Cannot kill link to wrong movie file!

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
1

Server Version#:1.18.3.2156
Player Version#: Newbie - not sure where to find this.

I set up my Plex server about 6 weeks ago. Things were going fine - I now have 600 movies plus some TV shows, and continuing to add more. A couple of days ago, I added movie, and as expected, Plex showed it in my library with the correct poster, etc. When I played it in Media Player, I discovered that it was a documentary telling about how, where movie was made, interesting facts about the director, actor, etc.

So to try to correct that, I returned to the DVD and ripped it again, this time making sure I saved the actual movie, and not the documentary. I then replaced the documentary file with the file of the actual movie. To my surprise, when I played the movie in the Plex Player - it was STILL playing the original file - the documentary.!

So, before just jumping here and asking for help, I accessed the options available through the 3 vertical dots on the poster, and tried having Plex to: “Scan Library Files”, “Refresh Metadata”, “Unmatch”, Fix Match, Delete Download, etc. It’s STILL play the documentary!

So, I tried “Delete”. Strangely, It listed 2 identical files (Windows Explorer shows only one). Anyway, I deleted both (while still in Plex). And indeed, Windows Explorer showed that that file was deleted from the drive on which all of my movies are stored, and the poster for that movie then disappeared from Plex’s Library.

I had a backup copy of the actual movie file, so I copied it to the folder holding all of my movies. Plex then showed a poster for the movie, and I thought SUCCESS! Nope! When I clicked play on the poster, the documentary started playing AGAIN! Now, after checking things a little later (hoping Plex would somehow correct this problem), the link is dead! Looking at the “Media Info” for the movie, it shows the correct file name and location where all of my other movies are located.

I’ve read some about clearing Plex’s Cache. However, I’m not finding the cache (in Windows Explorer) as explained in online articles nor in YouTube videos. Not sure if that is where the documentary continues to play from, or what!

So, I’m stumped! Thanks for any help any can provide.

2

have you played the movie file with a player on windows


3

Try the Plex Dance.

This essentially makes it like the files were never in Plex, then you put back only the desired files.

  1. Move the movie and documentary out of the library, to a place where Plex cannot see the files (some place Plex doesn’t scan).
  2. scan the library (to detect changes)
  3. empty trash
  4. clean bundles
  5. double check naming schema and put back only the movie file, not the documentary.
  6. scan the library

If you want to keep the documentary, review Plex guidelines for Naming & Organizing Your Media. Specifically, the Local Files for Trailers and Extras document.

An example, from the support document:

/Movies
   /Avatar (2009)
      Avatar (2009).mkv
      /Behind The Scenes
         Performance Capture.mkv
      /Deleted Scenes
         Bar Fight.mp4
         Lost Sister.mkv
      /Interviews
         Sigourney Weaver.mp4
         Stephen Lang.mp4
      /Scenes
         Arrival.mp4
      /Trailers
          Teaser Trailer.mp4
          Theatrical Trailer #1.mp4
          Theatrical Trailer #2.mp4
4

Yes nydave69, I didn’t want to look totally foolish and have the wrong file in my library, so I confirmed the movie file and not the documentary file was the file I have on the drive containing all of my movie files. But that is a good first step given that both files are named the same.

Thanks FordGuy61. Really appreciate the details, but the danged documentary still plays. I carefully repeated the “Plex Dance” steps twice, which included moving the movie file to a thumb drive, ejecting and removing it. Documentary still plays!

So, determined to root out this zombie documentary, I did the following steps.

  1. Deleted the move file from the drive from which Plex uses as the source for these files
  2. Ejected both a backup drive and a thumb drive, both which have a copy of the movie file.
  3. Ran Windows Disk Cleanup Utility on all three internal drives - probably won’t help, but just trying anything that might.)
  4. Ran CCleaner - again, just trying anything.
  5. Restarted computer.
  6. Refreshed all metadata.
  7. Emptied trash.
  8. Cleaned bundles.
  9. Optimized database.
    Settings are:
  • Scan my library automatically
  • Run a partial scan when changes are made
  • Empty trash automatically after every scan
  • Allow media deletion

Now before copying the movie file back to the drive from which Plex uses as a source, I did a search of “This PC”, which found 42 “Info.xml” files that contained a reference to the name of the movie (which is also the name of the documentary.) They are dated from when I first added the file to the target drive to the last time I ran the Plex Dance. I worry that this is where the zombie documentary is playing from, but don’t know enough about these files to take any actions.

I’ve read a number of comments in different threads in which Plex eventually corrected problems similar to this, if given time. I don’t know why the manual steps in the Plex Dance wouldn’t do the same, but I’m at a loss of what else to do. So, unless someone has a different approach, I’m just gonna leave the movie file off the computer for about a week. Then, I’ll add it back to the target drive. But, I remain concerned that the zombie documentary will STILL crawl up from it’s grave (.xml files?)

5

open the .xml file in a text editor and see what information it contains


6

If the documentary / movie / whatever still shows up in Plex and plays, then the file is still on your computer and still in a location that can be scanned by Plex Media Server.

  1. Set your system to gather log information. PMS Settings -> General. Check Enable Plex Media Server debug logging. Do not enable verbose logs.

  2. Using Plex Web, move your mouse over the icon for the video.

  3. Hover over the lower right corner. Left click on the vertical ellipsis. Choose Get Info.

  4. It will show you the path to the file.

  5. In Windows Explorer, delete the file. Hopefully you’re using individual folders for each movie. If so, delete the folder as well.

  6. Now scan all libraries: Hover over server name, select vertical ellipsis on right, choose Scan Library Files.

  7. When scan is finished, Empty Trash, Clean Bundles, and Optimize the Database, waiting for each to finish before proceeding. These choices are under Manage Server, immediately below Scan Library Files.

The above will remove the file from Plex Media Server and its associated database entries.

If the video(s) remain in your system, then you have more than one copy in your libraries. Repeat above steps until all instances of the video are gone.

If the video cannot be removed, then something wonky is happening with your system. Stop. Gather log files. Post the entire ZIP file to this thread. Also attach the Plex XML information for the video that cannot be removed. Attach the info as a .txt file. The forum does not accept XML attachments.

Once all instances of the videos are removed, proceed:

Now, using MakeMKV, re-rip the movie, and only the movie, from the DVD. Rip it to a location not visible to Plex Media Server.

(Optional) Using MKVToolNix, make any desired changes to header information, chapter titles, etc.

Name the movie and put it in a folder per Plex’s recommended naming & organization, linked in my first post (ex: /Movies/movie name (year)/movie name (year).ext).

Move the folder with movie to the desired location to be scanned by PMS.

If it exists, delete the file/folder/etc from the location where you ripped it.

Now scan all libraries in PMS (as in step #6 above). Give your server a few minutes to pick up the movie and download metadata.

That should take care of things. The movie should be visible to your Plex clients.

If something still goes wrong, then it is time to post logs and XML info, as detailed above.

7

Take a look at the Plex media info


of the poster that still plays the documentary.
It should tell you exactly the folder and file name of the file.

Maybe it will tell you more than one file name, which means you are dealing with a mismatch with several file versions.

8

Thanks again FordGuy61. The movie with which I am having problems is Rio Bravo. In addition to having a bulldog attitude toward such matters, that movie is one my favorites. So, I’m doubly motivated to make this work! :slight_smile:

So that all may visualize my server configuration, I have four internal drives:
C: SSD which holds the OS
D: DVD RW drive - which is empty
E: SSD - Plex Temp Files + 4 more folders that contain nothing related to Plex
F: HDD - Four folders (not counting RECYCLE and System Volume Info.): Documentaries, Movies, Music, and TV Shows.

All files in the four folders on F: follow the organization and naming scheme you described, with one exception. I included in the name of each folder the source - which in this case was a DVD.

So, it has been in F:\Movies\Rio Bravo (1959) DVD\Rio Bravo (1959).mkv

That location has always been the same - as revealed by the vertical ellipsis on the icon - whether it was the documentary, or now the film file.

So, before following the procedure you described, I had a slim hope that the inclusion of “DVD” in the name just might be the root of the problem (even though it had not been for my other almost 600 movie files). So, I dropped the “DVD” in the folder name and copied the Rio Bravo movie file from a thumb drive back to the Movies folder on F. So the path was then F:\Movies\Rio Bravo (1959)\Rio Bravo (1959).mkv

PMS saw this addition, and created a “generic” icon. But, when clicked, it STILL played the documentary. :weary:

Sooo, on to the procedure you described


I found the Enable Plex Media server debugging button in “Debug” section, rather than in the General. I set it to “Debug Level”: Enabled.

I scanned my User directory on C:, and Windows found nothing. I scanned all of E:, which as previously mentioned, the search results showed a number of “Info.xml” files that contained that term. I scanned ALL of F:, and nothing showed up.

Before making my original post here in this forum, I had already ripped the file using MakeMKV. I it is on a thumb drive. (Yes, I ran it and confirmed it is the movie file, and not the documentary so I wouldn’t end up looking totally stupid.) So the thumb drive is now off the PMS computer. Actually, right now I don’t think I still have a copy of the documentary just so I wouldn’t get them confused. Once this mess is corrected, I’ll go back to the DVD, rip the documentary, and add it in the hierarchy as you described in your first post in this thread.

Next, I emptied both the RECYCLE.BIN on F:\ as an insurance. Next, I went to Settings>MANAGE>Libraries. I clicked the vertical ellipsis on Movies and clicked “Empty Trash”. I repeated for Documentaries, TV Shows and Music.

Next, I went to MANAGE>Troubleshooting and clicked the “CLEAN BUNDLES” button. Got the “Bundles cleaned” response.

Next, in the same window, I clicked “OPTIMIZE DATABASE”, and got the response “Optimize database complete”.

I connected the thumb drive to another computer and confirmed that it contained only the Rio Bravo movie file, and not the documentary.

Returned the thumb drive to the PMS computer and copied the Rio Bravo file to F:\Movies\

Opened the settings in PMS, went to MANAGE>Libraries, clicked the vertical ellipsis next to Movies and selected “Scan Library Files”. Repeated with Documentaries, TV Shows and Music libraries.

Opened up the Plex Medial Player - on another computer - and
the DOCUMENTARY still starts to play! :sob:

So, have attached the Log file and the Plex XML information. Having never done these last two steps, please let me know if I’ve done them incorrectly. And thanks again for you patience and help!

Rio Bravo Media Info.txt (1.1 KB)

Plex Media Server Logs_2020-01-09_19-52-18.zip (3.5 MB)

9

Have you tried to play the file in question with something other than plex?

It sounds like you are ripping the wrong video and or the wrong audio track.

10

Thanks for the files and for the info.

The log files reference two directories, one with “DVD” and one without:

DEBUG - Content-Length of F:\Movies\Rio Bravo (1959)\Rio Bravo (1959).mkv is 6995336082 (of total: 6995336082)

DEBUG - Content-Length of F:\Movies\Rio Bravo (1959) DVD\Rio Bravo (1959).mkv is 6769063433 (of total: 6769063433).

Double check what is on your F: drive.

Edit: I saw that you mentioned renaming with and without “DVD”. However, these messages are intermixed, so just double check things.

Also, as @TeknoJunky mentions, play the file with VLC or some other player. Make sure you’re loading the correct file into Plex.

1 Like
11

VLC continues to be my primary player, has been for some time on both computers and laptop. In Windows Explorer, as usual, a search only reveals the movie file in its folder on F: drive, and nothing else.

If I start that file in VLC from Windows Explorer, it plays the movie. If I play it through PMS, the documentary plays. Just were I started. I sure wish I could submit a video of this process, seeing is believing.

And I agree, the documentary HAS to be somewhere on the computer, but for the life of me, I remain unable to find it. I’ve been a Windows user for more than twenty years and have never run into something like this. But then, Plex is new to me.

Thanks again for all that you did to try to help. Unless you have more ideas, my last resort is to leave the movie file off the computer that houses PMS for at least a week or two and hope somehow that PMS will erase its connection to the documentary.

Regardless of this little problem, I am just amazed of how I can now share my media with family. After I finish ripping the remaining VHSs and DVDs that I have, I’m on to posting the MANY home videos and God only knows how many family photos so that all can have easy access, from our grandchild in Guam (I guess they have Internet there :kissing:) to another grandchild in Florida and all our large family in between.

12

fordguy appears to already identify it in the post above yours.

also, if you start a movie and it is the wrong file, you can use the plex web context menu > get info and it will tell you the exact path.

13

Using Plex Web:

  • In movie pre-play screen, click on ellipsis at top.
  • Click on More Info.
  • Media Info window shows path to whatever Plex is playing. It might be the movie, it might be the documentary misnamed as the movie, it might be something else. But that’s the file Plex is playing.

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1 Like
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Yes sir, I know. The catch is that I named both the files the same. The Rio Bravo Media Info.txt shows the path and name of the file: F:\Movies\Rio Bravo (1959) DVD\Rio Bravo (1959).mkv And if I go to that file in Windows Explorer, double click it, it plays the movie in my default player, VLC.

If I play it through Plex’s icon, it plays the documentary.

I’ve stared at this so much that I double checked myself. I copied the path from the Media Info window and pasted it into a window of Windows Explorer, then play it there (with VLC), it plays the movie.

If delete that file, either through Windows Explorer, OR through the File Info Screen (seen below), the icon disappears. If I then do a search of F:\ drive, the file is not found.

If I copy the movie file back from another source, such as from the thumb drive, to the F:\ drive, the icon reappears. If I repeat the process with Windows Explorer or through Plex, I get the same results!

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15

Following my science training, I decided to eliminate as many variables as I can. So, I created a new folder on the F:\ drive, named “Zombie Movies”. :joy: I copied the movie file from the thumb drive to that folder, so there is only ONE file in that folder. I used VLC player to make doubly dog sure that it was the MOVIE file, and it is.

I then created a new Plex Library that uses the Zombie Movies folder as its data source. When I open that Library, as expected, there’s only one icon. I played the movie through that icon, the DOCUMENTARY plays.

So, trying to eliminate maybe another variable. I deleted that library through Plex.

I rebooted.

This time I created a Zombie Movies folder on my E:\ drive. I copied the movie file to that folder. I played it through VLC player to confirm it was the movie file.

I then returned to Plex and created a new movie Library based on the Zombie Movies folder on the E:\ drive. Again as expected an icon appeared in that library. When I click the play button on that Icon, the DOCUMENTARY plays! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

I’m telling you, the documentary keeps coming back from the “dead”.

My electrical engineer son won’t be in for a while. But when he’s here, I’ll get him to watch over my shoulder to confirm that I’m not doing something stupid. No ideas what to do until then.

16

Are confusing a documentary with a commentary audio track?

Ie the video is the movie, the audio is the director’s or actors commentary.

17

Are you using the Plex web client or the Plex desktop app to test playback of the file? I ask because the desktop app supports a feature which allows you to download a local copy of the movie. This local download survives the delete and re-scan process (though it doesn’t show as a synced download in the app any longer). So it’s possible that if you performed a local download and subsequently deleted the movie from your library, the local download is still lying around causing issues.

You can check for the presence of a downloaded copy by checking the following path on the system on which you are running the desktop app, if you are doing so:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Plex\Plex Media Server\Sync\

If present, the movie will be in a subdirectory of that path, generally a number and .grab.

18

Did you (in the preferences of the Plex client) enable ‘trailers’ to play before a movie? You might wanna switch that off for a while.

19

TeknoJunky, I unchecked “Find trailers and extras automatically”. However, the documentary runs about the length of the actual movie since the narrator is commenting about many things related to the movie. So, I can’t see this as the problem, but what the heck
doesn’t hurt.

OttoKerner, the movie starts with a guitar playing the theme music, whereas the documentary starts with the voice of the commentator. I’ve looked at the beginning of both of them so many times, I can almost immediately tell which one is playing.

phillipsw, that’s an interesting idea. I’ve seen a number of references to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Plex\Plex Media Server\Sync, but I don’t know what that refers to.

Assuming it falls under my User folder on my OS drive, I did a “run” command" and entered that string. That led me to [C:\Users[My user name]\AppData\Local\Plex\Plex Media Server\Sync\1\1.grab (I’m a little paranoid, so prefer not to show my actual user name.) There were more subfolders under Sync, but they contained nothing.

I thought I stumbled upon some files under C:\Users[My user name]\AppData\Local\Plex\Plex Media Server\Cache\PhotoTranscoder\bb. But, they was just two .jpg files of the poster for the movie.

Hey fellows, I really appreciate the continuing flow of suggestions. I’d be ecstatic to announce we’ve finally found a solution!

20

Could you post the whole Plex XML info of the movie/documentary?