I’m just building a newer, faster plex server and wondered if there was a way I could tell the new server about the existing optimized files I have stored in my media file structure. Seems ridiculous to have to create them all again when they are there in a structure that a plex server created. However, I cannot seem to find a way to achieve this?
If you can manage that all the media files are accessible on the new server like they were on the old one
(i.e. same drive letters / folder names and paths) then you can transfer the old server installation as-is and all existing optimized versions and all metadata are valid and will be available.
If done right, PMS won’t notice it runs on different hardware.
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201370363-Move-an-Install-to-Another-System
No, you cannot reuse optimized files. But you can use them as just another version.
Its interesting about moving the server, however, I’m moving from a mac to windows 10 (even though its the fastest machine in the house no one here can work out how to use windows 10 so its become spare). I have been able to move the server in the past between macs using time machine as well which is really easy to do.
