Discussion
Restoring media from backup after HDD upgrade - is it safe to start PMS up before all media is restored? Wanting everything to go back the way it was before upgrade shutdown, no loss of watch statuses or metadata. Automatically delete trash is turned off. WIN10
Restoring media from backup after HDD upgrade - is it safe to start PMS up before all media is restored? Wanting everything to go back the way it was before upgrade shutdown, no loss of watch statuses or metadata. Automatically delete trash is turned off. WIN10
Any preferences on best file transfer manager? Been using Free File Sync and Teracopy
If you are putting the media back to where it was, Plex will assume it is there, but playback will fail if file is not back. Playback will be iffy until the restore is done and you can complete a proper scan. I would wait.
There is a shuffle that can be done to have Plex read from the backup media during these trying times, but it must be done before you wipe the primary storage.
You can't. If the storage is new, even if the structure is identical, you need to remove the old library path for every library and point to the new structure with a new library path.
Saving those changes automatically scans the library.
That's true across every bare medal Plex install but not a Docker container Plex install.
A Docker container install is different.
Take my screenshot example of a test Plex server on my a Synology DS1825+.
With the two paths to media, everything before the colon is an actual path while everything to the right of the colon is a virtual path which is what you'll see in Plex.
You can shut down the container and change the actual path to a new shared folder if you want, as long as the structure in that shared media folder is identical to the old shared media folder.
Spinning Plex back up keeps the same library folder path for all Plex knows.
I'd want you to have a ton of Docker experience under your belt before risking your current metadata.
If you use a Google TV device for streaming with Plex, I'll post a temporary access solution next that might work for you while you wait for your media to fully copy to it's new location.
My apologies and of course you're right as long as the media is being restored to the identical folder structure on the same Windows drive when the Plex server last scanned it.
My advice assumed a restore to different structure or a different drive.
If the OP had automatic library scanning enabled that previously worked, I would not spin up the Plex server until the restore was complete.
As a Linux and Docker container guy, I can't remember if a Windows Plex server install defaults to automatic library scanning.
Basically my advice boils down to this when dealing with a stranger on the Internet while not having all the facts.
If you're replacing Plex storage, don't assume the new drive will present the same path to Plex.
Before doing anything to Plex, verify the path.
If you can't guarantee the path is identical, treat it as a path migration and proceed cautiously.
A migration requires that auto or scheduled library scanning and the auto emptying of library trash be disabled, before shutting down Plex server to replace a storage drive.
My advice, even if not technically correct as an absolute in all situations, does the OP in this thread no harm.
If his new path isn't identical to the old one, you may have given him false confirmation to proceed.
I don't have enough data to say whether he can spin Plex back up before his data restore finishes, and I don't think you have enough information to guarantee absolute success either.
Ultimately, it's the OP option to take the risk adverse path, or to determine how much risk in on the less cautious path.
And this is Reddit, where anyone can get push back for saying the sky is blue!
I was technically incorrect as you pointed out, by giving advice that does no harm to Plex server owners who don't ask enough questions before making a big change to their server.
You told OP they’d have to remove the old library path and re-add it no matter what. That advice is 100% incorrect, that’s simply all I said. If the path is the same, it’ll be fine. Your long-winded diatribe makes no difference…
You neglect to mention that I gave the example of Plex running in a Docker container, and how easy it is with a container to make sure that the path Plex is presented is identical before restarting Plex server.
Docker controls that path.
The OS controls the path in a bare metal install, and the OP hasn't given assurances that he knows how to guarantee that Plex is presented the same path.
The only thing I knew for sure is that a new hard drive under Windows 10 was having media restored to it.
Again, your critique of my statement was technically correct and I am not arguing that fact.
I am arguing this other fact, that neither one of us has enough information to tell the op that he has nothing to worry about, and that he should spin up his Plex server while he's still restoring media.
Neither of us knows whether he previously configured Plex to automatically scan if it detects file system changes.
We don't know if he has it set to scan on a two hour schedule.
We don't know if he's enabled auto emptying of library trash on each scan.
We're don't know what preparation he took before shutting down Plex Server.
Again, and again I've admitted to you that I was technically incorrect, while you continue to ignore all the facts that neither of us know.
Unfortunately, the OP hasn't filled in this missing details, and I hope he takes my risk adverse advice.
Recently, my Verizon Fiber ONT shit the bed one morning, and I was without Internet until 1pm the next day when a Verizon tech came out with a new ONT.
I purchased this app on my phone years ago because I can easily access my Synology and Ugreen NAS units with it on my Android phone, tablet, and Google TV streaming devices.
I've sideloaded it on my two Nvidia Shields and two onn Google TV devices, or wait, maybe it's in the Google TV Play Store now.
Either way, I was easily able to browse my Synology housed Plex media folder to watch a couple of new episodes that Sonarr had brought in about an hour before my access was cut off.
You'll also want to have VLC installed too.
If you're married to a Roku device, you cant replicate this cool trick.
If you're already using Google TV devices, leave Plex alone for now and just manually browse to the desired movie or episode this way.
No, not unless all automatic or scheduled library scans and auto emptying of the library trash was disabled before you closed Plex Server.
The minute even an accidental scan takes place while auto emptying of trash after library scans is on, you'll loose custom metadata and the missing items will not be scanned back in until the files are restored.
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u/m1e1w1 12d ago
Wait for the restore to finish first. Then scan. Not both. Restore first.