Most likely you have copied the data while Plex server was not shut down. This will result in a damaged copy of the primary database file.
You can try to use one of the backups: https://support.plex.tv/articles/202485658-restore-a-database-backed-up-via-scheduled-tasks/
Thanks so much for the prompt responseā¦ Tried a couple more timesā¦ Third time luckyā¦ I had turned off the server & stopped update serviceā¦ not sure the issue but working nowā¦ Last step is to be brave enough to delete original DBā¦ LOL
Thanks again
Well, I see this post is several years old. I installed Plex years ago, too. Iāve watched as my SSD drive on the PC slowly fills. Only recently did I discover it was this Plex Metadata. So Iāve gone thru your 7 steps above, and restarted the PC. When plex starts, itās as though itās never been configured. That is, the Libraries arenāt even configured.
I thought all we were doing here is pointing the path to the metadata.
Hopefully this post is still monitored. Iāve double and triple checked the instructions.
I simply created a folder D:/users/data/me/AppData/local/
And copied the contents from c:\Users\me\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server
to
d:\Users\me\AppData\Local\
So the fullpath to the new location is:
D:\Users\me\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server
Again, when I restart, Plex acts like itās never been configured. I simply remove the registry key and it functions again, but my SSD is FULL. I need this resolved.
Anyone?
Doesnāt matter. It is being kept up-to-date.
You need to copy the metadata from the old location first!
And a common mistake is failing to stop the plex server while doing that.
Which will result in a damaged/invalid database file being copied. Which then can make the impression that there is nothing in there at all.
So, please go back and repeat the steps carefully.
Actually, this can already have caused the database file to get corrupted.
The solution is to restore one of the backup copies of this file.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/202485658-restore-a-database-backed-up-via-scheduled-tasks/
Thanks for the quick reply. The database seems fine since it comes up okay when pointing to the C drive. I still had a small amount of space left on C. So I deleted what Iād previously copied and went thru the process again. It seems to be working. Iāll do this safely, by zipping up the old contents before deleting.
Thanks for this thread and for keeping it up to date.
This guide worked wonderfully. I moved the directory to an ISCSI LUN. I no longer have to worry about the local SSD filling up or the local disk crashing and losing a copy of the database & preview thumbnails.
Hello, I feel Iām missing something as Iām having an issue Iāve seen pop up on this thread a few times.
First, awesome guide and hoping itās just my error thatās causing this not to work.
Secondly, Iām following the guide to a T (I think) but essentially, when restarting my computer and loading Plex my libraries are unavailable. Little yellow warning triangles for each category where none of my media is at. If I reset my registry key they all appear back.
A few things to note:
- Iām trying to use a usb ssd drive. Is that acceptable?
- In the two registries Iām only seeing one thing that has a drive path after the localappdata portion. Itās the Plex installer. Beyond that nothing else seems to be pointing at a drive.
Thank you.
Certainly possible, but not recommended.
Not only for performance reasons, but also because USB drives can suddenly get a different drive letter assigned to them, after you swap them out with other drives on the same port ā even if just temporarily. This can be prevented with a bit of planning.
The danger of changing drive letters also exists for your media drives (if you have several drives). Plex will remember the drive letter where it initially found a particular media file. It expects to find that file always in the same spot.
There is only one Windows registry. This guide also only instructs you to create one single key in it. Within a very specific place.
Or are you talking about the folder location of the Plex data folder on your system?
If you are not performing a fresh server installation, you will have to copy all the data from the default location of the Plex data folder to your new drive. Only after that, you create the key in the Windows registry to point Plex to that new location.
Plex must be stopped while doing the copy, or you will end up with a damaged database.
But all that was already contained in the guide above.
Hmmmm, what would be a better option than an External SSD drive if I have no more available space within the computer that Iām currently using where the Plex Media server folder is defaulted to? I feel thatās where Iām hung up on. Iām currently trying to use a Crucial - X9 SE 2TB External USB-C/USB-A Portable SSD drive to transfer the Plex media server data to. I did format it to NTFS and made sure itās not a network drive. But if thereās a more proper type of drive to use then I can return this and purchase something more appropriate.
Sorry, I should have been more detailed. I meant the two registry folders A. HKeycurrent and B.HKeyusers.
Thank you for the replies.
To put it bluntly: Use a different computer.
The laptop form factor is pretty much the anti- thesis of a Plex server machine. It lacks in connectivity, expandability, and not to forget sufficient (and silent) cooling.
Thatās my honest opinion.
But of course I understand that one doesnāt always have a choice, and needs to make do with whatās available.
So far thereās nothing wrong with that.
I am unable to tell you anything specific about this particular model. Unless it is specifically advertised as very power-saving, it should work.
More proper types of drives are internal drives, connected by at least SATA, or better directly on the PCIe m.2 slot.
But thatās not an option in this case.
We are only concerned with A. B will reflect the change automatically.
(Unless you are running Plex server under a different Windows user account, than which you are using to log into. But that can only happen if you actually have more than one Windows user account on that machine.)
I am following this but am still unclear on what is on your USB SSD. Is it the \Plex Media Server\ folder or your media?
In either case have you gone into Windows Disk Management and assigned it a drive letter?
HKEY_CURRENT_USER is the same as HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-#ā¦ If you change a key in one the other changes also.
- In the two registries Iām only seeing one thing that has a drive path after the localappdata portion. Itās the Plex installer. Beyond that nothing else seems to be pointing at a drive.
What do you mean by localappdata portion? localappdata should not exist.
LocalAppDataPath should be a string that you added. The value if this string would be the path to the new location of the \Plex Media Server\ folder. In my case the entire path is V:\. My full path is V:\Plex Media Server\
Did you follow step 4 correctly?
4. open the registry editor regedit.exe
go to the branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server
and create a new string (right-click) (āString Valueā) and name it LocalAppDataPath
I appreciate the honest opinion. Unfortunately until I upgrade the main server device I donāt feel any available laptop I have would be optional to use to transfer the data.
I donāt see anything in the description of that ssd I mentioned about āpower savingā. But if thatās not what is preventing this from working then Iām back to square 1.
Okay, A was changed correctly then.
Just thinking of what else I could have done wrong, every time I attempt to do this process, should I be copying and pasting the data each time or would once copied and pasted even if something doesnāt work, should be sufficient?
Hello, the USB SSD is a new empty drive that Iām trying to move only the Plex media server folder to. My media is on separate drives. Iām trying to take the Plex data (not media) from my PC to a unnetworked drive so it can clear space on my computer.
I believe it has letter G as thatās what I copied and pasted into the registry.
For the registry, I was looking at the OP addendum 1 and talking about the Hkeycurrent and Hkeyusers and mentioning that other than the localappdata string I created nothing else was referencing a drive location, (addendum 1).
Step 4 was done correctly as far as I can tell.
I would record me doing this process somehow and show it if that helped but unsure how to do that.
Theoretically, yes.
However, if the copy process was done improperly, your database is toast.
Youād then need to copy at least the DB folder anew. Make absolutely sure that the source Plex server is not running.
If the source Plex server was not shut down cleanly (i.e. power cord yanked, or crash, and/or hardware defect) then you may have to revert to one of the database backups. https://support.plex.tv/articles/202485658-restore-a-database-backed-up-via-scheduled-tasks/
Hmm, none of that happened however itās possible though not sure how probable that I did shut down the server and stopped the updater before copying and pasting. Though, Iāve attempted this entire process multiple times but usually just keep using the same already copied and pasted data from one of the times I attempted.
Is there a way to record this and send it for review to see if Iām doing something incorrectly? Itās all pretty straightforward so Iām struggling where I am going wrong :-/.
Thanks for your patience and assistance.
Did you notice this hint:
Beware! The path you type in must not include āPlex Media Serverā as last part.
So if now your plex data reside in E:\plex\Plex Media Server\, you type only
E:\plex\ into the input field.
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My concern, which you havenāt addressed, is you keep referring to localappdata when the actual key is LocalAppDataPath.
If the key you added was named localappdata then Plex is not going to find your data.
Hello, apologies if I recall I believe I just copied and pasted what was In the directions above. However I canāt confirm that. Iāll re-attempt tonight or tomorrow morning to see if perhaps I was typing the wrong key name or if Iām just typing it wrong in here.
Thank you.
Finally had a moment to retest it and unfortunately same thing. My libraries are showing a yellow triangle warning sign with nothing in them.
I made sure that I just copied and pasted the localappdatapath title straight from the guide above. I followed all steps, unsure where the issue is. My only possible thoughts are of me trying to use a usb external drive vs another computer.
Another computer is not posssible at all, anyway. Donāt even try to do that. Itāll end in tears and data loss.
If you are using an external dirve, make sure that it never changes its drive letter.
Assign it a fixed letter, which is safely in the alphabet above of those free drive letters which get assigned to various external media when you hot plug them.
You should do the same with any external drives which hold your media.
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-drive-letter-in-windows-11.8162/
