Off line folders

[stonecherub]

This has probably been answered a dozen times but I can't find any of the answers (or even the discussions).

In February, I upgraded to 5.6.14 and noticed no changes. With the upgrade to 5.6.18, most of the folders in my database are marked off-line. Not all of them, just most. Nothing has changed in my disk structure, no folders were actually moved. Thumbnails are displayed but quick view only functions in some workspaces.

I don't want to have to relocate every off-line folder, I have over 100.

[Mario]

IMatch shows folders as off-line when it cannot find them on disk.
Folder moved/renamed. Disk serial number changed.

I'm not aware of this feature having failed for any reason. If you can successfully relocate the folder and IMatch shows the folder later as on-line again, something definitely has changed on your system. You did not give us much details to work with, e.g. type of drive etc.

[stonecherub]

Mario:

My system boots from a 250 Gb SSD that is reserved for the Win 7 OS and related files. Images are on a mirrored, dynamic pair of Toshiba DT01ACA300 spinning disk drives living under the name "D:/" Two other spinning disks aren't involved.

Microsoft is getting huffy about Win 10 so I have planned to upgrade by installing Win 10 on a spare SSD from a clean install file. I want to keep using Win 7 until I am happy with Win 10. Swapping out SSDs has required resynching D:/ and this may have changed the disk serial number that IMatch sees.

What I don't understand is why some folders are accessible while others are not. By rights, all of them should be off-line. It looks like this is a problem of my own making - story-a-my-life.

[gba1]

I have the same issue.    Suddenly, all images have the yellow triangle indicating off line.  No obvious way to fix it.

I've made no changes in my system, the category setup I use in Imatch is the same one I've used for years, and I never fiddle with default settings--it just creates too many issues.

[gba1]

So I've had time to look at this more carefully.  I updated to the most recent version of photools earlier today.  I did not have problems before today.  Now, all of my photos are marked with a yellow triangle.  That tells me there is something wrong at the system level.  When I go to the database view, and check the url for the main photo folder, I come with a different path, an older path, used on my last computer.  It does not go to the path for the photo folders on this windows 10 computer.    There is probably some easy way to address this; suggestions solicited. 

barry

[Mario]

Path on your old computer...

IMatch stores the physical path of each folder inside the database when the folder is added.  This information is then never changed, except you rename/move or relocate the folder.

Installing a new IMatch version does not change your database. And there is no way IMatch can remember folders from your 'old' PC and restoring them somehow when you install an update.

Are you sure you are using the correct database?
Do you let IMatch open the database automatically or do you open it by hand?

When you say "folders on the old computer", what do you mean by this? Different media serial number? Different drive? Different folder names or locations?

[gba1]

I successfully moved the database from a five year old desktop running windows 7 to a new ENVY HP running windows 10.   When I downloaded the last update, 5.6.18, exiftool 13, I observed that all photos and folders were now off line.   The path on my "old" computer, where I keep all of my photo folders and individual images, was C:\users\main\my pictures\my pictures, and that is the path that appears at the top of the frame.  If that's the path the program is looking for, that explains why it reports being offline.  Currently, all of my photos are found in a path denominated this way:  C:\users\gbafa\my pictures.  I did run the database diagnostics tool and it reports that all is well.  I'm still learning how to use the "new" imatch; can I swear the "offline" status is a recent development?  Probably not.  Do I fully understand what I'm doing?  No.

[jch2103]

Look in the Help for 'Relocate'. It should explain what to do and why.

[Mario]

You need to tell IMatch that you have moved your folders to a new disk / computer via the Relocate command mentioned by jch2103. This command tells IMatch to update the database with the new location of the folders, and with the new disk's serial number. This is a quick process and will bring all your folders back on-line.

Why this is necessary, how to use Relocate etc. is explained in the IMatch help.