Choose a profile-data copy rather than a full replacement
Emby documents a targeted Backup & Restore operation for copying playback state and favorites to a different user account. This is useful when reorganizing your own server profiles. It is a narrower task than restoring an entire server, and it should begin with a clear source account and destination account.
Write down the intended mapping privately before opening the restore controls. Two accounts with similar display names can still represent different people and histories. Confirm that the person administering the server is authorized to copy the selected user data. Do not use another household member’s profile as a convenient test dataset.
Verify the backup and the destination first
Confirm that the backup contains the source user and represents the state you intend to copy. Inspect its date and the server’s backup information. An older backup can legitimately contain an earlier watched position or fewer favorites than the current account. That is a data-selection issue, not necessarily a failed restore.
Inspect the existing destination profile and preserve its current state through the server’s normal backup workflow before modifying it. Decide how you will verify the result using a few known items. A title with a distinctive saved position and a known favorite make more useful checks than a vague expectation that the whole library will look familiar.
Use the documented extraction and mapping route
From Backup & Restore in the dashboard’s Advanced section, Emby’s guide uses Extract User Data from Backup. Select the original user or users from that backup, then use the dropdown mapping to choose the intended local destination user for each. Read every mapping before proceeding.
The documented route then uses Restore from Backup and asks for confirmation. Treat that as a real modification of the selected profile data. Do not confirm while the destination identity is uncertain, and do not select extra users merely because the interface permits multiple selections. Keep the operation aligned with the private mapping you prepared.
Verify the actual destination session
After the operation, sign in as the destination user and inspect the known watched position and favorite. Keep client caching and account selection in mind: an old session under the source user would not establish that the destination received anything. Confirm the visible user before interpreting the library.
Retain the source backup identity, selected mapping and observed examples in the server notes. If the result differs, preserve those details before repeating the operation. The expected outcome is a deliberate profile-data copy with checked examples; it does not establish that all user settings, permissions or media files were transferred by this targeted feature.
Questions answered
Is copying watched state the same as restoring the whole server?
No. Emby documents a targeted extraction and user-mapping route for playback state and favorites.
Which account should I inspect after the operation?
The mapped local destination user. Confirm the signed-in profile and compare a few known watched positions and favorites from the chosen backup.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.