Server rebuild

Plex Media Server
1

It’s weird how things work, after installing the March update for Windows Server 2022 on my ESXi 6.7 the secure boot died on my Plex server. After reviewing everything online that wasn’t supposed to happen wth the March update but with the Feb update. lol

Anyhow I have managed to copy the c:\program files x86 and c:\users\plex.service\appdata\local\plex media server folder over to another drive. Is there anything else I need? And what do I do again to restore these files over to the new server? I seemed to remember some sort of document from Plex but I cannot seem to find it. :frowning:

Thanks,

2

Additionally to the whole contents of the Plex data folder, you need to salvage the old Plex Registry branch. There are guides out there how to do that with a registry of a defunct Windows installation.
Keep in mind that you will need to adapt the structure names in a .reg file which was exported from a foreign registry hive.

  1. https://support.plex.tv/articles/201539237-backing-up-plex-media-server-data/
  2. https://support.plex.tv/articles/201370363-move-an-install-to-another-system/

Avoid moving the old plex data folder into a zip (or other) archive. If possible, copy it directly to the new location (using robocopy /MIR for instance).
Check the access permissions of the copied folder structure. The Windows user account which is used to run Plex needs full access to it.

Then import the registry backup file on the new Windows installation – but DON’T run Plex server yet.
Instead, create or modify the registry key which tells Plex where to look for its Plex data folder, according to [HowTo] An extended guide on how to move the Plex data folder on Windows

All media sources need to be available at their “old” addresses/locations (i.e. like they were in the old Windows installation. Restore drive letter assignments or UNC network paths as they were before, if necessary.)
Verify that this is the case before the first start of Plex server.

3

The registry is out of the question.

I just need to copy my Plex DB over. I am not going to copy my media folder over as its lives on a drive that was recoverable.

4

I only wrote to restore it to the same location/drive letter as before. Not to copy its contents.

Why’s that? Did you lose the whole contents of the C: drive?

5

No but C drive isn’t bootable anymore.

6

There is no need to boot from it. It’s sufficient to mount the drive it (“read-only” if necessary) into a different Windows installation.

7

So how do I mount the registry?

8

Google is your friend.

9

Thanks :slight_smile:

10

Doesn’t work, you cannot load the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive where Plex’s settings are. :frowning:

Only HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is accessible from the old Hive.

11

Not true. The hive of each user is located in a different file, in the subfolder of this user.

For Windows Vista or later, If you want to find specific users, go to the \Users folder on the root of the drive (assuming you have the old “C:” drive or boot drive) and look for NTUSER.DAT in the root of the user profile directory. For Windows XP and earlier, you’ll find the profiles under \Documents and Settings.

12

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