Move database without losing the PlayCount

[SolihullRog]

I find reasons to change my setup about twice a year.
I've has Mezzmo for 3 years, so I've probably changed things 6 times.
My most important piece of metadata is the PlayCount against movies - particularly TV series.
I have never successfully changed my system without losing its values.

I'm getting lots of non-zero entries in the field, and I wanted to move my Mezzmo database - called 'Mezzmo'. So I recently I made a serious attempt to retain the PlayCount.

Using Mezzmo I checked the location of the database.
I copied it to its new location. The process took about 45 minutes.
I knew of a tutorial describing how to do the move, and I then went to view it.
PROBLEM: The process to move the database insists that changing the location setting, in Tools/Options, demands that it also copies the database from its current location to the new one.
I couldn't see a way of changing the parameter without copying the database.
But I'd already waited for 45 minutes while Windows did it.
**** Suggest that the tutorial should describe how to avoid this ****
So I devised a workaround.
In my new location, I renamed the database as 'Mezzmo Temp'.
I created a new empty folder called 'Mezzmo'.
I deleted the contents of my currently-used database (Folder 'Mezzmo' in my 'old' location).
I pointed Mezzmo at the new 'Mezzmo' database - thus copying the 'current (empty) database into the new 'Mezzmo' folder.
I then moved the contents of 'Mezzmo Temp' into the new 'Mezzmo' folder. So Mezzmo was pointing at my full, correct database.
I went to the TV and, lo and behold, the media was displayed correctly.
The Display Titles were as per my required, modified parameters. But
PROBLEM: **** All of my Playcounts were zero :((( ****
Can you explain what might have caused it, and whether there's any chance of getting them back?
(Stupidly I deleted my only database backup during this process, so my hopes aren't high.

[Peter]

The database contains paths to files like posters and backdrops that are stored in the database folder so manually copying the database in this case will not work correctly and you will need to move the database using the field in Tools\Options so that Mezzmo can update these paths. The playcount only depends upon the file path of the video so if this does not change then Mezzmo should be able to maintain the playcount when the database is moved. If the path to the files changes then Mezzmo will create a new entry in the database for the file and the playcount will be 0. You can update the database if you move your files using Maintenance tools to search and replace paths in the file path so that the metadata is retained.

[SolihullRog]

Thanks Peter,
It would be wonderful if this very informative, and very non-intuitive information were included, and very prominent, at the beginning of the tutorial.
Also, during the process of moving the database, the user is asked to confirm that he wants to copy it to the new location. The options are Yes, No, and Cancel. I couldn't identify the difference between No and Cancel.

[Peter]

If you choose Cancel the path is not changed, if you choose no then the path is changed but the files are not copied.