DVDpedia - not possible to start application

[malo]

Hi.
I'm using DVDpedia 5.1.3 (just fresh installed via the Appstore on a MacMini running OSX 10.8.2). Every time I try to start DVDpedia I'm getting the same error message (in German): "Die Migration des dauerhaften Speichers ist fehlgeschlagen. Zuweisungsmodell fehlt."

On my 2nd Mac, a MacBook Air, DVDpedia is running without problems. I tried severals things, copy the library from the Air to the Mini, reinstall the App by downloading the dmg file from your website, copying the app file from the Air to the Mini ... without any success.

DVDpedia was running on this computer before, if I remember right an existing version failed after upgrading OSX ??

Any hints would be very helpful.

Thanks and best regards, Martin

[Conor]

It's trying to migrate an old version of the database to the new version of the program. If the version on the computer is very old it would be missing the necessary steps to do that and this error would occur. If your trying to install an empty brand new copy you can remove the database folder from ~/Library/Application Support/DVDpedia, when you relaunch the program it would then start a new database without migrating the old version.

However you say you copied the data from a MacMini, so there should be no need to upgrade the database as the same version is running there and using that database file.

Could be that the preferences on the Mac say to open another database file, remove the DVDpedia preference file so that the database is loaded from the default location at ~/Library/Application Support/DVDpedia. You will find the database file in ~/Library/Preferences/com.bruji.dvdpedia, delete without DVDpedia running.

If that fails, do please send me the database.dvdpd file in question that it can't migrate and I can test it here.

[pbGuy]

I'm using DVDpedia v5.3.1 (purchased directly from Bruji) under Mac OS X 10.10, and I've self-inflicted some corruption somewhere whereby I can no longer activate DVDpedia (it just bounces in the Dock, and I must Force Quit in order to stop the attempted loading).

I attempted deleting the Preferences plist file (leaving the plist lockfile in situ), but upon initiating DVDpedia, it simply bounces in the Dock. Finder shows it not responding; so I can only Force Quit. ...Upon revisiting my Preferences folder, I do not see a regenerated, "com.bruji.dvdpedia.plist" file. Is this what's keeping the app from opening to the default, database location on my Mac?

I have been previously, without any real issues, syncing my desktop DVDpedia with my iOS devices via Dropbox. My iOS devices (iPhone 6 & iPad Air 2) are now running v8.1. Yesterday (11/9) when I opened DVDpedia on my iPad, I found all the Album Covers were missing. ...After reading the procedure to reintroduce the covers (not very closely), I incorrectly did something that has now caused my issue.

As I've been using Dropbox, all my current DVDpedia files, except my Backup zip file, are in Dropbox; and since I can not open my desktop DVDpedia app, I do not know the procedure to essentially re-install my Backup database. [My DVDpedia Backup.zip file, I believe to a good one as it precedes my foolishness from yesterday, is located in my Application Support - DVDpedia folder on my Mac.]

Also when I look at my Dropbox DVDpedia folder, I now see a "database.dvdpd.migrationdestination_xxxx" file I don't recall previously seeing. Also, the "Database.dvdpd" file (in Dropbox) has a Modified Date I believe to now be corrupted. Anyway, I'm stuck as to what is the correct procedure to undue my self-inflicted problem.

Please outline how to proceed. Thank you.

[Conor]

Does sound like DVDpedia is getting confused and seeing the database as needed some sort of migration and hence why the migration file appears.

Since you have removed the preference file for DVDpedia the data folder file is now the one in Application Support. The most important file is the "Database.dvdpd" file that contains all the information and the one that you want to restore. Before heading back to your backup.zip file I would take advantage of the backup in Dropbox.

Remove the "Database.dvdpd.migrationdestination_xxxx" file as well as any "Database.dvdpd-wal" or "Database.dvdpd-shm" files. Then with Dropbox you can ask for earlier versions of "database.dvdpd" file to restore to a few days back when you knew DVDpedia was launching. To have DVDpedia look at the Dropbox location again, launch the program while holding down the option (alt) key and you will get a window where you can then select the data location. Select the "Database.dvdpd" that was restored from Dropbox.

If that fails, you can unzip your "My DVDpedia Backup.zip" file and retrieve the "Database.dvdpd" file from the backup and put that in place either in Dropbox or in the default data folder location without DVDpedia running. In this case always launch while holding down the option key and selecting the data folder, that way there is no confusion as to what location DVDpedia is trying to read.

That should get you back up and running. If not, please email me the "Database.dvdpd" files that should be okay and I can test them here and get any issues sorted out.

[pbGuy]

Followed your clear instructions, and I was able to point the desktop app to the "Database.dvdpd" file on my Mac and get the desktop app running. So, I didn't have to resort to the backup.zip file.

FYI, I did remove the "Database.dvdpd.migrationdestination_xxxx" file as well as a "Database.dvdpd-shm" file from the Dropbox DVDpedia folder. There was no "Database.dvdpd-wal" file present.

Once everything was up and running, I then followed your instructions in another thread about downloading the Album Covers to my iOS devices.

All is well that ends well.

If I may make one suggestion regarding Bruji's DVDpedia Help... I don't see any step-by-step instructions about how to do a restore from the Backup.zip file. (If I've just missed it, please point me there.) While my issue was easily resolved with your help, it's got me thinking about how would I do a restore if need be.

Thank you. Cheers.

[Conor]

So glad to hear all the steps worked correctly. Some of the files I mentioned should not exist like the "-wal" file as DVDpedia asks the Finder not to create them, but under Mavericks there was a bug where it would still create them nonetheless. So I mentioned them to be on the safe side.

We used to have a knowledge base with a lot of information including the restore steps, but are in the process of revamping it, so it's not currently online .But your right that something like this should be included with the regular help. I'll tell Nora to add it to her todo for the next help update. Although most people now a days are using TimeMachine (or similar, but online, backup) so the built in backup method is becoming obsolete quickly.

[pbGuy]

One last thought to go along with the request for restore steps... It would also be helpful to know what files are to be expected in what folders and where those folders are located. There's such a difference between what's in one's ~Library/Application Support/DVDpedia folder & what's found in the Dropbox DVDpedia folder, I was very unsure about how to self-start my resolution. I wanted to use my TM backup, but didn't know what to restore. ...Fortunately, it was easy enough to find out in this Forum.

Thanks again.