Library seems to be mixed up as to one file is selected to play and a different file is played

Server Version:1.13.9.5456
Player Version:

Have it installed on a PC with Windows 10.

Am using “Folders” mode to display library.
I have two Portable USB drives attached to the PC.

Don’t seem to have problem with one but with the other Drive when I select a particular
file to play it seems to be the correct one in the correct directory but another file altogether is played… I tried the suggestion of disconnecting the drive from the library and deleting it from the library and scanning the library then “Clean Bundles” “Empty Trash” and then re-attaching the drive and then adding the drive to the library and re-scanning the library and again “Cleaning Bundle” , “Empty Trash” then “Optimizing Database”
Again the wrong file is played when a file is selected.

The only difference with this drive is that there are three directories on it that I access. One if for “Movies”, one for “Music” and another is for “TV Series”. Whereas the other drive just has one directory with “TV Series A” that I attach to the library. Can anybody explain this sttrange behaviour.

Thanks in advance.
The Fly.

Are these files of a TV series you ripped from disk??? I have found that on some disks, especially those from Sony Entertainment are not always in the correct order when they are ripped… Have you tried to play the other file to make sure they are named correctly and not switched some how??? On some TV series disks where there are 4 episodes per disk the first file ripped turned out to actually be the last episode then the second file was the first episode on the disk and so on… Sometimes the last two episodes are switched up… Just a thought without more information… Also, don’t forget to rescan your library every time you change files or file names…

No, files are not mixed up. I am selecting files for one series from its sub-directory of Series and getting an episode from a totally different series.I have no problem with the same files using another media server (PS3 Media Server - I wanted to upgrade to one that supports Chromecast)… I have not changed any names or directories. I simply add episodes from time to time or New Series.

I have tried again to remove this whole drive from the library and run some maintenance tools on the library. Then re-add it and exactly the same files from the same directories are mixed up. Running the files locally from within Windows has no problem but within Plex Media Server it consistently chooses the same incorrect files to play. Very frustrating. Other files and diectories are fine.

I am trying something that I hope will stop this from happening. I had been identifying files as Movies and TV Series. I am now selecting Other Videos in the hope that it stops it misidentifying them and then getting them mixed up. Will let you know how it goes.

I just want to say that re-adding those folders as Other Videos fixed the misidentifying problem. I believe that despite no problems labelling Plex was misindentifying some files as the same and then playing the incorrect files. I never needed all the extra stuff identifying files as TV Series or Movies enabled. Just want to stream files.
Cheers,
The Fly.

Having a similar problem with one particular TV Series, and 1 episode in particular…
Initially didn’t realize anything was amiss… go to watch that Season and the story line isn’t flowing… <turns out was missing Episode 2, and Episode 11 got Renamed as Episode 2> … I found that problem and located the proper Episode 2, Named it properly <IE Show 20 - S02 Ep02 - Episode Name>, and properly renamed Episode 11… Go into the Plex App (on web), and it’s showing “Episode 2”, with the “optimized versions” icon in the upper left corner of the thumbnail.
I click the “Get Info” button and look at that, it’s got:
“Show 20 - S02 Ep11 - Episode Name”
“Show 20 - S02 Ep02 - Episode Name”
showing as the files associated with this episode. All it lets me do is Delete the incorrect file, deleting it from the directory.

Is there any way to …“unlink” ‘Ep 11’ as being Ep 02 and ‘relink’ it to actually BE Episode 11?!

@Vanidor

Move the misnamed file to a directory outside of the library and rename it to the proper name… Do the “PLEX Dance” (You can do a search here on the forums about it)… Then replace the correctly named file back to the library directory and scan the library again… You should be good to go…

This file is far from properly named. You will continue to get weird failings unless you change that.


Using tv shows in Plex for fun & profit:

General Preparation

Go to

  • Settings - Server - Agents - Shows - TheTVDB

In there, grab the line ‘Local Media Assets’ with your mouse and drag it downwards, so it ends up being at the bottom of the stack of active agents.
Repeat the same under

  • Settings - Server - Agents - Shows - TheMovieDatabase
  • Settings - Server - Agents - Movies - Plex Movie
  • Settings - Server - Agents - Movies - TheMovieDatabase

Preparation of file names and folder structure

  1. Look up your show on TheTVDB
  2. Take the title as it is used on TheTVDB. If there is something in parentheses, take that too. If the title contains invalid characters (depends on your file system), like § : % *, simply leave them out.
  3. Check the naming and the folder structure of your show. Name the top folder of the show exactly after the title on TheTVDB. No abbreviations. No additional subfolders. No aliases. Add the (year) in parentheses of when episode 1 of season 1 of this show was aired.
  4. Name the episode files according to the above linked naming guide. Use the same title as for the top folder. Show's Title (year) - s01e01 - additional info.ext (‘- additional info’ can be left out)
  5. After you corrected the naming and folder structure, perform the Plex Dance with all files for this show.

I didn’t use the actual name, just a generic example… but fine for a better example:
Charles in Charge S02 Ep02 - Putting the foot down
Charles in Charge S02 Ep11 - He goes, or I go

Yes, these names will never work in Plex.

And if you use removable drives in Windows, you must make sure that each drive will get the exact same drive letter every time you remove it and plug it in again. Which is not guaranteed by default.

Nope no good…
So far I’ve removed the entire TV show folder to a drive/folder not associated with Plex, scanned the library, emptied the trash, cleaned the bundles… Then gone into the series folder, made sure the files are properly named (and yes mine do follow guidelines, they just don’t have the year after the show name…
IE:
Assassination Classroom S01 E01 - Episode name … all the way to S02 Ep25 - Final Episode, each season in a Season # folder under Series name… again, only thing not in the file name is the (year) [though the (year) IS listed on all, or most of) my movies.

anyways, verified proper files are correctly named, moved the show folder back to the TV folder, re-scanned library files, waited for it to end, go into renewed show folder/area, then to the season in question (2) … Listing Episode 01 02 (with the multi-format icon); Get info on Episode 2, it’s STILL showing:
Assassination Classroom S02 E02 - Kaede Time
Assassination Classroom S02 E11 - Episode 11’s Title

About the only thing I haven’t done is fully close/shut down Plex Media Server & restart it after the “Plex Shuffle”

You are not following the guidelines that @OttoKernerlinked above. Idelaly you should have the year of season 1 episode 1 as he mentioned to aid in matching. However if there is no other show with the same name you might have luck matching without the year, But the show information you showed above is not correct:

should be:
Assassination Classroom - S02E02 - Kaede Time
Assassination Classroom - S02E11 - Episode 11’s Title

Yes, there is no other show with that name, and within Plex, it’s Matched correctly… as for the - between name and season, I just mis-keyed it here, in the folder it’s named correctly…though I’ll see about going back and adding the year to S1E1…and this seems to be the only show/set of episodes giving me this paoblem.

Very well…Once more Removed the Series folder out of the way, scanned library files, emptied trash, clear bundles…
Re-checked everything…
Videos/TV/Assassination Classroom
Season 1 folder, Season 2 folder under Main AC folder.
Renamed episodes to include the year
Assassination Classroom (2015) S01E01 - … all the way through Assassination Classroom (2015) S02E25 - … [Reason for adding the year after every episode? I Assassination Classroom (2015) - … comes after Assassination Classroom - when in alphabetical order.]

Moved Series folder BACK to TV folder, Scan library files; Watched correct box art/thumbnail(s) appear; Entered Series sub menu, Enter Season 2 submenu…
Assassination Classroom (2015) - S02E01 -
Assassination Classroom (2015) - S02E02 - \ upper left corner icon indicating 2+ versions – “Get Info” … "Files: AC (YYYY) - S02E02 | AC (YYYY) - S02E11

So, it’s still doing the same thing, for whatever reason
:Edit:
…finally got it fixed…picky Series. :stuck_out_tongue: :slight_smile:

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