I have a newly installed Plex media server installed on my Windows Server 2016 system. I have the application installed on the cc: drive while I chose to install the Plex library database on my i: drive.
My TV and Movie source files have most of the cover art, fan art and such in the folders for each movie or tv show. This meta data has mostly been added by my Kodi system which I have been running for almost 10 years.
Plex is not showing the images in the library from the data already in the media folders. The file folders and file names are named ..*
Even when I try to manually update my movie folder or individual tv shows, I still do not get any meta data updates.
I don’t know if this is due to the library being on a different drive, being caused by the pre-existing mata data from kodi, the filename lacking the year to something else.
I see the movie name listed in the Plex library, and the movie synopsis and actors show up, just no images.
I am not sure if this is related or caused by the same issue, but I don’t see the ability to add any add-ons either.
The drive is an NTFS formatted local drive on the server. It is a “virtual drive:” using StableBit Drivepool but I dont think this is the issue because the Meta Data for Actors, and movie synopsis works. The issue is that the cover art is not updating.
I feel like this is due to the movies/tv shows/music meta data currently in the media folders are from Kodi and don’t follow the naming schema used by Plex:
ex:
Directory of i:\ServerFolders\Movies\Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503
03/09/2014 08:52 PM <DIR> .
03/09/2014 08:52 PM <DIR> ..
11/16/2013 04:48 PM 189,138 fanart.jpg
11/16/2013 04:48 PM 53,895 folder.jpg
11/16/2013 04:48 PM 114 Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503.dvdid.xml
08/13/2012 08:58 PM 38,685 Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503.en.srt
08/13/2012 08:58 PM 713 Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503.nfo
07/14/2012 08:12 AM 7,491 Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503.nfo.nfo
11/16/2013 04:48 PM 52,023 Pink Floyd The Wall.tt0084503.tbn
That’s what I told you above:
pooled file system won’t work.
Drivepool doesn’t support the NTFS feature ‘hard links’, which is crucial to Plex metadata.
OK. I researched hardlinks in Drivepool support. I understand that DrivePool doesn’t support hardlinks, but how does this affect the meta data not showing up in Plex?
I do have some random Movies that show cover art in my library in Plex. When I look in the folders of those media files, i do not see ANY media meta files, only the media file itself.
If the issue is that Plex is trying to hardlink to the existing media files and this is causing the problem, is there a way to configure Plex to ignore existing meta data and update as if the only files i the folders are the actual media files?
It has nothing to do with your media files.
Hard links are used to point Plex to the right file.
No hard links – no cover art.
There is no way to reconfigure Plex to change this.
Separate a hard drive from your pool (preferably an SSD), format it with NTFS and move your Plex data folder onto this drive.
Otto,
Thank you very much for your insights. I am still not understanding where the issue resides.
When you say
Blockquote
“Hard links are used to point Plex to the right file.”
point Plex to WHICH right file? The cover art or the actual media file? I appears that Plex is reading the coverart from somewhere for some of my movies and TV shows. When there is NO media art files in the media Library and Plex downloads the art where is the art saved? In the PlexMediaLibrary?
I will take a look at moving the library to a different drive but I still would like to know the why I have a several media files with art and the rest none.
Thank you again for your very knowledgeable advice.
