# Library scans entire library **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-linux, server-unraid\ **Created:** [April 5, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696 "2020-04-05T22:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cypher1337](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cypher1337](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cypher1337)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/1 "2020-04-05T22:27:33Z")
can anyone tell me why every time I add a movie or file plex is scanning my entire library. I have it set to only do a partial scan when changes are detected.. attached is my settings. Its real annoying to add a few movies and it starts a 9000 movie scan ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/d/b/dbfe6df85f97192f2f4540bb03054b9252e20501.png) ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/2 "2020-04-05T22:38:50Z")
You might want to verify your OS’ settings for how many folders it will actually monitor. If I remember correctly, the default is something slightly above 8,000 folders – so you might have been pushing it… as a result Plex probably won’t get the specific folder that had been updated but a generic “something happened” to work with. > [@Linux Tips](https://forums.plex.tv/t/linux-tips/276247/9): > > Increase the number of directories Linux can monitor (inotify) for PMS The default size of the Linux inotify table is 8192 directories (\*1). When PMS is configured to update automatically when media is added, with properly organized media, especially music, this table rapidly fills and exceeds the default allocation requiring you to increase it. The solution to this is straight forward. Increasing the table size is easy. The first step is to determine how many directories to alloca… ---
**Author:** ![cypher1337](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cypher1337](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cypher1337)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/4 "2020-04-05T22:52:55Z")
all media is stored on 1 share as such (Folders) Media\> **TV Shows** \> TVShow named folder\> S01,S02, etc\> Filename.mkv **Movies** \> Movie Name\> Moviename.mkv ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/5 "2020-04-05T22:55:26Z")
That doesn’t necessarily seem to be in line with the naming schema proposed by Plex… but it has also nothing to do with my post above. Have you by chance been answering a different thread? ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/6 "2020-04-05T22:56:08Z")
If I may add here? Settings - Server - Library - Show Advanced Turn on “Partial Scan”. It will only scan that which has changed and not scan the entire library. ---
**Author:** ![cypher1337](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cypher1337](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cypher1337)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/7 "2020-04-05T22:56:37Z")
not answering a different thread . I have no issue with it providing meta, I have 9437 folders in my movie folder but is always growing of course ---
**Author:** ![cypher1337](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cypher1337](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cypher1337)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/8 "2020-04-05T22:57:15Z")
I already have that enabled ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/9 "2020-04-05T22:57:42Z")
Have you also increased `fs.inotify.max_user_watches` to account for the 9437 directories? ---
**Author:** ![cypher1337](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@cypher1337](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cypher1337)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/10 "2020-04-05T22:58:40Z")
I have not, not even sure what that is or how to use it. 9437 is current folder count but is growing, how would I use the above command? ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/12 "2020-04-05T22:59:23Z")
If you will please take a look at my How-To , which Tom posted as it tells you how to determine the correct value to use and then shows you how to make the change. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/library-scans-entire-library/568696/14 "2020-07-04T23:00:03Z")
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