macOS - Plex updating library continuously

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Server Version#: 1.19.4.2935-79e214ead
Player Version#:

please don’t suggest a server upgrade since it’s server issue but a setting issue or issue corruption.

Setup

  • Settings > Settings > Library >
    Scan my library automatically
    Run a partial scan when changes are detected
    Scan my library periodically

Issue:

  • if “Scan my library automatically” selected then Library continuously scans and never stops (4 to 8 hrs later)
  • it seems to start with the TV shows

Troubleshooting:
Scenario1

  • disabled “Scan my library automatically”
  • scanned just the tv show through web app for just tv show (scan is done in an hour) or activity, update libraries open appear and cancel library update is greyed out. So scans seems to be completed

Scenario2

  • enabled “Scan my library automatically”
  • scan automatically starts and it starts with tvshow again and doesn’t stop keep going (4 to 8 hrs) on tv shows.

Scenario3

  • did the scenarios above and scenario2 doesn’t occur in another computer it behaves as intended.

Question:

  • how do I keep the database but reset settings/preferences of the plex media server so that it looks like it was never configured for that specific host?

I know the settings are here
~/Library/Application Support/Plex Media server is the location for all the settings. This is hosted on a external storage. What need to be deleted?

2 computers (both macOS)
Computer A - Works as intended (Scenario1 occurs, Scenario2 doesn’t occur)
Computer B - Doesn’t (Scenario1 occurs, Scenario2 occurs)

2

Upgrade, that’s ancient.

Are files in your Library being changed? This can occur if Downloads are done directly into any folders within the Library.

This can also happen if the Library is configured with a folder that shouldn’t be there - like the “root” directory of a disk, or a User’s home directory. Libraries should point to media folders only.

What folders are configured in your Library?

Consider sharing server logs. That will help identify if scanning is being triggered repeatedly for some reason, or if it is failing for some reason, or if there is some other problem.

3

ok. here’s the solution that worked for me.

  • check the plex icon on the menulet >

  • it’s give you a real time view of media being processed.

  • mine had an issue where plex couldn’t update the meta data to tv shows. I had to manually forcefully update that data through plex interface (searching for the show and/or finding it’s ttXXXX number and populating it in the field for it to find it.)

  • “Scan my library automatically” settings > manage > troublehshooting

  • download logs

  • it should show what has been processed.

The issue:

  • apparently plex was working as intended and it was going through the plexignore files which took over 16 hrs to go through since there were about 8k files.

Question: why does it need to go through every file when you’ve specified a folder? It went through every file in that folder not just stopping and removing all the files that the folder is in the path of.

issue resolved.

4

Oh - let me see if I understand!

There’s a folder that contains some media, and a bunch of extra files.

There’s a .plexignore to keep some of those files from being added to Plex.

Right?

Yeah, Plex still scans the files. The .plexignore keeps them from being added, it doesn’t skip scanning entirely.

That would be a nice enhancement!

The current strong recommendation is to not put a bunch of extra stuff in the Library directories.

It can be significantly better to add multiple folders into the Plex Library, instead of using .plexignore.

5

Actually the sequence was this:

  • a folder with a bunch of videos (YouTube, mp4) essentially not all tv shows.

  • plex adds everything

  • I discover that plex takes everything and not just tv shows into plex.

  • these media files don’t really have an added value into the plex interface.

  • I then add the .plexignore to ignore these directories

  • now plex rescans and starts going through to process of not only ignoring those directories but every single file in those directories. fast forward 16 hrs later it finishes removing those files from plex

  • I thought it would quickly remove them at the folder level not go down to individual file level.

thanks for the recommendation. Makes sense but trying to directory consolidation and use plex.

in the future I’ll definitely add the plexignore first.

thanks for the response

6

Ok spoke too soon. The reprocessing is back. I think the way plexignore is handled is the issue.

  • plex reprocesses the plexignore declaration instead it should stop at the directory level otherwise this continuous reprocessing will never ending.
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