Move from docker version to Windows version, preserving all metadata

[scegg 12]

Hi.

Currently I have a docker version of Emby installed with media files mapped by volume section.

 

I plan to move the Emby instance to a Windows Server with native application mode, accessing files directly from local paths.

How to export and import the settings, caches, metadata and databases?

Is that possible, and how, to preserve all metadata, structure, collections etc. while moving those media files? These media files are copied from original source but the path of the root folders for each library are changed.

[Luke 42077]

Hi, have you taken a look at this?

Backup & Restore

[scegg 12]

2 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, have you taken a look at this?

Backup & Restore

It says: "When migrating to a new machine, media paths will need to remain the same as on the original server."

 

Is that all metadata still valid after all media files moved? For example, old path is /mnt/Lib1/*, new path is D:\Lib1\*. Metadata of most files are edited manually due to no public information related published.

[maegibbons 1287]

My first question would be why?

I moved from windows, to Linux and then to docker and would never go back.

You will need sql scripts to alter the paths in the sqlite database.

There are posts about this elsewhere.  You need to use your search foo.

Krs

Mark

Edited December 19, 2025 by maegibbons
Typi

[scegg 12]

Just now, maegibbons said:

My first question would be why?

I moved from windows, to Linux and then to docker and would never go back.

You will need sql scripts to alter the paths in the sqlite database.

There are posts about this elsewhere.  You need to use your search foo.

Krs

Mark

Thanks for your point. I will search for the scripts for updating database records.

 

BTW, I hate to move it to Windows too. Have to do that because the data storage is changed from ZFS on Linux to Windows Storage Spaces. If I keep to use the docker version of Emby, no more file changing notification will be received due to lack of INOTIFY support on docker volume mapping and SMB sharing from Windows.

[Luke 42077]

Hi, please let us know how things go. Thanks.

[scegg 12]

29 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, please let us know how things go. Thanks.

As I hate to move back to Windows, I plan to write an app on Windows to monitor all changes and send them to Emby through API. It will cost some time. I will post it publicly after testing.

[scegg 12]

On 12/20/2025 at 12:03 PM, Luke said:

Hi, please let us know how things go. Thanks.

https://github.com/SecretNest/FileWatcherForEmby

 

Here is the app I wrote.

I tested on my computer with some adding / removing files. ARM64 is not tested yet.

 

"Tester" are welcomed lol.