· None of the above quite fits
· None of these quite match
· Roon is stuck on loading screen again
· Yesterday, I've got kick out of Roon server (no idea why). Today tried multiple times to connect to the server (on my Macbook Pro M5) unsuccessfully. Always got loading Roon icon. Tried to install Roon again multiple attempts to no avail.
How many tracks are in your library?
I’m not sure, but I think is ~1,200
Are you using the MacBook on WiFi?
Yes, on WiFi and it had been working well (for the most part - I’ll tell you about later) until yesterday.
A screenshot of the loading screen you mention may shed some light on things.
Try an Ethernet connection to rule out if WiFi is an issue. If Ethernet works then reboot your router/wifi access point.
As I said, I downloaded the application from Roon’s website and installed it. But when I tried to open the application the screen shows only Roon’s logo with the lines on the right side moving. That’s it. Nothing happens. The program doesn’t open. WiFi is fine. It’s working for everything else.
This is the screen I get when I open the application
This is the screen I get after I select Connect
Hi @Santiago_Ferro,
Please first retoggle Roon’s network permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local network.
Based on diagnostics, it looks like you’ve set up two Roon Server instances on two separate Mac machines. Is it your intention to migrate between these machines?
Thanks, Connor. I’ve done the retoggle multiple times as well: not working.
I first installed Roon server on my ole M1 Macbook Pro running macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 and it run smoothly. Then I upgraded to the current M5 Macbook Pro and installed Roon server as well, with not so smooth results. It worked well intermittently. So I went back to the previous laptop whne I wanted a smooth operation.
Hello @Santiago_Ferro,
It makes total sense why you would switch back to your M1 Mac to keep the music playing smoothly! Let’s figure out exactly why the new M5 MacBook Pro is struggling so we can get you fully transitioned over.
Running two Roon Servers on the same network can sometimes cause authorization conflicts, but the intermittent performance on the new Mac strongly points to how the software was moved over.
Could you let us know a bit more about how you initially set up Roon Server on the new M5 Mac?
If the app was cloned via Apple’s system tools, the best fix is to do a quick, clean reinstall of the Roon Server app on the M5 Mac and restore your database using an official Roon Backup file generated from the M1.
To fully remove your database during the reinstall please follow this steps on the Mac M5
Let us know how that initial transfer was handled, and we will guide you through the next steps to get the M5 running perfectly
Hi Vadim, to answer your questions: I did use Apple’s Migration Assistant. It worked relatively well for some time, until I got kicked out a few weeks ago. There is a tracked record of my previous interaction with Roon labs support around Feb 16, 2026. Back then I installed a fresh copy of Roon from your website, and run into the same issues I have now: I was unable yo install it. Then, for unknown reasons to me it worked (not very smoothly) so I used it until last Friday, when I was kicked out again.
I’m going to give you a constructive feedback: I feel like I’m in hamster wheel withb Roon labs: I’ve made NO PROGRESS whatsoever to fix the problem, and I get different technical persons every day!!! So, I have to go back to square one. NOTHING HAPPENS.
Please don’t ask me to evaluate your customer support.
Hello @Santiago_Ferro,
I hear you loud and clear. The “hamster wheel” feeling is incredibly frustrating, especially when you just want your music to play without a daily battle. I completely understand why you are losing patience, and I appreciate your candid feedback. Let’s stop the cycle right now.
Here is the absolute reality of what is happening under the hood: Apple’s Migration Assistant fundamentally breaks Roon.
While Migration Assistant is great for standard apps, it clones Roon incorrectly and may cause issues. This is exactly what causes the infinite loading screen and randomly kicks you out.
When you tried a “fresh install” a few weeks ago, you likely only deleted the Roon application itself. The cloned, conflicting database remained hidden deep in your Mac’s system files, which is why the problem inevitably came back.
To permanently get you off square one, we have to completely eradicate that cloned database from the M5 and transfer your library the right way.
1. Create an Official Roon Backup on the M1 Go to your M1 Mac (where Roon works smoothly), navigate to Settings > Backups, and force a manual backup to a USB drive or a shared network folder.
2. Completely Erase the Cloned Database on the M5 This is the crucial step. On your new M5 Mac:
Roon and RoonServer and move them to the Trash. (More details can be found in our Database Location guide).3. Install and Restore
This process forces the M5 Mac to generate a brand-new, unique Roon instance, while keeping all your music, playlists, and edits perfectly intact.
Vadim,
I found folders named “Database” inside 4 folders named “Roon”, “RoonGoer”, “RoonServer”, and “RoonServer_old” (the last one I created it the first this happen back in February). Do I have to delete all 4 folders?
Vadim,
I deleted all the folders and re-installed Roon and it worked. Good news.
However, when I tried to restore a backup, I’ve got a message that reads: “There was an error retrieving the backup listing (InvalidRoot). Please check the backup folder and try again.
Currently the backup folder is stored in the documents folder. It’s got 542MB of info.
I’d appreciate guidance to restore the backup.
We are sorry to see you have run into this problem.
Please upload your backup to our Media Uploader so we can inspect it.
Additionally, please clarify if you are attempting to restore this backup on the same version of Roon Server that it was originally taken from.
Thanks.
Alex, welcome to the parade!
I’uploaded the .zip backup file.
I created the backup file I’m attempting to restore about 1 month ago. I don’t know if the backup file was created with a different Roon Server version. It seems unlikely.
Hi @Santiago_Ferro,
Here’s what’s happening:
The error you posted means Roon can see the folder you selected, but it doesn’t detect a valid Roon backup structure inside it.
After a migration (especially from Time Machine), the structure often ends up one level deeper than expected.
What Roon expects is a folder structure like this:
RoonBackups
└── b498f2e0-2cdd-7b59-35ae-0f6cdb8e5f51
└── _roon_backup_
├── manifest.json
├── RoonServer
└── ...The important detail is that when restoring, you should select the top-level backup folder (for example RoonBackups), not the UUID folder and not the roon_backup folder.
What I’d suggest:
First, open Finder and navigate to:
/Users/.../DocumentsThen open the RoonBackups folder and check what’s inside.
If you see a long random-looking folder name (something like b498f2e0-2cdd-7b59-35ae-0f6cdb8e5f51), that’s correct. When restoring in Roon, select the RoonBackups folder itself.
If instead you see roon_backup directly inside RoonBackups, then the structure got flattened during the migration. In that case, create a new folder with any name (for example backup1) and move roon_backup into it so the structure becomes:
RoonBackups
└── backup1
└── _roon_backup_Then try the restore again.
Please let us know if this makes sense. We’re happy to answer any questions.
Hi Connor, welcome back to the parade!
First, there was no migration. I installed Roon Feb 16 after having issues. The backup was created then.
Second, I followed your suggestion, found the folder with the “random-looking” name and selected first this folder, and then the RoonBackups folder with no success: I’ve got the same message multiple times “There was an error retrieving the backup listing (InvalidRoot). Please check the backup folder and try again”.
Hi @Santiago_Ferro,
This seems to be conflicting information, are you able to clairfy if you used Time Machine to migrate your mac system profile over to the machine you’re having issues with?
Where does your backup folder normally live?
Could you please share a screenshot of the folder you’re selecting specifically?
Since your backup is in the Documents folder, Windows or macOS might be blocking Roon from reading it due to security settings.
RoonBackups folder.
Let me know if either help, thank you! 