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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2020
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OP
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Is there a procedure to install BIAB on a USB drive, so I can alternate between my laptop and desktop?
I have BIAB 2021 Mega and 2017 Ultra - far too much data to fit into my laptop 128 GB disk. I had considered a disk upgrade to 1TB, but it means opening up the laptop case and levering the keyboard off. I can do it, but it takes time and its a bit risky.
So I bought a USB 3.0 1TB drive just for BIAB.
One thing I'm unsure about is how to install BIAB on 2 pcs, but somehow keep the files synced. Also 2021 and 2017 versions seem to have quite different folder layouts - is it better to use the 2021 Download Manager to install 2017 Ultra sets?
EDIT: BIAB 2021 pops up error messages about partially complete Real Tracks, which make no sense. I'm using:
D:/BB
D:/BBData/Drums
D:/BBData/RealTracks
where D: is the external USB drive.
I'm a retired software developer, I have a feeling there is a glitch in the 2021 installer.
It insists on installing loops in D:/BB/RealTracks, instead of D:/BBData/RealTracks that I specified.
What I really need is the PG Music image used for hard drive products, just the option 1 minimal install, to add to my USB 3.0 drive.
Thanks
Paul
Last edited by grandad_paul; 07/29/23 10:39 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2018
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I have BiaB installed on a 2TB Thunderbolt 3 external SSD. I just did a standard install to D:/bb. /Drums and /RealTracks are folders under /bb. As far as keeping work on the desktop and laptop in sync, I'd just use the /Songs folder under D:/bb and move the USB drive between the desktop and the laptop. No need to have a separate install of BiaB on the desktop. Also, I'm just wondering why you felt the need to use /BBData and not just go with the default file structure. It's not like you're trying to use two different drives and splitting BiaB between them. I never liked the default of installing BiaB into the root of my C: drive. Not a problem now that I dumped my 120V desktop and bought a ThinkPad with the standard multi-voltage power brick when I moved to France. I have a 1TB internal SSD, a 2TB external TB3 SSD, and 2 external 2TB USB3.2 SSDs. Now my 17" ThinkPad with a 4K display and the Thunderbolt port extender is all I'll ever need. EDIT: My first professional programming was in 12-bit octal assembler on a PDP-8e (that last one with a wirewrapped motherboard), a 1 MB 14" unsealed HD, an ADM3 terminal, the TED line editor and a 3-pass paper tape assembler. The PDP-8e had 32K of non-volatile core memory and the bootloader had to be manually entered via paddle switches on the front of the CPU box. We've come a LONG way! 
Last edited by TheMaartian; 07/30/23 04:58 AM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra
Bitwig Studio 6; Studio One Pro 7; Melodyne Studio 5; Acoustica Premium 7
Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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As I understand it, the file structure of BIAB was substantially reorganized with version 2018, at the same time the new GUI option became available. There is a Cleanup utility in the menu system that will take an older installation and change everything to the current file organization.
I would think you should use only BIAB 2021 and install a minimal version of each computer. Copy only the RealTracks and RealDrums to the external USB drive. Add any older RealTracks from 2017 that aren't already there. Any copy utility won'ty overwrite a newer file.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Hi,
I did my final year project at uni on a pdp8, using Fortran 4 and an external drive the size of a large pizza box.
I built a Z80 based system as a kit, with 2048 bytes of RAM and 1024 bytes of ROM.
As an apprentice I programmed the Commodore PET with 6502 machine code to talk to the IEEE-488 bus and read a voltmeter for an automated avionics test system.
Yep things have moved on.
I used BBDATA because I knew the Drums and RealTracks would take up 90% of the space and I could reuse that data if I wiped out the BB install.
Thanks for the tips, I'm learning.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Matt,
Thanks for the advice. BIAB 2021 starts ok from the USB 3.0 drive - I'll copy the desktop links.
CleanUp seemed to help, although I got merge errors for content I don't own.
The change in file structure after 2017 explains a lot of the problems I had.
BIAB 2021 Mega installed fine. I hand installed the 2017 Ultra drums and tracks. Not all, mostly rock, country rock, pop, Reggae, blues, metal, punk and New Orleans.
Talking about New Orleans, there's nothing like standing at a corner on Bourbon Street and hearing 4 different bands play. Wild, intoxicating and lawless - I loved it!
EDIT
I'm thinking of new post like "I'm and engineer and can't write lyrics, but..."
CHATgtp4 is amazing.
Last edited by grandad_paul; 07/30/23 05:45 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I first used a mainframe in 1967. For a few decades I taught COBOL. Yes, a few things have changed.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2018
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Matt,
Thanks for the advice. BIAB 2021 starts ok from the USB 3.0 drive - I'll copy the desktop links.
CleanUp seemed to help, although I got merge errors for content I don't own.
The change in file structure after 2017 explains a lot of the problems I had.
BIAB 2021 Mega installed fine. I hand installed the 2017 Ultra drums and tracks. Not all, mostly rock, country rock, pop, Reggae, blues, metal, punk and New Orleans.
Talking about New Orleans, there's nothing like standing at a corner on Bourbon Street and hearing 4 different bands play. Wild, intoxicating and lawless - I loved it!
EDIT
I'm thinking of new post like "I'm and engineer and can't write lyrics, but..."
CHATgtp4 is amazing. I went straight from BiaB 2014 that installed from a floppy to 2021 Ultra. I wiped 2014 before installing 2021, so I never noticed the change in file structure. I just stuck with the defaults. When I moved from a desktop with a massive HD to a laptop, I just installed BiaB on my external TB3 SSD sample drive, still using the default file structure. Back in the '80s, I spent a lot of time in New Orleans. I managed systems engineering for Amoco's SCADA group and had a lot of product installed both on-shore and off. I avoided the name hotel chains on Canal and always stayed at the Bourbon Orleans hotel in the quarter. The Old Absinthe bar was just down the street. It was my favorite hangout. I quickly developed a method for getting one of the few stools at the bar. I'd find a group of tourists who'd arrived early and snagged a stool or two, with the rest standing behind them, all drinking Hurricanes. I'd stand just to the side of one sitting on a stool. Like clockwork. one of the group sitting down would take a drink and just keep on going backward onto the floor, unconscious. I would slide onto his stool before he hit the floor. The group always had to deal with that and never noticed me.  The Old Absinthe always had great live music. One of my favorites was Blind Brian Lee, a blind but excellent guitarist and singer. He would always come up with a cool name for his band. One night, it would be "The Delta Five". The next night, it would be "The Smokin', No Jokin' Band". Sadly, the place turned into a fern bar. The stage and some tables were in the low-roofed building attached to the Old Absinthe House. Here's the original before it was converted into what I remember.  Here's the bar I remember.  And here's a YouTube channel that posts a lot of videos of New Orleans street musicians. I really like Tuba Skinny. RaoulDuke504 YT Channel
Last edited by TheMaartian; 07/30/23 06:16 PM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra
Bitwig Studio 6; Studio One Pro 7; Melodyne Studio 5; Acoustica Premium 7
Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I went straight from BiaB 2014 that installed from a floppy to 2021 Ultra. I wiped 2014 before installing 2021, so I never noticed the change in file structure. I doubt BiaB 2014 came on a floppy disk distribution. My first encounter in the 1990's did, and that was for Atari. Are you sure it was 2014 that used floppy disks?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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That must be a typo, the 2014. It’s been hard drives for decades.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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In 1992 I had the 3 1/2in floppy disk version and had a weekly guitar lesson.
Tuba Skinny is also my favourite N'Orleans band - I found them on You Tube. The girl who plays trumpet and leads the band is also a great blues piano player, with a bit of boogie woogie. If I was younger, well........
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 438
Journeyman
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I went straight from BiaB 2014 that installed from a floppy to 2021 Ultra. I wiped 2014 before installing 2021, so I never noticed the change in file structure. I doubt BiaB 2014 came on a floppy disk distribution. My first encounter in the 1990's did, and that was for Atari. Are you sure it was 2014 that used floppy disks? I picked 2014, but it could have been an earlier version, like 2012, but it was definitely 2012 or later. I built my house in Flagstaff that year, moving in in the Spring of 2013. I acquired BiaB after that. It was the Pro version, or whatever the minimal version was back then. Could have been 2 or more floppies. Definitely not a hard drive. I don't remember if I bought it or if it came with a purchase of something else. I do remember that it also installed a limited version of T-RackS that bugged me so often to buy other components that I uninstalled it. That put me off of IKM for a long time. I didn't buy AmpliTube until v4 and I also now have Syntronik 2. I tried Samplitude 4, but it has to have one of the worst UI's ever. I just did some Google'ing and found images of some BiaB distribution disks on 5.25" floppies. Couldn't tell what year/version they were for. It's also possible that I downloaded BiaB and saved it to floppies myself. That was 10 years ago. The old Sony VIAO desktop I was using then has been in a landfill for at least 8 years. If anyone from PG Music sees this: was BiaB ever distributed on 3.5" floppies? If so, what year(s)?
Last edited by TheMaartian; 07/31/23 06:11 PM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra
Bitwig Studio 6; Studio One Pro 7; Melodyne Studio 5; Acoustica Premium 7
Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The external HD seems to be settling down now:
Cleanup...is essential for some 2017 content. When time began BIAB stored styles in the BB folder, that soon clutters the folder so a new folder Styles was created. Cleanup moves styles from BB to BB/Styles
Rebuilding StylePicker is essential,
TrackPicker option for Show RealTracks that are N/A helps a lot.
Options - What add-ons do I have? gives an overall install definition.
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Can't you simply connect the external drive to your computer and then do the install, specifying the minimal install with all the real tracks on the external?
Then simply repeat the same install on the other computer. It might ask you if you want to overwrite the external.... if you can get around that do it, or simply let it run and go do something else for a few minutes. When you use one of the computers, just plug in the external drive and you're golden.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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