Plays wrong file consistently

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#:
Player Version#:

I’m using the most recent update but had issues before.
On mobile app it does not play the right files. On all personal content folders movies or TV shows of all kinds. I click to play one file and it starts playing another completely random seeming other file. Aka I hit a movie and it starts playing another movie. This happens with it seems every file unless started via the Plex app on the desktop it is installed on and has all the files. Please help

2

What version of Plex Media Server do you have installed exactly and on what version of Windows?
the “most recent update” depends on if you’re using the public or beta update channels for your server (Settings > [Server Name] > General > Server update Channel).

When you check one of the items you want to play… can you click on Edit > Info and confirm the file linked to that item is the same video you expect? Just to clarify we’re not dealing with a massive load of failed matching.

3

Version 1.17.0.1376-439f8b7f
Windows Version 10 2004
But it will play correctly on this computer its when I hit it using the app on android it plays the wrong file or any device that isnt the (main computer)
The items seem to be linked correctly as the info linking to the files is correct from what I can see.

4

That’s odd… the server will read the same file in both scenarios – unless the client had some hiccup asking for a different library item than the one you’ve selected?!

Would you mind double-checking your version?
The version you identified seems to be the version of the Plex desktop player. There’s a 2nd “General” settings entry a little further down).

5

Do the movies in question show a small number on their posters, when you look at them in the web app?

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A bunch have a small 2 in the top corner. Some larger numbers.

7

That number indicates Plex has merged multiple files as 1 item in your library. This can happen with bad file names.
Plex considers those different “versions” of the same movie (or episode).

It appears your Android client is picking up a different file that happens not to be that actual movie.
When you click Edit for one of those movies, the Info tab will show the paths/files associated with this particular movie item.

Short Term / one-off solution

  1. Open the context menu (...) of that item in your library and select Split
  2. Manually correct the matching for all the resulting items

Long Term / sustainable solution

  1. Identify the files badly matched / merged in those movies
  2. Fix their naming (folder structure, file names) to match the naming schema described by Plex
    https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-movie-media-files/
    https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-tv-show-files/
  3. Subsequently re-scan the library for Plex to correct those matches in its library (you might need to perform a Plex Dance for Plex to recognize it needs to newly match the files instead of re-associating them to the bad matches)
1 Like
8

This does not seem to be solving it. I renamed several files and did the plex scan and removed the other drive that has the duplicates and it still plays a random video when on android or not on the desktop interface. I have avi files also but it has issues with mp4 also. It will play a random file and then play another random file not even the same one in error.

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Mind sharing a specific example of an item you play that plays a different video?
If you catch one… please include the file names linked to that item in your library (e.g. from Edit > Info or ... > Get Info)

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