Server Version#: 1.43.0.10492
Bug Description:
Plex Media Server fails to reset BIF error metadata—specifically “failureBIFResultCode” and “failureBIFRetryCount” when a file is replaced within a library. Since PMS enforces a hard threshold of 4 retries for BIF generation, any replacement file for an item that previously reached this limit is permanently blocked from BIF generation.
While PMS correctly retains user customization metadata (artwork, titles, timestamps, etc.) when a media file is replaced, it also preserves stale BIF failure metrics. If an item has previously failed BIF generation 4 times, the new file inherits these failure counts, causing PMS to skip processing immediately due to previously failures for a different file.
The only known workaround is the “Plex Dance” (removing, emptying trash, and re-adding), which is suboptimal as it destroys all existing metadata and manual customizations for that library item.
Evidence:
Media item with ratingKey=“651079” has current failureBIFResultCode=“5” and failureBIFRetryCount=“4”. When Plex is asked to generate BIFs for this item it refuses due to previous failures as shown in the below PMS log snippet.
Plex Logs:
Mar 27, 2026 07:40:14.280 [20332] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:50673 (Loopback)] PUT /library/metadata/651079/index (6 live) #47779 Signed-in Token (redacted)
Mar 27, 2026 07:40:14.282 [20332] DEBUG - [Req#47779] LongRunningJobManager [BaseIndexFrameFile]: scheduling job for item 651079, 0 pending.
Mar 27, 2026 07:40:14.282 [8000] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:50673] 200 PUT /library/metadata/651079/index (6 live) #47779 2ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 1)
Mar 27, 2026 07:40:14.283 [17456] DEBUG - [Req#47779/BaseIndexFrameFileManager] building index (320x240) for parts for MetadataItem 651079 (redacted)
Mar 27, 2026 07:40:14.283 [17456] ERROR - [Req#47779/BaseIndexFrameFileManager] skipping part 955970, extraction has failed after multiple previous retry attempts
