." There is a metero-like skin for Winamp but it's still too tiny to operate on an 8 inch tablet. The new Windows 8.1 specific port of VLC does have a very nice Metro UI but it's in beta and doesn't yet work well as far as I can tell.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 32
Just a suggestion: I would use XBMC (or Kodi as it will be called starting the next version). It installs on almost any platform and is highly flexible and customizable, its default skin is already easy to use with touch screens but it even has downloadable touch friendly skins.

Download: Downloads | Kodi
Re-Touched, an XBMC skin desigened for touch screens: Add-on:Re-Touched - Kodi

XBMC (Kodi) handles network libraries extremely well.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
XBMC is actually a very good Idea if you want to use it on touchscreen. Why haven't I thought of that myself? There are very good skins for a touch ui available and it's management of large libraries is far better than WMP or the Music app. What's more it's free and open source.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update 1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self built
    CPU
    AMD FX-8350
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 Rev. 3
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Zotac GTX 770 Amp 2 GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    GDATA Internet Security
I've never liked WMP. It does work, but the UI is generally inconsistent and not a shining example of usability. And in terms of managing a large library, it's hopeless.

From what I've read, the Windows 8.1 "Music" app- formerly known as Zune Music I guess- is better with large libraries and has a nice Metro GUI, but when I've tried to use it it keeps trying to sell me copies of music from the Microsoft Store that I already own and have in my library.... irritating.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 32
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