# Meta data from deleted files **URL:** \ **Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\ **Tags:** server-freebsd\ **Created:** [June 4, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701 "2022-06-04T19:19:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/1 "2022-06-04T19:19:53Z")
Server Version#: 1.24.2.4973 I’ve been cleaning up my server and am noticing that a lot of the shows and movies I’m deleting aren’t being removed from my database. I’ve tried deleting the trash, cleaning bundles, and optimizing database. But the zombie metadata still exists. Are there any further steps I can take to clean up my database? ---
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/2 "2022-06-04T19:27:20Z")
> [@Berkyjay](#): > > noticing that a lot of the shows and movies I’m deleting aren’t being removed from my database How are you observing this? and How long has it been since removal? ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/3 "2022-06-04T20:40:42Z")
Well I deleted files from my server. Run all the appropriate actions in Plex and the show still shows it’s there until you try playing it. It’s been months since I deleted this: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/4/f/a/4fa0931ea625988c280e0469d9ab0658768bb6f8.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/7/3/9/73983da0dad2803497d394fd8fadb152b629f6db.png) ---
**Author:** ![beckfield](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/beckfield/32/7227_2.png) [@beckfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/beckfield)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 10:35pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/4 "2022-06-04T22:35:02Z")
> [@Berkyjay](#): > > I’ve tried deleting the trash, cleaning bundles, and optimizing database. The function that should remove deleted entries is “Scan Library Files.” That should be happening automatically, unless you’ve turned it off. ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/5 "2022-06-05T00:35:42Z")
Yeah, that’s the first thing I do. I just forgot to mention it. And it does happen automatically. ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/6 "2022-06-07T17:36:07Z")
Bumping. Been trying to find a solution to this. Now running Version 1.26.2.5797 ---
**Author:** ![dbirch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f19dbf/32.png) [@dbirch](https://forums.plex.tv/u/dbirch)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/7 "2022-06-07T19:47:58Z")
Can you provide a screenshot of the add folders part of this library? ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/8 "2022-06-07T20:36:41Z")
Within these directories are /shows/seasons/files ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/0/f/0/0f0148e56c6c8d2ff27a3a56df4550a7c57bb9e4.png) ---
**Author:** ![dbirch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f19dbf/32.png) [@dbirch](https://forums.plex.tv/u/dbirch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/9 "2022-06-08T00:38:47Z")
Can your perform a file scan, and post the [server logs?](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/10 "2022-06-08T01:05:59Z")
So something interesting. One of the zombie shows was the only one in a directory. So I removed that directory from the “add folders” list. I didn’t think anything of it until I read your post and went to check on Plex again. Turns out all of the zombie shows are now gone. Not sure if that did the trick or if it was a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/11 "2022-06-08T01:22:36Z")
👍 If Plex can’t read ANY shows in a top-level Library folder, it assumes the folder is temporarily offline, like a disconnected USB device or unreachable network share. So it doesn’t assume the files have been _deleted_. You probably could have deleted the files from within the Plex interface, but I think it’s good you removed the unused Library folder. ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/12 "2022-06-08T01:55:03Z")
How exactly can you delete files from the Plex interface? ---
**Author:** ![beckfield](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/beckfield/32/7227_2.png) [@beckfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/beckfield)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/13 "2022-06-08T04:06:21Z")
If this was triggered by one of those folders having nothing in it, then what I’m about to point out may have avoided the problem altogether. Every folder in that list that’s visible has a common ancestor of `/media/Television`. It is completely unnecessary (and not recommended) to have all those individual folders listed like this. I suggest removing all of those entries in this list and adding one for `/media/Television`. ---
**Author:** ![Berkyjay](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/berkyjay/32/17332_2.png) [@Berkyjay](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Berkyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 5:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/14 "2022-06-08T05:08:03Z")
Yeah but if I do that then Plex won’t read all my files as separate shows. It will categorize every show under the first directory read. Trust me, if I could put `/media/Television` I would. ---
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 8:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/15 "2022-06-08T08:04:40Z")
For TV libraries, intermediate folders are actually bad. Plex wants to point to a folder, which contains show folders, then season folders, then episodes. Additional nesting of intermediate folders confuse the matcher. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/meta-data-from-deleted-files/795701/16 "2022-09-06T08:05:04Z")
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