Longtime Windows user trying to set up Unraid for future PlexPass server use. I am worried that my Windows file management practices will screw up my data with Unraid. (read below)

 

I first set up Unraid (6.12.8) with a 14tb data drive that formatted with 'xfs' after pre-clear, and created a share called 'Media'. I created sub-folders called 'Movies', 'TV', 'Documentaries', etc. for future file copying use.

 

I am manually copying data folders (videos & music) from my the first of several 12-14tb Win-10 connected USB drives to the 'Media' share. I am using Windows Explorer and copying in 200-500gb bunches. I am comparing file byte size in Windows Folder Properties between the two drives before copying the next bunch. When the first drive is copied over, it will be shucked and added to the server, and I'll continue until all drives are copied over.

 

The main reason to set up a server in the first place was to stop having to split up my media across many drives and crazy folder names, like "TV-animated", "TV-Hour", "TV-Half-Hour", "Movies-Franchises-Sequels", Movies-before1970", "Music-Check-Tags", etc.

 

I plan on consolidating / moving around / renaming the folder names after I have everything copied to the server in one 'share', but at first the server 'Media' share will have several TV, Movie and other media folders in it.

 

I'm almost done copying the first drive and wanted to start setting up Plex to try out what I copied, about 12 TB of data out of a total 70 TB or so. when I got confused watching tutorials...

 

 

Q1) I read that I should 'copy' and not 'move' files to Unraid because file names can be messed up when 'moving' files. I', not sure why 'moving' is bad but that's how I am copying files over. But is there an 'Unraid safe' file manager that won't let me accidently 'move' something that shouldn't not be moved but 'copied' instead?

 

Q2) I can rename and capitalize file and folder names in Windows, but what do I watch out for when managing files and folders with Unraid?

 

Q3) I ran home Plex on my older Windows PC, so I know a little about it. All of the Unraid - Plex tutorials I see mention creating a new 'share' for Plex. Is this right? Shouldn't I point Plex (binhex-plex or the official Plex app) to the existing Unraid 'Media' share, and then go into Plex GUI and there choose the sub-folders to use for Plex?

 

Sorry for the long post, but I want to copy the data correctly before I get too far along and copy, shuck, pre-clear wipe and install them.

q1) move should be fine, i've not personally had any issues with file names messing up with move compared to copy, although i'd suggest copy over move in case something goes wrong during the transfer then you still have the original data. you can install the dynamix file manager plugin to manage data from the unraid webui directly if you need that or install a container like krusader

q2) windows capitalization doesn't really matter as you can reference the data by lower or upper case no matter what the actual filenames are set as, with linux case matters so Media and media are 2 completely different folders. the way you deal with this is really how you want things personally and then just point things correctly

q3) you can/should use your current share and just point plex to the folders you are wanting the different libraries to be reading from.

overall i think you are doing it the correct way and the way that most would do it

Thanks @jcofer555 , for the clarification, especially on the moving / copying thing, and on the capitals vs Capitals different files & folders thing with Linux.

 

q4: Since I can see the Unraid server across my network from my Windows 10 pro PC, would dynamix or another Unraid file manager be able to see my Windows attched USB drives? Would it be 'better' (faster? safer) in some way to copy data across the local network from Windows USB drives TO the Unraid server FROM within an Unraid file manager, or is doing it from Windows Explorer more or less the same thing?

 

Thanks in advance

Edited April 12, 20242 yr by YaSo
typos

it should be pretty much the same if you do it either way. if you do it from unraid you can use the unassigned devices plugin to map an smb share from windows by which you'd share your external usb drive from within windows and then connect to it with the UD (unassigned devices) plugin and then you'd have access to those files from within unraid so really it's your choice there.

Cool, I'll look up creating SMB shares later, it would be nice to manage my Unraid & Windows files from my laptop in the future. I still need to learn more about Unraid, (what are all of these dockers?) and learn more about getting PlexPass set up with accounts and other stuff. Thanks again for the info!