There are a handful of reasons why you may need to restore your Roon database using a saved Backup. A few common reasons are:

1. You’re moving to a new Roon Server device - Setting up a new server? Restoring a backup transfers all your playlists, tags, play history, edits, and settings—so it’s like you never left.

2. Something went wrong - if your server crashes, your drive fails, or something becomes corrupted, a backup lets you pick up right where you left off.

3. You’re troubleshooting - Sometimes, rolling back to a previous backup can help isolate or fix issues if something suddenly stops working as expected.

4. You made a library change you can’t easily undo - Did a bulk edit or import that didn’t go as planned? A recent backup can help you undo it.

Restoring a Backup doesn’t affect or include your music files, just the Roon database. When you restore a Roon backup, it includes:

• Your library database (edits, tags, play history, etc.)

• Settings and preferences

• Audio device configurations

• Playlists and metadata

Step 1: Open Roon and Access the Restore Option

If you're restoring to a new Roon Server:

1. Install Roon and launch it.

2. When prompted to set up a new Roon Server, click "Restore a Backup" on the welcome screen.

   1. Make sure that your new Roon Server has access to your saved Backup location. If you’re having trouble getting your server to see and select this location, get in touch with our Technical Support team here.
      

If you're restoring to an existing Roon Server:

1. Open the Roon app.

2. Go to Settings > Backups.

3. Click “Find Backups”.

4. Choose “Browse” to locate your backup folder (this is where Roon will need proper access to your Backup location).

Step 2: Locate Your Backup

Roon will ask you to choose the folder where your backup is stored. Depending on where your backup lives:

• Local Drive or USB Drive: Browse to the folder and select the RoonBackups directory.

• Network Storage (NAS): Enter the network path (e.g., smb://MyNAS/Backups/RoonBackups). Authenticate if needed.

• Dropbox: Choose Dropbox if you've used it for backups and it's already linked. Sign in if prompted.

  • You’ll want to download the backup to a local device and restore from that location - do not attempt to restore from Dropbox directly, as it can be unstable.

Important: Select the RoonBackups folder itself, not the individual timestamped folders inside.

Step 3: Select the Backup Version

Once Roon reads the backup folder, it will show a list of available backup dates.

1. Choose the version you want to restore.

2. Click Restore.

3. Confirm restore - click Yes

This will commence the restore process. 

Step 4: Restart Roon

After restoration, Roon will prompt you to restart the server.

• Click “Yes” or “Restart”.

• The app may close and reopen, depending on your platform.

• Roon will load with your restored library, settings, and configurations.
  

Step 5: Verify and Reconnect

After the restore is complete:

1. Verify your music files are accessible:

   • Go to Settings > Storage.

   • Make sure your watched folders are still valid (e.g., correct drive paths).

   • Update paths if the storage location changed (e.g., a different drive letter or mount point).

2. Check audio device settings:

   • Go to Settings > Audio.

   • Ensure your endpoints are visible and enabled.

Tips & Best Practices

• Only restore backups using Roon’s built-in tools.

• Don’t copy/paste database folders manually.

• If you're setting up a new Roon Server, restore before connecting to music folders, to avoid unwanted rescans.

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