I’m curious how Plex handles library entries when I move around the files. Does Plex realize that it’s the same file and just updates the database accordingly? Or does it have to redo the entire database entry with rescanning for credits, preview pictures and so on?
Let’s say I have Plex monitoring a “hot storage” folder on my SSD and a “cold storage” folder on a regular spinning drive. I have a movie on the SSD and just move the folder with the movie file over to the HDD.
Plex has previously analyze the movie (credits, speech activity) and created preview-and chapter-thumbnails for this movie. How can I move the movie, without having to run through this entire process again?
If the movies remain within the same library?
With “matched” movies, it is safe to achieve:
ensure that the currently assigned metadata are current and use the selected metadata agent of the library. Trigger “Refresh Metadata” on this movie before doing anything else.
Copy the movie file to your cold storage. Do NOT change the files in any way in the process.
Scan Library Files. Plex should recognize the copied files as duplicates of the existing items. Verify this by clicking on the posters and inspecting the file names in the plex media info.
delete the video files from the hot storage
Scan Library Files
Empty library Trash
With a cold storage on “spinning rust”, it might be necessary to disable “Empty trash automatically after every scan” in the server settings.
So, I first have to make a duplicate of the file/folder in the new location, rescan the library, then delete the original file/folder and rescan the library a second time.
Just moving the file/folder over to the new location and doing a rescan wouldn’t work?
Do I have to delete the original file/folder through the Plex GUI or on the system level (command line, file browser)?
