So it seems that since upgrading PMS to the latest version, newly dropped content (either Movies or TV Shows) won’t get detected by Plex when it is added to the Library folder. This seems to be because a Library scan gets kicked off and hangs, preventing any new content detection from running.
What generally happens is a movie is added, the file is picked up and indexed in the Library, then shortly thereafter a Library scan will start. Since it then runs indefinitely, any files added after that won’t get get added to the Library. You have the remove the new files, restart the PMS service to kill the Library scan, then redrop the new files before another scan starts. If another Library scan starts, you’re out of luck and need to restart the service again.
Really annoying issue to work around. I’ve seen others on the forums complain of the same issue, but wanted to make a separate thread since this seems like the cause. Hoping it’s fixed soon.
Hmm, I’m having a similar issue, where a particular Library section will sometimes just not stop scanning. I end up having to manually cancel the scan to allow other sections to scan.
On the web interface, find the library that is still scanning. Usually it’s either in the activity drop down or I go to settings - libraries and check. Then on the home page mouse over the library that’s still scanning on the side bar and click on the three dots. You should see a cancel scan option.
Also, check this topic. Looks like Plex are aware of issues.
I am having the same issue. Plex continuously scans my libraries in an infinite loop. I have Plex installed on a Synology 920+ NAS in a docker container. I have tried to downgrade to an older version but so far they have all exhibited the same behavior. I have tried plexinc/pms-docker: latest, plexinc/pms-docker: 1.25.8, plexinc/pms-docker: 1.25.7. I jumped it down to 1.25.4 and even that version has the same behavior.
Found the same problem and glad I searched before posting it.
I have “scan automatically” and “scan periodically” disabled, but “partial scan on changes” enabled.
When I add a new movie or TV episode to the Plex files then go to the media server I can see that there is a scan running for the appropriate library, but there is no activity on the NAS and this scan will never complete. So every time I add a file I have to “cancel scan” and run a manual scan on the library.
It seems that “partial scan on change” is absolutely pointless.
On DSM 6, all of PMS metadata is in the Plex shared folder.
On DSM 7, all of PMS metadata is in the PlexMediaServer shared folder (DSM 7 forced change)
If PMS is constantly scanning, there are usually two causes:
Media was placed where PMS keeps its metadata. Automatic scanning causes an infinite loop because scanning is triggered every time PMS sends a message to itself internally.
Media is being downloaded (third party apps) and PMS is monitoring those directories – while the media is being downloaded.
a. Every new block of downloaded data causes a new “scan library” event.
b. PMS is never allowed to complete because another “scan library” event happens before completing all sections.
Which log should I look in to see what is triggering the scans?
Today I have added one TV episode to “Media/TV Shows” but if I check the library status on the Home display (click the three dots for each library and see whether it says Scan or Cancel Scan) it seems that scans are running for: Movies, TV Shows, Documentary Series, Music Videos; scans are not running for Documentary Features, Other Videos, and Home Videos.
Documentary Features was added to more recently than Series, and all the recent adds are displayed at the front of the recently added lists. So it looks now as though something other than my adding a video file is triggering scans.
I have debug logging enabled as a matter of course.
I canceled all scans and waited for an hour. Nothing happened.
I added one movie file. Waited another hour to see if the “partial scan on change” would do anything. It didn’t, and the movie didn’t appear.
On the Home page I clicked the dots next to Movies and selected Scan Library Files. The movie appeared, the activity indicator spun around a few times and stopped. The dots next to Movies showed Cancel Scan although the scan appeared to have completed. Waited another quarter hour.
Refreshed the page, and Cancel Scan changed to Scan Library Files.
So it’s purely a display issue. The home page will change to Cancel Scan when the scan starts, but will not revert to Scan Files when the scan completes. (I open the Plex Web page in my browser immediately every time the PC reboots and then it just stays open until shutdown, whenever that might be.)
At this point I’m no longer sure that this issue, which (now I understand what’s going on) is extremely trivial, is the same as that reported in this thread.
Thanks for helping me figure out what’s happening.
Some of the music videos are official films which are in the public databases, some are special releases to followers, many are of unknown provenance. I wasn’t sure how to manage this but decided to put them all in one Music Videos library rather than distributing them across movies, tv shows, and other.
You might want to put them in ‘Other Videos’ type section.
Music videos are notorious for being difficult.
If you place them in an ‘other videos’ type library, PMS will use the names you assign and simply ‘store’ them.
I suggest giving it a try (you can create another section which points to the same media files) to see what happens.
