Corrupt files after updating Wester Digital My Passport Pro Plex server

Plex Media Server
1

Been having the strangest issue with my three Wester Digital My Passport Pro (WD MPP) drives lately.

ISSUE:

  • Every time I copy MKV files (1080p and 2160P) from my MacBook Pro to any of my WD MPPs, the movie files start to skip and glitch while playing wirelessly via Plex.

  • When I attach any of the MPPs back to my MacBook via USB and try playing the files with VLC, they do the same thing at the same points in time in the videos as they did wirelessly via Plex.

  • When checking the original MKV file (prior to copying to my MPPs), the files play fine on my MacBook.

  • When I copy the glitchy/corrupt file back to my MacBook from MPPs, the file is still corrupt and glitches while playing on the MacBook with VLC.

  • When I run the original MKV file through MKVToolNix, I get no errors, but when I run the same glitchy file (that I copied back to my MacBook), it shows several sync and other errors.

WHEN DID THIS START:

  • I noticed this issue after updating all three of MPPs Plex server to the most recent 1.30.2.6563-3d4dc0cce. The update is done via the .local URL where I manage MPPs.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:

  • It appears all other MKV files that were on MPPs prior to the server update were not affected and play fine.

  • I’ve tried copying at least 10 different files to MPPs and all 10 glitch so it’s not an issue with the original files themselves.

  • I’ve tried running disk utility and for 1st drive it fixed a “bitmap” issue; 2d drive it gave an error while running utility and couldn’t finish; 3rd drive ran utility and said there were no errors.

Thanks to anyone that can help

2

Sounds like you have a drive or two failing, and corrupting your files.

3

3 separate drives failing at the same time? Seems unlikely.

Files I transferred and played on these drives mid-Jan (2 weeks ago) worked fine. Any files transferred post PMS are glitching. Evidence seems to point to the PMS update affecting WD My Passport Pro wireless drives.

4

Plex doesn’t alter your files in any way unless you ask it to by optimizing them. Putting something on your server is a read only process

Plex receives a lot of updates and often this gets blamed for a problem that has popped up around the same time. This does happen but you usually see a lot of other people in here complaining about the same exact issue

2 out of your 3 drives seemed to have some kind of error or need a repair

Even though your MacBook plays the files ok doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something to do with this

Maybe files getting transferred off the MacBook get damaged no matter where you move them to

  1. Try downloading something using a different device and transfer the file that way eliminating the MacBook from the equation. Preferably to the drive that showed no errors and completed the utility you ran

  2. Take a file that is currently in Plex playing fine. Copy it to the mac and then back to the drive and see if it then becomes damaged

5

Thanks for the info. I’m gonna do some troubleshooting and update this post in couple days.

6

It appears that copy/paste temporarily fixes the issue. Moving files between my MacBook and the WD MPPs creates the issue. My MacBook or my MPPs is obviously the culprit but because I don’t have another computer to download and test the transfer to MPPs, I’ll be using the copy/paste fix for now.