I have an Apple 24-inch, 2023 iMac with an M3 chip running Sequoia MacOS 15.6.1. I accidentally deleted all of my Roon files into the Trash. I want to put them back, but I don't know where they belong. When I right-click on a Roon folder in the trash, I do not see the Mac "Put Back Option.
Accidentally deleting files into the Trash can certainly cause a moment of panic, but don’t worry—your database and backups are perfectly safe, and we can easily get your system running again.
Because Roon creates many temporary, log, and cache files (like those indexeddb folders), manually trying to piece everything back into the hidden macOS Library folders can sometimes cause permission errors or software glitches. The safest and cleanest way to fix this is to rescue your critical data and perform a fresh installation.
Here is the step-by-step guide to get everything back to normal:
Step 1: Rescue Your Critical Folders
Open your Mac’s Trash and drag only the following two folders onto your Desktop for safekeeping:
RoonBackups (This is the most important folder and your primary recovery tool).
RoonServer (We will keep this as a “Plan B” safety net).
You can safely leave the rest of the Roon files in the Trash. Roon will automatically recreate fresh versions of them when it runs.
Step 2: Reinstall Roon
Head over to our official website and download a fresh copy of the Roon installer for macOS: Roon Downloads Page Install it into your Applications folder and launch it.
Step 3: Restore Your Data
Once Roon opens, it will act like a brand-new installation. You have two options to get your data back:
Method A: Restore from Backup (Highly Recommended) On the initial Roon setup screen, look for the option to “Restore a Backup.” Click that and point it to the RoonBackups folder you saved on your Desktop.
Method B: Manual Database Replacement (Fallback) If your latest backup is somehow outdated or fails to restore, you can use the RoonServer folder we rescued. You will need to close the Roon app completely, navigate to Roon’s hidden Database folder on your Mac, and replace the newly created RoonServer folder with the one from your Desktop.
Thank you so much, Vadim, for your clear, prompt response. I will be away from my desk until Thursday, March 5, when I will follow your instruction and let you know if I have more questions. Again, thank you for outstanding customer service and user support.
The Roon Server icon is not in my Menu Bar. The RoonServer app is in the Contents folder, but it won’t open. (Reminder: As instructed, I moved the RoonServer and RoonBackups folders to my Desktop.)
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 09:06 PM ET: Update — I have got Roon up and running. It is connected to Tidal and works well with it. It is now scanning the external drive where I store my music and is importing it. I still have the RoonServer and RoonBackups folders on my Desktop. Should I leave them there? I have another Mac at a weekend home. One of the two folders was stored in my Dropbox, but I can’t remember which. In the past, I have opted out of one location and signed into another. I am telling you this information because it may be why I had one of the folders in Dropbox—so I could access it from either location. Should I leave the RoonServer and RoonBackups folders on my Desktop or move them?
If Roon has successfully finished scanning your library and everything is working perfectly after the restore, you are completely good to go. You can safely delete those leftover Roon folders you temporarily placed on your desktop, as Roon is now running from the correct system locations.
A quick tip for the future: To prevent any future headaches if files ever get accidentally moved or deleted again, we highly recommend setting up an automated backup schedule.
