# Migrating Metadata from Windows Plex Server to QNAP

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrating-metadata-from-windows-plex-server-to-qnap/736866>\
**Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\
**Tags:** server-windows, server-qnap\
**Created:** [August 16, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrating-metadata-from-windows-plex-server-to-qnap/736866 "2021-08-16T18:37:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrating-metadata-from-windows-plex-server-to-qnap/736866/2 "2021-08-16T19:25:56Z")

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1. Stop Plex on the QNAP
2. Create a shared folder, on any volume, named `PlexData`
3. Start Plex
4. Stop Plex
5. Open File Station – Observe you have a `PlexData` → `Plex Media Server` entry.

On PC.

1. Turn off all automatic updating and empty trash … (the works)
2. Stop Plex
3. find the “Plex Media Server” directory
4. Get into it (explorer)
5. Make a ZIP file of everything you see that folder

On QNAP:

1. Open File Station → PlexData → Plex Media Server
2. Take note of what you see there.
3. Delete everything **EXCEPT** Preferences.xml (this is the server’s ID)
4. Upload the ZIP file from the PC into this directory
5. “UNZIP” it here.
6. When done, you will see the same directories again (emphasis on `Plug-in Support`, `Media`, and `Metadata`.
7. If the structure is not right, fix it using FileStation.
8. After all is unzipped – you may remove the ZIP
9. Start Plex on the QNAP
10. Open it by IP address `http://ip.addr.of.qnap:32400/web`
11. it will want to be claimed. (“Got It”, and Claim)
12. For each library section you have -  
a. EDIT the section’s folder list  
b. **ADD** the new location on the QNAP - **DO NOT REMOVE** the old location yet  
c. OK the changes.  
d. Watch as PMS finds the media and marks as duplicate `(2)` in Plex web  
e. When all have been found,  
f. Edit again and **REMOVE** the old Windows location.  
g. OK again. – Observe as the duplicate indicators are removed  
h. Proceed to the next section
13. After all sections complete -
14. Scan files for everything (observe no changes)
15. Empty Trash (observe no changes)
16. Clean Bundles (gets rid of old Windows records)
17. Optimize database

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