Server Version#:1.18.4.2171
Player Version#:4.12.3 Web Interface in Chrome (2020-Jan-11)
I just installed Plex today. (Jan 11th 2020). I specifically set up a temporary folder for Movies to test it out. I did not know that Plex was going to scan and add music and photos since I skipped the steps to choose folders for that, it just added the default Windows 10 folders. I currently want NO music or photos in Plex.
I have ‘X’d’ out the default Music and Photo folders and added new ones pointing to an empty folder called ‘Empty Folder’. However the music and photos from before is still there after a new scan.
I uninstalled Plex and reinstalled it, and the music and photos are still there.
How do I force Plex to forget I have any media at all, so i can add folders from scratch? Do I need to make a new account?
Also, is there an option for Plex to NEVER actually ‘Delete’ my media from my computer, but just from it’s ‘Plex Library’? I manage all of my media through WIndows Explorer and never want a separate program to delete items ‘automagically’ because it thinks it knows what I want more than I do. (like how iTunes 12 always wanted to do with my podcasts)
With the exception of DVR recordings, Plex has no facility to delete your files unless you specifically enable it. I’ve never used the DVR, but I think you have that choice there as well. Might be wrong on that.
To remove movies, music, photos, etc., from Plex, simply delete the libraries you created. I haven’t run the Plex install process in quite a while, but I don’t remember it automatically creating libraries without you telling it where to look.
Thanks @OttoKerner to for the ‘Allow Media Deletion’ checkbox location!
@beckfield, When I first installed Plex yesterday, during the setup process there was a step where it showed Movies, Music and Photos as media for me to set the library folder.
The Media library was defaulted to point to c:\Users\username\Videos. I changed this to a new folder, c:\Users\Documents\Temp Plex Movies, where I copied various movies to test out.
I skipped setting Music and Photos, thinking that Plex would only scan folders I OK’d. It seems that Plex will add anything in c:\Users\username\Videos, c:\Users\username\Music and c:\Users\username\Photos by default if you don’t change anything in the initial setup.
Since I can’t seem to get rid of those music tracks by pointing the library folder to a different (empty) folder, taht is why I wanted to wipe the data from my Plex.
When you uninstall Plex and then reinstall it, it either doesn’t delete everything during the uninstall (which is BS) or it saves something about your library to your online Plex account that gets re-added when you reinstall.
When I reinstalled Plex, it autoimatically signed me back in again and had my previous media show up again as it was when I reinstalled it.
THAT is why I would like the ability to tell Plex, “Yo dude, how about you just forget about the media I told you about before, please?. I promise I will tell you about some other media I have. Thanks dude!” Or, to only remove my library’s ‘metadata’ without it thinking I want to wipe my hard drive.
Long story made short, this is what worked to clear media from my library and start from scratch.
Step 1: Click ‘Settings’ icon in upper right, then Settings > Library, and in the main window UNcheck ‘Allow media deletion’
Step 2: Click ‘Settings’ icon in upper right, then Settings > Manage > Libraries. In the main window, find the Library you want to delete and click on the hamburger menu and choose Delete.
A popup window will read as ‘Delete Library’ and show ‘The library “name” will be removed from this server. Your media files will not be affected. This can’t be undone.’
Check the box for 'Yes, delete the library “name”. Note that the dark red DELETE button is now bright red. Click the red DELETE button.
Step 3: Click ‘Settings’ icon in upper right, then Settings > Manage > Libraries, and in the main window click ’ Add Library’.
Step 1 is necessary as far as I can tell because if I did not do that,.when I clicked ‘Delete’, the Plex dialog box told me it would delete my files, not to only delete them from the library.
