# Does migrating databases move users as well?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301 "2018-06-26T20:32:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MasterChiefmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@MasterChiefmas](https://forums.plex.tv/u/MasterChiefmas)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/1 "2018-06-26T20:32:40Z")

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I am getting ready to move my Plex install to a dedicated physical machine again. I think it’ll be simpler to re-install then V2P the thing, but not if I have to re-invite my users. Do the users come over with the rest of the data if I migrate it per the support instructions to move to another system? Thanks

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**Author:** ![anon18523487](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@anon18523487](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon18523487)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/2 "2018-06-26T20:37:08Z")

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> [@MasterChiefmas](#):
>
> Do the users come over with the rest of the data if I migrate it per the support instructions to move to another system?

Users are associated with your account, so all the users will come over. If you are able to set the new server identical to the original, then nothing will change. However, if the server is seen as new, then the users will exist and you don’t need to re-invite them, but you will need to enable the new server for each user.

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**Author:** ![BigWheel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/bigwheel/32/78783_2.png) [@BigWheel](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BigWheel)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/3 "2018-06-26T20:49:28Z")

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To not have to reshare you need to copy over advanced settings too. [https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/)

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**Author:** ![MasterChiefmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@MasterChiefmas](https://forums.plex.tv/u/MasterChiefmas)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/4 "2018-06-26T22:37:35Z")

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> [@BigWheel](#):
>
> To not have to reshare you need to copy over advanced settings too. [https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/)

Ah, great! Does this pull the server identity as well? i.e. could I copy the databases, and this into a new Plex instance on my new machine and not have it collide with the existing one?

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**Author:** ![anon18523487](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@anon18523487](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon18523487)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/5 "2018-06-26T22:42:27Z")

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> [@MasterChiefmas](#):
>
> Ah, great! Does this pull the server identity as well? i.e. could I copy the databases, and this into a new Plex instance on my new machine and not have it collide with the existing one?

Yes, the server identity is in the advanced settings. No issues as long as only 1 is running at a time.

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 11:25am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/6 "2018-06-27T11:25:41Z")

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> [@MasterChiefmas](#):
>
> and not have it collide with the existing one?

If you want to use both the original and the ‘clone’ at the same time, you need to modify one of them. This will temporaily disable the shares, but they can be re-enabled quickly, because you won’t have to go through the full ‘invite user’ procedure again.

Here is the procedure:

After you have cloned your server, edit the ‘[advanced server config](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/ "advanced server config")’ of the clone  
and remove the following keys:

- AnonymousMachineIdentifier
- MachineIdentifier
- ProcessedMachineIdentifier
- PlexOnlineToken

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MasterChiefmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@MasterChiefmas](https://forums.plex.tv/u/MasterChiefmas)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/7 "2018-06-30T04:22:14Z")

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Happily, my users did all come over, no problem.

The downside, it doesn’t seem to have carried over the library permissions, so I had to re-assign permissions to every account. The biggest downside there is I didn’t notice right away, and no one told me they couldn’t access things, they just assumed I was doing work on my server.

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/8 "2018-06-30T07:51:48Z")

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> [@MasterChiefmas](#):
>
> The downside, it doesn’t seem to have carried over the library permissions, so I had to re-assign permissions to every account

Sorry, that is what I was referring to above with “disable shares temporarily”.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/does-migrating-databases-move-users-as-well/276301/9 "2018-09-28T07:51:59Z")

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