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Migration From Another App Is Stuck

You ran the importer to bring your setup over from another media manager. The preview looked right, you applied it, and now something's off: folders missing, paths broken, the import never finished, or the imported library can't find files. This page walks the usual causes.

Common causes, in order of likelihood

  1. Offline folders weren't relinkedThe other tool used paths that MetaTana can't reach (a different computer, mount, or Docker volume). The folders were imported but point at paths that don't exist here.
  2. The preview ran but the import didn'tThe preview finished and you closed the drawer without selecting Apply Import. Nothing was imported; the preview changes nothing.
  3. Wrong folder roleThe other tool organizes folders differently, and some folders came in with the wrong role (library versus incoming).
  4. NFO files MetaTana can't readThe other tool wrote NFOs in a layout MetaTana doesn't recognize. They're on disk, but the first scan identifies everything from scratch instead.
  5. Provider keys didn't come overEncrypted keys in the other tool's config can't be imported, and plain-text ones wait for you to confirm them. Until you add the keys in Settings › Providers › Your keys, lookups fail with a missing-key error (Pro accounts use hosted metadata instead).

Diagnose

Check the import report

Open Settings › Maintenance › Backups and select Import… on Import a tinyMediaManager setup. Each import is listed under Import history with a report that lists:

  • Folders imported, failed, or skipped
  • Settings imported or skipped
  • Offline folders (not reachable when you imported)
  • Keys and folders you still need to reconnect

Check Folders

Open Folders. Each folder's row shows its path and state, such as Paused or Offline. Confirm:

  • The folders you expected are listed
  • They aren't Paused
  • Their path works from where MetaTana runs (the host path on desktop, the container path in Docker)
  • Their Folder role (in Edit folder › More options) fits the content: Library for media you keep, Incoming for new media

Check Activity for failed scans

Open Activity. Search for the folder, or set Show to Problems. A scan of an imported folder that found no files almost always means its path is offline.

Check whether the NFOs were read

Open one of the imported titles and select ⋯ › Rescrape…. Why this match says how the match was found. If it names the NFO, MetaTana read it. If it says the match came from a title search or the file name only while an NFO sits next to the file, MetaTana didn't recognize that NFO.

Fix

  • Offline paths: in the import report, use Relink imported source on each offline folder and point it at the path where it is now (for example /Volumes/Old Media becomes /library). The folders update without running the whole import again.
  • Import never applied: open the importer again, preview, and select Apply Import.
  • Wrong folder role: change it in Folders › Edit folder › More options › Folder role. Be careful: any role other than Library sends new files through Arrivals in the Inbox.
  • NFOs MetaTana can't read: the safest fix is to let MetaTana scrape from the providers. Make sure a provider is set up (Pro, or your own key in Settings › Providers › Your keys), then use Rescan all files in the folder's ⋯ menu on Folders. Once MetaTana has its own metadata, Write NFO writes new NFOs in a format your other tools can read too.
  • Provider keys: add the keys you want in Settings › Providers › Your keys. The old tool's encrypted keys can't be reused.
Back up before running it again Running the import again is mostly safe, but before a large relink or role change, select Back up now first. See Recipes: back up your library.

Going deeper