Questions about Transferring RoonServer to SonicTransporter (ref#O0DKT9)

[Scott_Tweddale]

Hi! What’s not quite right with Roon?

· None of the above quite fits

None of the above quite fits

· None of these quite match

Tell us what's going on

· I want to transfer roonserver from windows11 to sonicTransporter
I have read this guide but still have questions. https://help.roonlabs.com/portal/en/kb/articles/accessing-the-roon-database-on-sonictransporter
Under "Move a Roon Database to your SonicTransporter" numbered instructions
1. Remove watched folders - should this be done before or after doing a roon backup? Do I also need to logout of roon on windows11?
5. Copy the Roon Database files over from your computer - where do I find my Roon Database files on windows11? Are these files created from a backup or are they under ../AppData/Local/Roon/Database or ../AppData/Local/RoonServer/Database? I have both. Where do I copy the files to on the sonicTransporter?

Tell us about your home network

· ASUS AC2900 RT-AC86U

[vadim]

Hello @Scott_Tweddale,

Let’s clarify the correct and safe way to move from Windows → SonicTransporter.

Yes — watched folders must be disabled before you create the backup.

Go to:
Settings → Storage → 3-dot menu → Disable for each watched location.

This prevents Roon from re-scanning and re-hashing your library when the database is restored on SonicTransporter.

After they are disabled, create your backup from:
Settings → Backups → Backup now

You do not need to log out of Roon on Windows — the backup already contains your license, settings, and full database state.

You should not manually copy any of these folders:

C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Roon\Database
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\RoonServer\Database

Those folders are only used when doing a forensic-level recovery of a broken server.
For migrations, they are not used at all.

Your Roon backup already contains the complete database, including:

On SonicTransporter:

1. Install / start RoonServer
2. When prompted, choose Restore a Backup
3. Restore the backup you created from Windows

At this point do NOT enable any watched folders yet.

Fix storage paths before enabling scanning

Now go to:
Settings → Storage

Your old Windows paths will be invalid (e.g. D:\Music).

Edit them so they point to the correct SonicTransporter paths (e.g. /storage/Music, /mnt/yourNAS, etc).

Important:

The folder structure must match what Roon saw on Windows (same album subfolders, same hierarchy).
This is how Roon matches files back to the database without re-importing everything.

Re-enable watched folders

Once all paths are corrected:

Go to each storage entry → Enable

Roon will now:

• Re-link the existing database entries to the files
• Avoid re-identifying or re-scanning the library
• Preserve all play history and edits

You migrate via backup + restore, not via copying Database folders.
Watched folders are disabled before backup and re-enabled only after paths are fixed on SonicTransporter.