Backing Up SageTV

[superFLINT]

Hi,

I am going to format my computer as SageTV and many other programs are locking up way too often and I have not done a format in 6 years or more and it is desperately needed...I am wondering if there is a way to back up the channel setup, what I have watched so far and things like that...SageTV is installed on a different hard drive so the install directory will not be deleted when I format, I am wondering if I can just re-install SageTV to the same directory and it will keep all my settings and what I have watched already? If not is there a way that I can backup that information?

Thanks,
Flint.

[panteragstk]

Keep the wiz.bin and that's pretty much it. You can use the export channel lineup tool to copy your channel lineup. It doesn't capture what is and isn't selected, but it works.

I recently built a new server and it went great. All I copied from the old server was the wiz.bin and channel logos and fanart. Other than that let sage create everything from scratch. Using a .properties file from an older install can make strange things happen.

[superFLINT]

Thanks that doesnt sound too bad...Im guessing the channel lineup tool is part of SageTV software...

Does the wiz.bin keep all the shows that I have already watched marked with a "W"? Im a little too dependant on that now, lol...

Thanks again!

[mistergq]

I would recommend using one of the backup scripts and backup the entire sagetv folder.

As to the channel lineup, that is kept in the properties files. My understanding is wiz.bin does keep track of the watched files.

[korben_dallas]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Using a .properties file from an older install can make strange things happen.

^^THIS^^

I've reinstalled SageTV prolly 5 times or so. Honestly now, I just use the "sort by enabled" option for channels and jot them down on paper. It doesn't take that long to re-enable from a fresh lineup. Plus you get all new EPG and fresh channel logos.

[superFLINT]

Thanks for the replies...

One other thing, is there a way to back up the recordings? I want the recordings to keep their original form, recordings of the same show separated into folders under the shows title...I have a feeling that there is no way to do this, once I format and reinstall all recordings will be treated like an imported video and will not get separated by title into folders, is that correct?

Thanks again!

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by superFLINT

Thanks for the replies...

One other thing, is there a way to back up the recordings? I want the recordings to keep their original form, recordings of the same show separated into folders under the shows title...I have a feeling that there is no way to do this, once I format and reinstall all recordings will be treated like an imported video and will not get separated by title into folders, is that correct?

Thanks again!

save your wiz.bin and after you re-install sage, you copy your original wiz.bin over the brand new wiz.bin and it will recognize all of your recordings and they won't be imported videos.

it is sometimes better if your new computer has your recordings in the same place they were before you reformat the OS drive, but it isn't neccessary. what I mean is that if you recordings are on the M: drive, when you rebuild the computer and re-attach the M: drive, make sure that the drive letter the new OS assigns to it is M: . If it isn't, change it to M:. It isn't absolutely neccessary, sage should be able to match up all your recordings even if the drive letter changed, but it can help.

[superFLINT]

Well that did not go as planned!

I backed up the wiz.bin and I also used the backup bat files, I got it all backed up but when I tried to restore Sage it all went bad...If I leave Sage as is after install, no restoring with the backed up files, then I get most of my recordings back in the correct place but I am missing some recordings even though they are on the HDs, weird...If I replace the wiz.bin with my backed up copy then all my recordings are in the correct spot and none are missing plus I get the Watched icons back, but I cannot record any new shows - everytime I goto record a new show it does nothing. Also, restoring the old wiz.bin puts all my old imported videos back in the video section, even though none of the videos exist anymore and none can be played or removed, again weird...

So I guess I am stuck with missing recordings, cant tell what I got watched or not watched and recordings all over the place...Happy New Year!

Sage you need to create a backup tool that will import and export settings/recordings from an old install into a new install...

[SteveD]

Did you retain the original computer name? I just moved from XP to Windows 7x64, I kept the name of the pc. Installed sagetv, got it configured, then copied over wiz.bin from xp install. Everything was in the correct locations. I use UNC paths for recordiing and import directories.

[superFLINT]

Actually I never used the same name, I just hope I remember the old name now, lol...Im gonna give it a try now...

Thanks...

[superFLINT]

Naa that didnt work either...Same thing, everything looks fine but it wont record or play any of my previous recordings - says they are not on disk anymore but they are, lol....

I just discovered something else, the path that I had sage installed on last time was C:\Program Files\FreyTechnologies\SageTV and now I have it installed in C:\Program Files\SageTV...I guess Im gonna have to uninstall and reinstall it again to see what happens cause that is probably the cause...Dang it!

Thanks again...

[jusjoken]

Originally Posted by superFLINT

Naa that didnt work either...Same thing, everything looks fine but it wont record or play any of my previous recordings - says they are not on disk anymore but they are, lol....

I just discovered something else, the path that I had sage installed on last time was C:\Program Files\FreyTechnologies\SageTV and now I have it installed in C:\Program Files\SageTV...I guess Im gonna have to uninstall and reinstall it again to see what happens cause that is probably the cause...Dang it!

Thanks again...

Are you installing the same version of SageTV? The wiz.bin is not generally compatible between sage versions...

k

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by jusjoken

Are you installing the same version of SageTV? The wiz.bin is not generally compatible between sage versions...

k

Moving UP in versions isn't a problem. On first run with the older version wiz.bin in place, sage will make a backup and upgrade it to the current version (will sometimes take a while, so you'll get a LONG startup time that time).

[jusjoken]

If you have not already... you may want to check out this FAQ...

How to move SageTV to a new computer and retain all recordings

k

[superFLINT]

I was worried about that, versions do not like playing with each other...I dont know what version I got backed up, but I do still have the entire directory of the original SageTV install...Just checked it and it says that both are the same version, but I dont believe it for some reason cause its not working right...

I have done it a number of times now and each time I run it for first time it does take awhile to get up and running...

I am gonna have a look at that guide now too...

[superFLINT]

Jusjoken it worked! Well for the most part...

I followed the guide and it got all my recordings back in their right places, but they would not play and I could not set anything to record - it would let me click record but it would not set sage to record and nothing showing on recording schedule...So I was gonna give up on it and reinstall again and just go from fresh but I decided to copy almost all the files from the old SageTV folder into the new install folder and voila it all worked! I can record, play and they are all back in their old places with all my category colors and it shows what I got watched, deadly! But I did forget about 60 odd recordings I had backed up on my portable HD, I am now copying those over and hoping they will go back right too! They did go back to their correct places but 3 or 4 of them ended up back in the imported videos section, Im not gonna worry about those, I will watch them and delete them first to get rid of them as they are not keeper recordings...

Thanks again Jusjoken for the guide info, I would have never got it without that!
Flint.