Server Version#:1.19.5.3112 ??
Player Version#:4.39.1 ??
Simple question…
I currently have a number of hdd’s connected via usb to my desktop (win7) storing my movie libraries.
One of these drives is a 2TB and it’s full
If I replace this drive with a 4tb drive and copy the contents over to a new drive, and then setup the new drive with an identical file structure and drive letter will all of the library data that I have created come with the content?
I have spent many hours matching data for coverart etc and don;t want to do it all over again when I move the content to a new drive.
I am not sure where Plex stores the data once it has been created manually by matching and re-matching content
any advice would be appreciated
cheers
Tony
My personal advice would be to just add the new drive and don’t do anything with the old one. Put your new files on the new drive and you have 6TB instead of 4TB
Yes, turn off server, do that, then turn the server on and it won’t know the difference.
The library data is not stored on your drive it is in the database and PMS folder in appdata. If you run a scan later and the files are not where it expects is then it will delete the data since the files as far is it is concerned are no longer there.
I already have a number of drives connected to the computer so i don’t want to add yet another one. I have an older media player with an internal 2tb drive that is not compatible with Plex.
My plan is to combine the contents of this drive with the contents of one of the existing 2tb drives hence the desire to use a single 4tb drive. a good spinoff of this is I will still have the two original 2tb drives left over which i can store as backups in case i have any issues with the new 4tb drive. this content took me years to collect so i don’t want to lose it.
So how do I turn of the server? do I just shut it down in windows when I do the drive switch and re-assign the drive letter before I start running Plex again?
on Windows it should be in the task tray on the bottom right. Click and choose exit so the server is not running. When you are all done with setting up new drive, start the server by launching it from program files like any app.
Although it would be a bit more complex I recommend installing StableBit’s Drivepool a including all the drives in the pool and then it is easy fast to move all the files into the pool.
After that add the directories that exist are now inside the pool to your libraries and the and only then rescan everything.
After that if you need more space you just attach a new drive to the computer and add it to the pool and Drivepool will move the files around and balance the drive usage.
Just recently I added a 12tb drive to my pool and it took me about 10 minutes total. Once I was done Drive pool took over and it is moving files as needed onto the new drive and balancing drive usage throughout the pool. (14 drives total)
There has been no interruption in my usage and the pool is still balancing. I expect the process to take maybe another week but I do not have to do anything.
Dirvepool just simplifies everything about managing my server.
You have a little time consuming work up front and after that you do not even have to worry about what drive to put a new file on.
BTW: DrivePool is not free but along with FileBot I consider it the best software purchase I have ever made.
