Backups and contradictory informatin

Server Version#: 1.18.6.2368
Player Version#: Version 4.20.2?

Apologies if this has been covered, but I have read conflicting information, or information which has confused me.

I was upgrading from 1.19 to 1.20 over the weekend and the database appeared to get corrupt and I lost the “config” behind my libaries, the folders of shows went, films were a jumble, artwork was gone etc, long story short, several removals and adding of different versions of plex to the readynas and some help from an FB group and I have the library up and running almost as before.

This got me to thinking of backing up the “config” of plex should this happen again.

I have read https://support.plex.tv/articles/201539237-backing-up-plex-media-server-data/ which implies I need to just take a copy of the preferences.xml file having taken this and then had a read of the contents of the file, I dont believe this has all the details of the libraries etc to be used as a restore source should I need to.

I then read about restoring a server from https://support.plex.tv/articles/202485658-restore-a-database-backed-up-via-scheduled-tasks/?_ga=2.21185851.1063091013.1598720533-1817801271.1595525282 and could see various items being asked for which were not the preferences.xml file

What I am hoping for is some guidance on what and how best to backup the “server” so that if I needed to I could remove the plex app and install it again, and then restore the setup of the server so it would run as it did prior to outage should one occur, and I not be in the position I was this weekend of fighting to get the server running again.

On a sidenote once the various items have been identified and backed up, could I use them to migrate platforms if in the future I was to move from the Netgear NAS box to a Windows plex server?

Many thanks
James

No. You missed the top portion about backing up the main Plex folder.

" Back Up Main Plex Media Server Data

For your operating system, make a backup of the main Plex Media Server data directory. The location will vary by platform."

It is possible but not simple. Your NAS uses the preference.xml file, Windows uses it’s registry. There is no straight conversion. You’d have to manually reproduce the preference settings into the Windows registry.

Hi @anon18523487 thanks for your reply, and having re-read the link yes I have misread and only backed up the additional settings and not the main plex data, I thought I had it wrong.

I see your point about platform changing, if and when I change, it will be easier to setup the new plex server as a new server, and then point it to the media folders and let it setup itself again. Im not worried about viewing stats and the like being kept if I move platforms so thats all ok.

I will do some more googling to try and find out what I need to backup from the Netgear to backup the database of the server.

Sput

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