So my plex server died (windows updated killed the boot partition an couldn’t be repaired 
) but was able to grab the plex folder in appdata. without the reg keys will i be able to restore the database or am i going to have to start a fresh?
Yes, you will be able to restore all your libraries.
(Provided the database is still intact and was not damaged during the crash. You might have to restore one of the database backup copies, though.)
But you will have to re-share your media to other Plex users or your managed users (if you used that feature before).
There are also certain server settings stored in the registry, which you’ll have to restore manually to their former state (if you modified any of them from the default).
so watch history will be gone for the users?
I am not sure about that. History is stored in the database. Unless you delete your home users or “unfriend” sharees, none of them will have their user-ID number changed, so they should retain their history.
I always imagined that the userID’s are static and given out by plex inc.
Nevermind… Forgot that every username is unique so assigning ID for that purpose not needed.
This is something I’s like to know. Shared users are stored in the db? I though plex inc had that information and they would get restored after you logged in the first time.
So, if I blow away my db(but kept my ServerID reg key) then I would have re-invite all the users again?
You have it slightly wrong.
This about losing the info in the advanced server configuration.
If you lose your machine ID, you lose the shares.
However, since your Plex Home and your shared users live on plex.tv you don’t lose them and you don’t have to re-invite them.
All you need to do is on the new server to go to ‘Sharing’ and edit each one of your friends and give him access to the new server.
Okay I believe I understand…
I only ask cause i’m gonna do a nuke on my plex(minus reg key) and don’t want to invite everyone back to the server. I understand I will still need to allow access to particular libraries.
So, in no condition do you lose your friends(family)?
however,
No db: you must re-create the libraries back and
- edit each one of your friends and give him access to the new server libraries.
No machineID, no db: you must re-create the libraries back and
- edit each one of your friends and give him access to the new server libraries.
That look about right?
Precisely.
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so moved the db over and the watch history has been retained but thought the metadata would retain so took nice long time scanning.
Another thing i noticed my playlists are empty now not sure if there would be a way to fix that, e.g my library location path was different as the disk drive letters changed not sure if anyone can confirm that they would work if the drive letters retained.
That is a no-no. Make drive letters and folder names for your actual media files identical to the old server. How to Change a Drive Letter
If you can’t do that, you’ll have to edit the database file prior to scanning the library for the first time on the new server: [HowTo] Plex database modification - Moving media the right/wrong way - #10 by jelwell
so changing the drive letter and moving the old db back again should do the trick no need to edit the db?
Out of interest if i move to linux (haven’t looked at the guide yet) how much it this going to complicate thing with regard to retaining the playlists?
It should work, yes.
It very much complicates things, because in this case you cannot avoid the Plex database modification.
And you’ll have to deal with access permissions and other Linux-specific issues on top of that. Absolutely not recommended for a beginner with Linux.
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