# Cannot add back deleted file

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419 "2019-11-29T01:04:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gronk](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/gronk/32/161277_2.png) [@Gronk](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Gronk)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419/1 "2019-11-29T01:04:03Z")

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I accidentally deleted a file in Plex (not sure what happened but it disappeared) but it remains on my NAS. I have tried the following to get it back into Plex to no avail:

- rescanning files multiple times
- moving the file out of my NAS then adding it back
- moving the file out of my NAS, renaming it and adding it back
- re-index files on my NAS

With the latter option the file did reappear briefly in my ‘Recently Added’ but then disappeared.

Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![JasonNalley](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/jasonnalley/32/24210_2.png) [@JasonNalley](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JasonNalley)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:10am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419/2 "2019-11-29T01:10:03Z")

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If it’s a movie library, go to it

- select the drop down for “All”
- go to “Duplicates”
- if you have any duplicates, click the “Get Info” on them by going to the three dots
- when you find the file, click the 3 dots again, and go to “Split Apart”.
- go back to “All” under the drop down at the top
- Go to the movie that was a duplicate, and click get info on each file
- find the one that’s matched wrong, and do “Fix Match” (Provided the file and folder are named correctly

Hopefully this fixes your problem.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gronk](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/gronk/32/161277_2.png) [@Gronk](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Gronk)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419/3 "2019-11-29T01:43:54Z")

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Thanks. Tried that but no luck. It seems like Plex knows what the file is regardless of what I name/rename it, and for whatever reason will not let me add it back. When I add the file it briefly shows up and then “poof” it is gone again.

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**Author:** ![JasonNalley](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/jasonnalley/32/24210_2.png) [@JasonNalley](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JasonNalley)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419/4 "2019-11-29T01:45:12Z")

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Then try the Plex dance.

Remove the file from the library folder

Rescan the library

Empty trash

Optimize Database

Clean Bundles

Add file back

Re-Scan.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/cannot-add-back-deleted-file/498419/5 "2020-02-27T01:45:15Z")

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