@platypus @Riverman I have abandoned the test that caused VCs i.e. B sharing A’s database and photos and will investigate that later.
Instead I tested the scenario that @Riverman really wants to run, i.e. transferring the database and the photos and “baggage” (DOP etc) on an SSD between two systems.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for DxO nor do I know or understand the working of PL5 beyond what a lot of tests and results have taught me (providing I interpreted the results correctly - of course). I did nothing special with the Cache because there is no way that I could! The tests were reasonably short and sweet so I would suggest that you repeat them with larger quantities of data just to be sure but it appears that what you want to do works O.K.
Test scenario:
- 2 x Win 10 systems my Main machine PL5.1.3 and my Test machine on PL5.1.2
- Re-format an old SSD connected via a Sabrent SATA cable
- On the main system I used Zentimo to configure the SSD to always connect as T:
- Added photos to T
- Opened PL5 navigated to T and configured PL5 to use a database on T:
- Restarted PL5 and checked database open on T, made edits to 1st and last of 5 photos.
- Closed PL5, stopped T in Zentimo and disconnected Sata SSD
- Connected Sata SSD to USB on Test machine
- Set drive to be T: on Test machine with Zentimo
- Opened PL5 and navigated to T: and configured database to be on T:
- Closed and Restarted PL5 and navigated to T:
- Repeated editing on Test then Main a number of times, all edits visible and no VCs.
- Started PL5 on Test while Sata SSD connected to Main and PL5 (on Test) defaulted to the default database location and that was shown in the ‘Preferences’ database location!
Please Note: All edits were to make the photos stand out in the thumbnails not to “improve” their appearanace!!
Essentially it works fine but how you set the fixed T: (or whatever) without Zentimo I do not know and Zentimo is good for forcing the closure of attached devices. It is using features in the operating system so other utilities or the commands in Win10 will be fine (I have been using Zentimo for a long, long time and forgotten how to do it “natively”!). If you are using a MAC then …there will be the equivalent but I do not know what they would be.
The testing was not without incident I had PL5 dump on my Main machine and restarting PL5 said the database was corrupt and it was going to fix it! During the final test of B sharing A’s database and photos I had PL5 open on both machines at the same time (unintentionally at first but every time that PL5 on A (Main) updated DOPs new VCs appeared on B(Test)). So I suspect the dump and corrupt database came from that situation.
After that everything went as @Riverman hoped for a number of disciplined transfers between the two machines!
First and last edited on Main, second and 1st from last edited on Test, T: back on Main machine:-
