Copying music files from one B2 to another

[craig stanich]

Hi everyone. I am purchasing a second B2 and need step by step instructions on how to copy my music files from my original B2 to the new one. I'm a techno dork so keeping it as straight forward as possible would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Craig

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Craig,

I am sure that everyone will agree with me that the best way to do this is to make a complete backup (using "Export to USB A or C") of your music, which as a B2 owner you will have on a shelf n a safe place already wont you!!

Then, when you get your new B2 simply "Import USB A or C" using this backup. This operation will end up with both B2s having the same content.

IF you have not got a backup then you need to get a GOOD quality (ie not eBay) USB stick or disk (I used a SSD), large enough to hold your music. Note for the B2 to use this USB device, you must first format it using the B2 to do this (there are menu utilities for this) as the B2 can only use FAT32 formatted disks.

Fred

[craig stanich]

Thanks Fred. I will give it a try,

Craig

[Mark Fishman]

adding a little detail to Fred's instructions:

(1) Obtain an external HD of 2TB or less in size. NO LARGER! It needs to be formatted as FAT32, and 2TB is the largest size supported for that.

(2a) connect it to your B2 USB A jack. (A supplies more power than C)

    (2b) IF YOU HAVE NOT USED THIS DRIVE PREVIOUSLY, the B2 can Format it to have the required FAT32 format. Formatting will delete all existing contents of the drive, so ONLY do this if the drive has nothing on it tht you wish to keep. DO NOT USE "FORMAT HDD" -- that is forthe B2's internal drive. Assuming you have connected your external drive to USB A as I suggested above AND you need to format it (first time use):

    Menu -> Settings -> Maintenance -> Format USB A

(3) Export your music collection from the B2 to the external drive:

    Menu -> USB Functions -> Export to A

It is best not to try getting the B2 to do anything else while the format or export are in progress. Once you have your music on the external drive, putting it onto another B2 is a matter of using the "Import from" menu item on the new B2.

[craig stanich]

Thanks Mark.This was very helpful.

Craig

[craig stanich]

Hi Mark. I think I successfully backed up my old B2 to a Sandisk ultra USB 3.0 512GB memory stick. When I plug it in the new B2 USB C it says no usb device. Help

[Daniel Taylor]

Craig,

When  a B2 says something to the effect of no USB device, it usually means the disk is not formatted as FAT32.

Plug your USB backup memory stick into your computer.  Check its Properties that it is formatted as FAT32 (only that, nothing else).  Look at the directory structure.  In the root should be a folder named "b2Export" - then within that should be a folder named 'music' - then within that should be all your Artist folders, each artist folder containing all the albums for that artist.  If you don't see that, then your Export (backup) did not succeed.

Let us know what you find, and we'll go on from there.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Craig,

You might have purchased a memory stick which is fake; if you bought it off Amazon or eBay then there is a high chance that this is the case.  These sites are awash with these bad devices.

If the memory stick was formatted 'FAT32' when you started the 'Export' then this is likely to be a fake stick.

You can test the stick by downloading a free app called 'h2testw' from the web; this is a small program that does a great job testing memory sticks.

Here is a link to a thread which describes the situation.

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/brennanb2/1BakkcoHSQQ/sXqO8ZJkBgAJ

Regards,

Peter.

[craig stanich]

I bought the stick at Best Buy. Pretty sure its genuine. I plugged it in the back of my Mac. What next?

[Mark Fishman]

Did the Mac mount the USB stick? If it shows up on the desktop, then as Daniel suggested, "Look at the directory structure.  In the root should be a folder named "b2Export" - then within that should be a folder named 'music' - then within that should be all your Artist folders, each artist folder containing all the albums for that artist.  If you don't see that, then your Export (backup) did not succeed."

Since the B2 will read/write to a drive/stick only if it is formatted as FAT32 with an MS-DOS style of partition table, if you see that structure then it had the correct format. If you DO NOT see that structure, then we need to explore a little further.

[craig stanich]

Compounding this is I just switched to an Apple computer. The stick seemed to plug in fine but I can't find it via finder or launchpad.

[Mark Fishman]

  Open Disk Utility (it's under Applications/Utilities). Does it show up there at all?  

[craig stanich]

Where is applications/utilities?

[Mark Fishman]

open a Finder window. On the menu bar at the top of the screen, open the "Go" menu. Select Utilities.

or Select Applications and Utilities is a folder within Applications.

How long have you been using the Mac? and what did you use previously? Maybe we can describe things in a way that is both familiar and more exact if we know how comfortable you are with your computer.

[craig stanich]

I got to disks/utilities but nothing there.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Lets rewind - i have been looking at the flow of this thread.

You have a respectably sourced  Sandisk ultra USB 3.0 512GB memory stick.

One old B2 with music on

One new B2 that you want to duplicate that music to.

Your  Sandisk ultra USB 3.0 512GB memory stick seem to be invisible to your new B2 and to you Mac PC.

However, you think your "Exported" a backup to it on your OLD B2 OK.

----------------------------------------------------------------

OK

1) Plug the USB back into the OLD B2 - does the OLB B2 detect its presence? If NOT then you probable did not make the backup you think you did - either the USB stick is faulty, fake or not FAT32 formatted (I Take it you did get your OLD B2

to format the USB stick before you exported to it ?).

2) if the OLD B2 can see it OK, then if you have one to hand and are prepared to erase its contents - please insert a new, different USB stick (of any size leas than 2TB) into your NEW B2 and run the "Format USB A" on it (NOTE this will destroy any data that was on it permanently!!). If this works and the NEW (and OLD if you want to try) B2 can see this USB after a reboot, then the NEW B2's USB port is working OK.

Come back to us after these tests.

Fred

[craig stanich]

I did reformat the USB on the old B2.The old B2 displays no USB device from both A and C. The new B2 displays no USB device from both A and C.I'll have to buy another memory stick tomorrow, 

Guess my $70.00 for the USB memory stick is down the toilet?

[craig stanich]

Not sure if this is related bur I appear to have a bad dongle. One finds my network on both B2's and the other one can't find a network on either B2.

 What is a good replacement that will work?

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hmm!

I do not know where you live, but in the UK our laws would enable you to get a full refund - you are not expected to accept a faulty (or fake) product.

If the place you purchased it IS indeed reputable why not take it back and point out it is faulty and ask for a replacement? never hurts to try!

Fred.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

If it is the new B2's dongle and you B2 is in warranty then Brennan will replace the dongle (contact Paul from Brennan on this Forum)

if not then look at this Brennan page (where dongle advice is given).

https://www.brennan.co.uk/itemcontent.php/content/Troubleshooting

Fred

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Craig,

Given that you purchased the memory stick from Best Buy, you can take the stick back to them and ask the Technical Counter to test it for you, which I'm they will gladly do.  While they are testing it, ask them which format it is using.

 For a newly bought stick that will be either 'NTFS' or 'exFAT'.

If it is still one of these formats, then the 'Format USB C' (or 'Format USB A' whichever USB port that you used) did not succeed and this will be why your stick cannot yet be read by the B2.

If the stick is formatted 'FAT32' then there is another problem to examine.

If the stick cannot be read by the Best Buy guys, then the stick is faulty and Best Buy will replace it with a new one.  If this is the case, ask Best Buy if they can format it as 'FAT32' while you are there.

On the query of the WiFi dongle, it does sound as though one of them if faulty.

Let us know how you get on.

Regards,

Peter. 

[Mark Fishman]

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 9:49:08 AM UTC-4 peter....@gmail.com wrote:

Hi Craig,

Given that you purchased the memory stick from Best Buy, you can take the stick back to them and ask the Technical Counter to test it for you, which I'm they will gladly do.  While they are testing it, ask them which format it is using.

For a newly bought stick that will be either 'NTFS' or 'exFAT'.

If it is still one of these formats, then the 'Format USB C' (or 'Format USB A' whichever USB port that you used) did not succeed and this will be why your stick cannot yet be read by the B2.

It does not explain why the Mac doesn't acknowledge its presence, though. macOS can read (but not write) NTFS; it can both read and write exFAT.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

If the Mac doesn't acknowledge the memory stick then I would reckon that the stick is faulty.  I'm now just back from a store where I bought a 64GB stick.  I plugged this stick straight into my Mac and it showed up straight away on my desktop (without doing anything else), and 'Finder' -->' Get Info' shows it as 'ExFAT' formatted (which is what I expected), so Craig's stick could well be faulty.

Regards,

Peter

[PMB]

Hi Craig,

If you need to buy a new WiFi dongle it must have the RT5370 chipset onboard to work with the B2. Here is an example from Amazon UK - link - I'm sure Amazon USA will have similar ones.

The antenna greatly increases the received WiFi signal. On the one in the link the antenna can be positioned vertically (I've heard that a 45 degree angle is best) when the dongle is plugged into the B2 - some don't.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[craig stanich]

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the help. After getting a refund for the flash drive I went to a Sandisk portable SSD. All of my devices recognized it and the export from.the original B2 to the back up and import from the back up to the new B2 worked. The only issue I noticed was the original B2 showed 353 CD's in Memory and the new B2 Shows 350 CD's after importing from the storage device. Not the end of the world but strange. Any ides?

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Craig,

I am delighted that you have made progress (and even better got a REFUND!).

As for the discrepancy in CD numbers, I will leave it to Peter to puzzle that one out - he is the backup guru on this forum ;-)

Fred

[craig stanich]

Looks like I spoke too soon. The new B2 is playing but I am getting very low output. I have tried it with two amps and have the same problem. Any ideas?

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Craig,

What do you mean by "very low output" ? Please explain your setup and if you place your new B2 in place of your original does the problem move with it? 

Is the graphic equalizer off?

Fred

[craig stanich]

Hi Fred. Had to go to settings/jack sense and adjust output to preference. Finally got everything working as I want it. What an effort!

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Good! Just think of it a learning your way round a B2 :-))

Fred

[PMB]

Hi All,

I did a quick search for 2TB USB memory sticks for another enquiry and there are many being sold on Amazon and eBay for anywhere between £25 and £50. This must be fakes - too cheap....

Paul

Brennan Support.