Problem moving Roon to new computer (and losing Roon in the process)

[LEE_GESMER]

Please help me with these problems. I am
less technical than most of the people who use Roon, so be patient.

I have been running Roon on a Macbook Air for a few years. Last week I purchased a new Macbook and I moved data files to the new computer and reinstalled applications. But I did not move any Roon data files.

I didn’t use migration assistant. The only problem I encountered while doing this was how to move my large iTunes (Apple Music) library (ripped CDs), but I accomplished this by uploading it to iCloud and downloading it to the new computer. I did change the location of that library on the new computer - right now its on the new computer’s desktop, whereas before it was in the default location set by Apple.

I was fearful that moving Roon would be a bit of a challenge for me, so I saved that as the last item.

My first step would be to make sure I had the current version of Roon running on both computers, so I opened up the old computer for the first time in a few days and clicked on Roon. Suprise - the icon had a question mark superimposed on it. And, when I used spotlight and finder to find Roon I come up empty - according to the macbook, Roon is nowhere on the computer. Thinking that perhaps I’m losing my mind, I checked the new computer, and Roon is not there either.

I am mystified - I did this process slowly and carefully. I never deleted Roon or altered it in any way. Since I can’t open Roon on the old computer, I can’t deauthorize that core.

What could possibly have happened here? Please advise. Thank you.

Edit: I did upgrade this computer to Sonoma 14.3 - could that have caused this problem?

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

My iPad (using the migration process Apple provides) knows Roon should be there but still has to download like any other app added after purchase. Just download it and point it at your new music location if it hasn’t come down automatically. If you have a data backup from the old device it should all sync up ok.

[LEE_GESMER]

Henry, couple of questions - first, don’t I need to deauthorize the old computer? Second, I can’t find any Roon files on the old computer. But - I didn’t delete them. I treated the old computer with kid gloves, and didn’t delete anything. I think this problem is over my head - I’m nowhere nearly as technical as most of the people who post here - it’s quite intimidating. To be clear: on the old computer I can’t find Roon or any Roon data files. I could simply install Roon on the new computer and start over creating playlists, but (a) I’d hate to lose the playlists I’ve created over the last few years - they are extensive, and (b) I think I need to deauthorize the old computer before authorizing the new computer. I’d appreciate help.

[beka]

Hey @LEE_GESMER,

Thanks a lot for deciding to create this post as you are taking the next step in your journey with Roon. First off, congrats on your new Mac purchase. We hope you’ll love it and that it will work well with Roon, once set up.

We appreciate the thorough description of the steps you have taken and the situation you are in.

I am part of Roon’s @accounts team and you tagging our team has brought this to our attention. Since the topic you created was in the Roon Software Discussion section of the community, to make sure you get the help you need from our team, I’ve moved it into the Support section, so our @support team ca step in if needed.

Just so you have a reference, the article below walks you through the exact process you need to follow when you want to change your Roon server from a device (your Macbook Air) to a new one (the new Macbook):

Moving Roon to a new Server

While I am unsure why Roon would disappear from both your Macs, I wonder if you navigate to the Applications folder, do you see it there?

As far as your question about unauthorizing, you are perfectly right: to use your account and subscription on a new Roon Server (your new Macbook), as you log into Roon on this new device, you would have to unauthorize the previously active session (your MacBook Air). However, unless Roon is installed and you try to log in, there is no need to unauthorize anything.

Now, all the information about how you used Roon (including, but not limited to your playlists, favorites, metadata edits, play history, settings, etc.) is stored locally in the Roon database. You should be able to find it on your MacBook Air when you follow these instructions.

However, in order to have all this history available on your new MacBook, you’d have to back up Roon on your Macbook Air, and then restore that backup on the new Macbook. Details on backing up and restoring can be found here.

Finally, when it comes to your library — you mention iTunes — you would have to start the process fresh on your new Macbook, once everything else is set up. Here is our guide, just in case a refresher might help. Unfortunately, the “transfer” does not happen automatically.

This has turned out to be longer than I expected; sorry about that

Please, let us know how it goes.

[daniel]

Hi @LEE_GESMER,
Were you able to successfully set up Roon on your new Macbook?

[LEE_GESMER]

No, the mystery is why it disappeared from my old Mac. As I wrote to beka in response to his email (don’t appear here), I’d be happy to pay someone with Roon and Mac knowledge to help me figure this out. I really don’t want to lose Roon and the playlists that I painfully assembled over the last couple of years. I live in the Boston area, and would be happy to travel for help, or to have someone Zoom-access my computers to figure out what happened to Roon, and hopefully find it. (No, it’s not in the Applications folder), and doesn’t appear via Spotlight. This is quite a mystery, and I’m anxious/eager to find out what happened!! Lee

[daniel]

Hi @LEE_GESMER,
This GIF shows how to find Roon in your finder:

Try resetting the Roon database by following this GIF:

Let me know whether any of this helps

[LEE_GESMER]

I’m sorry, Roon does not appear in applications folder or anywhere else on computer. I did not delete it, which is what’s mystifying me. Is there someone that can consult with me on this? I’m happy to pay for consulting assistance. If I can’t relocate Roon I’ll be faced with the choice of either installing it fresh on the new computer - which means I’ll lose all my playlists - or just concluding that Roon and I were not meant to be. I love Roon, so I don’t want to do that!

I’m mention two things. No, three things - first, before I started moving data to the new computer I updated the old and the new Mac to Sonoma 14.3. Second, I used iCloud to transfer my iTunes music file to the new computer. Third, I have a Time Machine backup of the old computer - however, I’ve never used time machine, and am reluctant to play around with it without assistance. I did not use migration assistant at all. Thank you. Lee

[Calum_Mackay]

Sorry to read about your issues.

An alternative might be to find a local friend with good MacOS knowledge, and have them work with you whilst you discuss the Roon-specific details here. As you have a Time Machine backup, you hopefully haven’t lost anything, e.g. your Roon backups.

Finding a friend with strong MacOS knowledge ought to be much easier than finding someone local with Roon knowledge; which you have found: here

good luck!

[daniel]

@LEE_GESMER,
Okay just to ensure Roon is not anywhere on your old computer open the terminal and you’ll see a window that looks like this

Type open -a Roon followed by enter. If Roon is on that MacBook it will open. If not at least we will have confirmed that Roon is gone.

[LEE_GESMER]

Nope, it’s gone (sadness). So, I’ll just install Roon on the new computer, enter user/pw and start over. Is that right? Lee

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

That is pretty much what you have to do anyway. The only difference is you would have a backup of your old database to restore your settings and edits.

[Calum_Mackay]

You should still have your Roon backups on your Time Machine disk, surely?

[beka]

@LEE_GESMER,

Just in case, I was wondering, do you have multiple users on your Macbook Air? When you install Roon, it will only be available on the user you have installed it on. Just in case you have more than one user (eg. admin, guest, etc.), can you please check all of them?

[LEE_GESMER]

I’m checking all of these suggestions - I have not given up! Thank you for all the attention you’ve given to this issue, I really appreciate it. I have given this a lot of thought, and I still can’t think of how I could have deleted this software. I’ve really racked my brain. I’m not a computer expert, but I’m 72 years old and I’ve owned and worked with computers since the mid-'80s. I know how to be careful, and I was super careful with this move. So, mystery remains.

[LEE_GESMER]

Is it possible that these are the missing Roon data files?

[daniel]

@LEE_GESMER

So, I’ll just install Roon on the new computer, enter user/pw and start over. Is that right?

Unfortunately, if you cannot find your backups this is the only remaining option. If you have an idea of where you might have stored the backups you can check there.

[LEE_GESMER]

Greetings - just circling back to ask whether the files I identified above are the “missing” Roon files? Pls advise, thank you.

[daniel]

Unfortunately, those are not the backups. They look like leftover files from your previous Roon install though.

[LEE_GESMER]

OK, I give up - I’ll just install Roon on the new computer and rebuild my playlists. Any reason not to proceed with that, or complications?