# Not able to add media
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175
**Category:** Metadata & Adding Files
**Tags:** server-linux
**Created:** [August 21, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175 "2019-08-21T23:47:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/1 "2019-08-21T23:47:02Z")
I’ve been using plex for yrs, and out of the blue I can’t seem to add any movies. I put the mp4 in my folder, run the scan library files, and it scans everything except the new movies I added. I haven’t done anything different then I’ve done in the past. Any ideas? Thanks
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2019, 4:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/2 "2019-08-22T04:38:39Z")
If you’d please verify DEBUG logging on, VERBOSE logging off,
then Scan Files and let it finish.
When complete Download Logs and attach the ZIP file it gives you.
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/3 "2019-08-22T18:01:51Z")
Thanks Chuck. To be honest, I really don’t know what Debug and verbose is. I’m using ubuntu for the operating system. Could you walk me through it?
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/4 "2019-08-22T18:13:45Z")
Plex/web UI.
Settings - Server - General - Show Advanced button
1. DEBUG logging enabled
2. VERBOSE logging disabled (unchecked)
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/5 "2019-08-22T19:33:25Z")
Thanks Chuck. The two movies its passing over are Avengers Endgame (2019) and Long Shot (2019)
[Plex Media Server Logs\_2019-08-22\_12-23-19.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/uH40QmGAcXXG7GjBTwLGtv0ckf0.zip) (4.8 MB)
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/6 "2019-08-23T03:46:46Z")
Here it’s seeing and scanning the file.
```auto
', 'name': "Marvel's the Avengers", 'filename': "%2Fhome%2Fdrew%2FDesktop%2FMovies%2FMarvel%2FMarvel's%20The%20Avengers%2Em4v", 'plexHash': '7fb19c72b8f7edc19ed412a0b823868e53e1dc49', 'duration': '-1', 'id': '4325'})
Plex Media Scanner.1.log:Aug 22, 2019 12:17:11.428 [0x7f026cd04740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Endgame (2019).m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.1.log:Aug 22, 2019 12:17:11.428 [0x7f026cd04740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Infinity War.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.1.log:Aug 22, 2019 12:17:11.428 [0x7f026cd04740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Marvel's The Avengers.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.1.log:Aug 22, 2019 12:17:11.428 [0x7f026cd04740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Age of Ultron.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:29.809 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Infinity War.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:29.812 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Marvel's The Avengers.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:29.812 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Age of Ultron.m4v"
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:30.236 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - * Scanning Avengers Age of Ultron
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:30.236 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - Looking for path match for [/home/drew/Desktop/Movies/Marvel/Avengers Age of Ultron.m4v]
Plex Media Scanner.2.log:Aug 21, 2019 20:59:30.271 [0x7fe545261740] DEBUG - Added new metadata item (Avengers Age of Ultron) with ID 7082
```
The actual match results have scrolled off the end of the buffer.
Given it got to this point without errors, and the name is valid, the only possibilities are:
1. It was previously scanned and wrongfully matched as a bad name.
2. Never matched in the first place due to embedded metadata which is lowering the match score below the threshold.
I would check the embedded metadata first. I tend to remove all metadata from files. It’s not needed when the file name is correct.
If this is ok, plex dance the media to force a fresh new scan (as if not previously seen)
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/7 "2019-08-23T21:19:49Z")
I tried the plex dance, but it didn’t work. What’s the best way to remove all the metadata?
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/8 "2019-08-23T21:34:50Z")
On Linux, I use mkvtoolnix GUI,
I can see all the metadata fields. It then reads the file, stripping the metadata, and writes it back out as I want. It does no alteration of the data streams.
The quicker tool, albeit a little bit to learn, `mkvpropedit` is the better way
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/9 "2019-08-23T23:16:45Z")
Ok, I’ve used that program before on my Mac for other things. I’ll try it tonight and see if that gets these two files to work. Thanks again
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2019, 6:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/10 "2019-08-24T06:13:23Z")
Unfortunately that did not solve my issue either. I reviewed the log after I used mkv toolnix on the two movies, and you are right that it shows that they are still being scanned. They just aren’t in my library or able to be found? Same after trying the plex dance. I’m going to uninstall the plex server, then download a fresh copy to install and see if that fixes things.
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/11 "2019-08-24T17:51:57Z")
Ok, tried a fresh install, updated everything and it still won’t put those movies in my library? There is nothing to remove as far as metadata with toolnix. I tried a mp4 version and a mkv version. It shows up in the logs, just not the library. Any other ideas perhaps? Thanks again
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/12 "2019-08-31T05:42:46Z")
Hey Chuck, so I was able to get the movies I was having issues with to come up no problem with my Mac. So I figured it was an Ubuntu issue. I’ve now wiped it out, trying mint since it’s an old computer that I like to run as the plex server. Hoping to get these movies to load. Now I can get anything. Says there are no items in this library when I try to create a new one? I don’t know what’s going on?
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2019, 6:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/13 "2019-08-31T06:19:02Z")
Where is the media actually stored? In your home directory; On an internal drive; external USB, or a NAS ?
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/14 "2019-08-31T15:24:35Z")
It’s on the internal hard drive.
/home/drew/desktop/plexmovies
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### Author:  [@wdaher](https://forums.plex.tv/u/wdaher)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/15 "2019-08-31T17:04:26Z")
I seem to have the identical problem running PLEX on a Synology DS1817+ NAS. The two mkv fIles are there but don’t appear after a scan is done. The scan seems to complete much faster than it did when it worked. The last successful scan was less than two weeks ago. Also, changes I make to existing files aren’t being picked up. As far as I’m aware no changes to software or configuraton have been made.
I upgraded my server to the latest version and that didn’t help.
I ran the Plex Media Scanner manually using the same parms as in the log file and that failed.
Doing a simple tree request also fails:
/volume1/@appstore/Plex Media Server\>./Plex\ Media\ Scanner --tree
terminate called after throwing an instance of ‘boost::wrapexceptboost::bad\_lexical\_cast’
what(): bad lexical cast: source type value could not be interpreted as target
\*\*\*\*\*\* PLEX MEDIA SCANNER CRASHED, CRASH REPORT WRITTEN: /var/services/homes/myuserid/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Crash Reports/1.16.5.1554-1e5ff713d/PLEX MEDIA SCANNER/7bea63d0-9e82-a311-5dbd7f65-50c48c66.dmp
Error in command line:the argument for option ‘–serverUuid’ should follow immediately after the equal sign
Crash Uploader options (all are required):
–directory arg Directory to scan for crash reports
–serverUuid arg UUID of the server that crashed
–userId arg User that owns this product
–platform arg Platform string
–platformVersion arg Platform version string
–vendor arg Vendor string
–device arg Device string
–model arg Device model string
–sentryUrl arg Sentry URL to upload to
–sentryKey arg Sentry Key for the project
–version arg Version of the product
Aborted (core dumped)
boost::wrapexcept seems to be some kind of conversion error so I tried to have a look at what was going on in the core but gdb doesn’t recognize the format of the dmp file.
Running the scanner with the --info option starts with:
Error: Cannot get information for a section yet…
Running the scanner with the --list option completes immediately and gives no output.
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/16 "2019-08-31T17:26:53Z")
May I ask why you have relocated the **Library** (Plex Media Server Application Support Directory) structure to **/var/services** where it will never fit ?
I specifically place all metadata (the **Library** directory) on **/volume1** to avoid filling up the DSM root directory which is very small compared the the data requirements of even a modest Plex installation.
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### Author:  [@Drewtw00](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Drewtw00)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/17 "2019-09-03T04:59:52Z")
I think I’ve got things working again. It seems to have been a permissions issue. I’m not very good with Linux, but slowly learning. If it helps anyone out I added plex to my user group in terminal.
Sudo gpasswd -a plex (user’s name)
Then I verified plex was in my user group by putting in and made sure it was added to my user with
groups plex
Now plex is finding my folder and movies in /home/user’s name/videos/plexmovies
Hope that helps someone if they are having the same issue as me
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### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2019, 5:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/18 "2019-09-03T05:17:24Z")
That’s correct.
When you put media in your home directory, You need to allow Plex into it.
Linux is very strict on permissions (it’s designed to keep thousands of simultaneous users from seeing each others’ files while allowing those who need to share them)
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2019, 5:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/not-able-to-add-media/450175/19 "2019-12-02T05:18:57Z")
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