# Re-use existing optimized files?
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680
**Category:** General Discussions
**Created:** [October 18, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680 "2016-10-18T20:39:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ginja](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Ginja)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680/1 "2016-10-18T20:39:41Z")
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?
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680/2 "2016-10-18T21:04:50Z")
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](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201370363-Move-an-Install-to-Another-System)
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### Author:  [@anon18523487](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon18523487)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680/3 "2016-10-18T23:36:52Z")
No, you cannot reuse optimized files. But you can use them as just another version.
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### Author:  [@Ginja](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Ginja)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2016, 8:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680/4 "2016-10-22T08:57:11Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/re-use-existing-optimized-files/163680/5 "2020-01-07T22:05:39Z")