Any easy way to move a library to a new location?

[shoek 12]

I have a TV Library that uses 

\\SERVER\Recordings\TV

and I want to move it to

\\SERVER\TV

 

Is there an easy way to update the Emby database to change this location?  Or do I move the files and let Emby re-scan everything (and hope for no duplicates!)

 

Thx,

-shoek

 

[Oracle 85]

Hey, friend.

 

You can just move the files and let Emby re-scan your library. If all went well and nothing is remaining in \\SERVER\Recordings\TV, then it should be fine.

 

- Arly

[Carlo 4561]

Just make sure \\SERVER\TV isn't part of another library already.  Each folder can be part of one library only.

[Luke 42079]

In theory you could hack around the sqlite database but we don't have a documented process for this. I would just remove the old one and then add the new one. Thanks.

[haljordan 0]

On 1/22/2019 at 11:27 PM, Luke said:

In theory you could hack around the sqlite database but we don't have a documented process for this. I would just remove the old one and then add the new one. Thanks.

I have an Emby container and a Plex container running against the same movie/tv collection. This collection is massive and I really would like to not have to scan everything in again. I was able to modify my plex database successfully using this process: https://forums.plex.tv/t/howto-plex-database-modification-moving-media-the-right-wrong-way/126701/10

I realize this emby forum post is old, but I've been searching trying to find any updates. Is there any (unsupported or otherwise) documented process to make these changes? 

thank you, 

[Luke 42079]

Not yet, but it's a good idea for us to support in the future. Thanks.

[Happy2Play 9780]

@haljordan

There are a couple topics around but nothing official.  But you would update \programdata\root\default\{specific library}\options.xml (path will be OS specific) with new path and modify Path in MediaItems table (with Emby shutdown).

something to how this user update metadata path issues.

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/63573-36051-metadata-people-empty/&do=findComment&comment=631133

Depending on where you store your images, you could have to do the same to the Images column also.  Looks like the ImagePath column in Chapters3 table also if you save bif files with media.

Ideally a backup of the entire Emby Server Programdata folder would allow for proper restore if something goes wrong.

[Dusan78 19]

Hello,

I have couple of scenarios that I need help with.  I would like to move or rather rename my library folders from say "Movies" to "1. Movies" and "TV Shows" to "2. TV Shows".... and so on.  

1.  If I just rename the folder in explorer and then remove the old and add the new folder in the library settings will all the movie metadata, images and MOST importantly Video Preview Thumbnails remain or will all that stuff have to be recreated.  Basically will the re-scan just update the database with the new paths or will it scrap everything and start over, creating new .bif files?  I do not have the setting checked to keep images and previews with the media because I am using the faster cache drive for that.

2. Second question is similar but, I wanted to create a brand new library and move some media from one library to another.  And then same question as before.  Will all the previews (.bif) have to be recreated or will it recognize that it already has them and would just update the paths in the database file.

 

I would appreciate any help or guidance on how to go about doing this.  Or will I have to shutdown the server and manually edit the database file.  If that's the case, what program would you recommend I use for that purpose.

Thank you,

Dusan

 

[Luke 42079]

5 hours ago, Dusan78 said:

Hello,

I have couple of scenarios that I need help with.  I would like to move or rather rename my library folders from say "Movies" to "1. Movies" and "TV Shows" to "2. TV Shows".... and so on.  

1.  If I just rename the folder in explorer and then remove the old and add the new folder in the library settings will all the movie metadata, images and MOST importantly Video Preview Thumbnails remain or will all that stuff have to be recreated.  Basically will the re-scan just update the database with the new paths or will it scrap everything and start over, creating new .bif files?  I do not have the setting checked to keep images and previews with the media because I am using the faster cache drive for that.

2. Second question is similar but, I wanted to create a brand new library and move some media from one library to another.  And then same question as before.  Will all the previews (.bif) have to be recreated or will it recognize that it already has them and would just update the paths in the database file.

 

I would appreciate any help or guidance on how to go about doing this.  Or will I have to shutdown the server and manually edit the database file.  If that's the case, what program would you recommend I use for that purpose.

Thank you,

Dusan

 

HI, it will do a full scan, but depending on what you have in your media folders, some of that will be used and may help speed it up.

[Dusan78 19]

Hi Luke, 

I understand that it would do the full scan, my question was specifically regarding the .bif video preview files which would take a month to redo if it had to start from scratch.

Dusan 

[GrimReaper 4740]

6 hours ago, Dusan78 said:

I do not have the setting checked to keep images and previews with the media

 

6 hours ago, Dusan78 said:

Will all the previews (.bif) have to be recreated

 

15 minutes ago, Dusan78 said:

my question was specifically regarding the .bif video preview files which would take a month to redo if it had to start from scratch.

They'll have to be recreated/re-extracted as you're not saving video preview thumbnails with media.

[Dusan78 19]

I already had to do that once when I change the option to not store it with the media because loading thumbnails and general browsing for movies and shows was just too slow. So I moved it to a faster NVME drive.  At the time, it was taking so long to recreate the .bif files that I ended up wring a program to copy all the .bif files into the newly created emby folders which had names totally unrelated to the movies.  I since scrapped all that and would have to recreate something looking at the database file and in this case would only have to update/change the media file paths.  Perhaps it's not that bad but, I thought with newer emby versions something might have been changes or improved.  

Even if I could use my PC video card to make the .bifs would be a huge time saver.

[GrimReaper 4740]

IIRC @mickle026made a tool for extracting bifs with GPU support, you might give it a spin and see what gives, gimme a min to find it.

Edit: Here.

 

Edited January 15, 2024 by GrimReaper
Link

[Dusan78 19]

thank you! but it still means that I have to somehow place these in correct folders in the "metadata/library"

So If I didnt already have a .bif file in there I wouldnt have a clue what movie or show or anything goes there unless I dig into the database file. Which looks like I will have to do anyways and then I could just make a batch script to copy to the right destination.