# Question about copying watched status **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-mac\ **Created:** [August 31, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104 "2021-08-31T04:48:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Departed69](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/departed69/32/131298_2.png) [@Departed69](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Departed69)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/1 "2021-08-31T04:48:39Z")
I’m currently in the process of rebuilding my database, and would like to retain the watched status for all my users, if possible. I’ve followed the instructions found here [Move Viewstate/Ratings from One Install to Another | Plex Support](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201154527-move-viewstate-ratings-from-one-install-to-another/) and I have the settings.sql file. I started from scratch, and I’m currently scanning all my libraries anew. Once the libraries are finished rebuilding, I was planning on copying the settings.sql back into the database. But I was thinking about it, and I was wondering if this would work. Since the database has been rebuilt from scratch, the records for individual episodes and movies won’t be the same as the old database. So will this process work? ---
**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:** [August 31, 2021, 5:26am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/2 "2021-08-31T05:26:58Z")
Only if you are using the same metadata agent for the library. The status is based on the GUID for the item, not the itemID. If your movie library was using TheMovieDB for example a particular movie might have GUID `tmdb12345` that same movie matched with Plex Movie (legacy) might have GUID `tt54321` So if your database has a viewstate record for movie tmdb12345 at 76% complete for UserX. The movie needs to be matched with the same agent to get same tmdb12345 ID that matches the viewstate record hope that makes sense ---
**Author:** ![Departed69](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/departed69/32/131298_2.png) [@Departed69](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Departed69)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 5:31am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/3 "2021-08-31T05:31:04Z")
Got it, thanks. Yes, I am using the same agent on both servers (the new tv agent and the new movie agent). So it sounds like I should be good to go. ---
**Author:** ![ronnyc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ronnyc/32/156219_2.png) [@ronnyc](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ronnyc)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 5:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/4 "2021-08-31T05:50:52Z")
I wondered why play status and up next only worked part of the time when replacing a library with a new “copy”. When it didn’t work correctly I know for sure I switched agents lol Thanks for the clarification! ---
**Author:** ![Departed69](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/departed69/32/131298_2.png) [@Departed69](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Departed69)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/5 "2021-08-31T17:55:28Z")
I have another question about this, since I’m still waiting for the database to finish updating. If something is watched on the new server during the interim (in other words after I exported the settings.sql file) but before I re-import it back in, will that watched status be retained? Or does that get wiped out when I copy the watched status back into the database? ---
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/6 "2021-08-31T18:21:53Z")
When you import the viewstate records from the other server, the data is _added_. Existing records on the new server aren’t replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Departed69](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/departed69/32/131298_2.png) [@Departed69](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Departed69)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/7 "2021-09-05T15:09:22Z")
Thanks for the help with this, I have been able to successfully transfer the view states to the new server, and it has worked perfectly! One other question, is there a way to do the same with playlists? Since the new server has started rebuilding, I noticed that playlists have been lost. I still have the old database, is there a way for me to extract the playlist information from the old database, and apply it to the new one? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/8 "2021-09-07T21:46:31Z")
There is not a way to do that I am aware of but possibly @dane22 's webtools or exporttools might be able to ---
**Author:** ![dane22](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/dane22/32/4389_2.png) [@dane22](https://forums.plex.tv/u/dane22)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/9 "2021-09-07T22:13:44Z")
Click below: > **[Playlists · ukdtom/WebTools.bundle Wiki](https://github.com/ukdtom/WebTools.bundle/wiki/Playlists)** > > WebTools is a collection of tools for Plex Media Server. Like the Unsupported AppStore (UAS) - Playlists · ukdtom/WebTools.bundle Wiki ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/question-about-copying-watched-status/740104/10 "2021-12-06T22:14:34Z")
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