Reinstall Windows / Missing Collections & some edits

[Heinrich 1]

Have been up on 3.2.2.26.0 for a couple weeks. I decided to get rid of WHS2011 and go to Windows 10. I was previously running Emby off my D: drive (though that may have been C: under WHS2011 I just don't remember.) Today I reinstalled under Windows 7 / different user name kept save server name. I though that the Backup plugin would just restore everything but I've since learned it really doesn't. It just restores server configuration. Well, it doesn't even see all the automatic backups its made. It sees one back in April ... but the last five daily backups starting 07/20 it does not see at all.

 

So then I found what I thought was a good clue towards the movies / tv / collections data and copied files from the Emby-Server directory for TV, Movies, and Collections. And restarted the server.

 

I'm still missing my collections. The files are in the Collections directory named by each collection but the server isn't reading it. Perhaps because I changed user names?

 

Also missing are some of my Sort Title edits. For instance all the variations / extended versions of Lord of the Rings I had them with Sort Titles of, for instance, Lord of the Rings 01, Lord of the Rings 02, etc just to force them into the order I wanted. About half of those sort titles are missing. I don't understand why just half. What happened to the other half? Did a library scan wipe them out? Or can I get them back?

[Luke 42083]

 

 

but the last five daily backups starting 07/20 it does not see at all.

 

Why do you think it doesn't see your backups?

[Luke 42083]

 

 

I'm still missing my collections. The files are in the Collections directory named by each collection but the server isn't reading it. Perhaps because I changed user names?

 

Did you run a library scan after restoring them?

[Luke 42083]

 

 

Also missing are some of my Sort Title edits. For instance all the variations / extended versions of Lord of the Rings I had them with Sort Titles of, for instance, Lord of the Rings 01, Lord of the Rings 02, etc just to force them into the order I wanted. About half of those sort titles are missing. I don't understand why just half. What happened to the other half? Did a library scan wipe them out? Or can I get them back?

 

On the old server, did you enable saving metadata to local media folders? This would have preserved your edits in nfo files. 

[Heinrich 1]

Why do you think it doesn't see your backups?

 

I don't know. Filename perhaps? the one it sees is named

 

Emby Backup - 2017-04-20 01.10.6 - Auto

 

the others just have the date n there such as

 

201707250000

[Heinrich 1]

On the old server, did you enable saving metadata to local media folders? This would have preserved your edits in nfo files. 

 

I didn't - the server started one itself though

[Luke 42083]

I don't know. Filename perhaps? the one it sees is named

 

Emby Backup - 2017-04-20 01.10.6 - Auto

 

the others just have the date n there such as

 

201707250000

 

Ok, I think this is due to some changes made to the backup plugin recently.

[Luke 42083]

I didn't - the server started one itself though

 

If you didn't enable saving metadata to local media folders, then your edits are only self contained within the database of the old emby server installation. The backup plugin will not be able to preserve that.

[Heinrich 1]

Ok, I think this is due to some changes made to the backup plugin recently.

 

so it's a bug that it can't restore the newer backups? I don't think that's going to get me what I want but it is of concern.

[Heinrich 1]

If you didn't enable saving metadata to local media folders, then your edits are only self contained within the database of the old emby server installation. The backup plugin will not be able to preserve that.

 

Can I get to that database and replace the current one with it?

[ebr 16187]

Just a note that the backup plug-in is a configuration backup. It isn't designed to backup your media or meta data etc.  You would need to use other solutions to back those things up.

[Luke 42083]

Can I get to that database and replace the current one with it?

 

library.db is a sqlite db file, so yes, you can use sqlite tools to work directly with it if you so prefer.  We don't have any documentation about this right now though. Most people who make custom edits and want to see them easily preserved will also opt for saving metadata to local media folders. it is the most practical choice if you want to make sure that changes stay with you.

[Heinrich 1]

library.db is a sqlite db file, so yes, you can use sqlite tools to work directly with it if you so prefer.  We don't have any documentation about this right now though. Most people who make custom edits and want to see them easily preserved will also opt for saving metadata to local media folders. it is the most practical choice if you want to make sure that changes stay with you.

 

ok that's probably going to take more time than I care to spend. Let me think one more way outside the box. Can I just uninstall this version and get rid of it, then reinstall in a way over on D: that Emby will pick up the prior database that should still be intact on D:?

[Heinrich 1]

Just a note that the backup plug-in is a configuration backup. It isn't designed to backup your media or meta data etc.  You would need to use other solutions to back those things up.

Yeah, I realize that early in this process. But the fact that it won't pick up recent backups to restore concerns me.