# PLEX deleted file history

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [October 21, 2022, 8:52am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591 "2022-10-21T08:52:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![michal\_h](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/michal_h/32/119885_2.png) [@michal\_h](https://forums.plex.tv/u/michal_h)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 8:52am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591/1 "2022-10-21T08:52:52Z")

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Hello,  
is there a way how to find in some logs when was files added and deleted? I had some issue with my disk array and some files was corrupted and deleted by file system (ReFS). I cant find details in system (when and what happend) so can you find in some PLEX logs when was specified file deleted?

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**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 1:53pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591/2 "2022-10-21T13:53:32Z")

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You might be able to find some references when Plex scanned your files, no longer found one and removed it from your library in the `Plex Media Server.log` file or its „numbered predecessors“. Keep in mind this will only reflect when Plex scanned your files and didn’t find it… not when a file was actually deleted on your system. Depending how active your server is, the data might no longer be in the logs.

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591/3 "2022-10-21T17:42:22Z")

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> [@michal\_h](#):
>
> when was files added and deleted?

[WebTools](https://github.com/WebTools-NG/WebTools-NG/releases/tag/v1.1.2) can extract the information from the Plex database if it still exists. You can get the Title and date added. Date Deleted is not available.

First, go to Settings → Library and, if enabled, disable `Empty trash automatically after every scan`. This will stop Plex from deleting entries from its database for the missing files.

**WebTools**

Edit: WebTools also has a `Find Media` report. It searches the filesystem and Plex database to locate media missing from either of them. You might need to run WebTools on the same system as Plex Media server for this to work (it needs access to the filesystem where PMS runs).

  

Download & install WebTools. It does not have to be installed on the same system as Plex Media Server (I run PMS on Linux and have WebTools on my Windows PC).

Launch the program and login to your Plex account.

If your server is not automatically selected, click the box next to the gold Reload button, select your server, click Reload.

Select Export Tools.

Select the desired Export Type, Sub Type, and Media Library

Export Level = All

Select Export Media

This will export a CSV file with a lot of info for each entry in the database. The first column is `Added`. There are also entries for `Media Title` and `Sort Title`. You can pull the CSV file into a spreadsheet and sort however you wish.

You can also create a custom report with less information.

Export Tools → Custom Levels

Select Type to Customize - Movies, TV, etc.

Custom Level = Define New Level, enter a name for the report.

Drag the desired fields from `Available Fields` to `Custom Fields`. You’ll want at least `Title` and `Added`.

Save Level

Now go back to Export Tools, Select fields as described above, except select your custom report for the Export Level.

Export Media.

Sample output from my movie library, a custom report with Added & Title fields:

```auto
"Title","Added"
"3:10 to Yuma","2022-02-31 23:58:01"
"12 Angry Men","2022-02-17 19:06:49"
"12 Strong","2021-02-15 1:28:18"

```

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-deleted-file-history/815591/4 "2023-01-19T17:42:31Z")

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