For the past month or so I have been having issues with Plex not reading my TV shows from the main folder. Lets see if I can explain this so it can be understood. When I open Plex I see my libraries on the left side. I can click on my movie folders and all my movies show up and I can view them no problem. My “TV Series” library, I can click on it and see all my different shows on there. If I click on one of the main files, for example “Code Black”, I get an error that says “Connection Error HTTP error code 500”, but if I click on one of the individual shows, ex… “Code Black Season 2 Episode 5”, it will play. I have all my movies saved on my drive in folders labeled “Action”, “Disney”, “Horror”, etc… My TV shows are in a folder named “TV Series” with subfolders naming each TV show. (J:\TV Series\Code Black\Season 1) I have had it this way for a couple years and never had an issue. Now the only way I can watch them is manually opening my folder and watch them outside of Plex. Is there a setting that I might have changed somewhere accidently? Or did one of the updates change?
Thanks,
Jeff
‘edit’ your tv show library
go to the ‘Add folders’ tab and see which drive letter and folder name is referenced there
For you it should say J:\TV Series and nothing else.
Is this the case?
Your folder names are almost correct, but you should use 2-digit numbers in your Season folders,
e.g. J:\TV Series\Code Black\Season 01
How are your episode files named?
Yes, (J:\TV Series) is all it shows. And I am still going thru all my series changing them to the 2-digit format. I will let you know later if this worked. Still loading movies on my drive so I can’t refresh anything until I’m done with that.
Thanks.
@acehi1 said:
Yes, (J:\TV Series) is all it shows. And I am still going thru all my series changing them to the 2-digit format.
Try Filebot for help with that.
Well, after refreshing everything and changing the seasons to the 2-digit format, it still does not work. Any other suggestions?
Please show me your episode file format.
Did you only start renaming files and folders to a conforming format after you had more and more mismatches? Try the Plex Dance.
Are you using a Windows ‘Server’ edition by chance?
if so: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/1404588/#Comment_1404588
The file format would be “Code Black S01E01” and these are .mkv files. And renaming, I haven’t changed the way I have renamed them over the past couple years. Shows that we have watched several months ago will no longer open up. I do not use a server edition of windows.
Then I guess server log files are needed, taken 2 minutes after a Plex Dance of one show.
- activate debug logging (not ‘verbose’!)
- quit Plex Server
- wait 1 minute
- start Plex Server
- wait 2 minutes
- Plex Dance one show
- wait 3 minutes
- fetch log files and attach them here
I’m not sure if I did this correctly. If not I will try again tomorrow.
Unfortunately, your log files are spammed with messages about someone playing in the living room.
It also looks like you did not the server restarts as required.
Did you really grab the logs right after you’ve performed the Plex Dance?
Do you have your tv show library set to use the ‘DVD ordering’ in general? This won’t work for many shows because they don’t have DVD information available at TheTVDB.
I have found some errors regarding tv show matching.
Must consult with some one more versed in that.
Please shut down your Plex server.
Clear the caches of the metadata agents
Reboot Windows
Only start Plex after Windows has been fully booted up!
Are you using some kind of wireless network adapter for your Plex server machine, or a network adapter plugged into USB?
Ok, let me know if this is any different. I use a deep freeze program on my computer and I forgot to unfreeze the computer before I did a reboot. Then I needed to reboot again after logging out.
I am using the built in wireless network adapter.
@acehi1 said:
I use a deep freeze program on my computer and I forgot to unfreeze the computer before I did a reboot. Then I needed to reboot again after logging out.
What is a deep freeze program?
Does it “lock” parts of your hard disk? If so, tell it to leave the Plex data folder alone.
Do the same with your anti virus software.
I am using the built in wireless network adapter.
I can’t recommend that. The Server should be wired.
Ok, let me know if this is any different.
Oops! Sorry, my fault!
I forgot to tell you how to clean the metadata caches above.
Please perform this procedure: https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/202967376-Clearing-Plugin-Channel-Agent-HTTP-Caches
then Plex Dance one tv show again.
Then fetch log files after 5 minutes.
Ok, just got home from work.
A deep freeze program freezes your drive so nothing else can be added to or deleted from the drive. Basically, you set up your computer the way you want it, freeze it and you never have to worry about virus’ or anything else getting into your system files. If you think something isn’t right just reboot your computer and everything goes back the way you had it. When you freeze your system there is no need to run an antivirus program. The bad thing about freezing it is, nothing can be added or deleted to your system. The good thing is: nothing can be added or deleted to your system, unless you manually unfreeze it. So, files that you commonly use you will need to save them to a separate drive so that when you reboot your system you won’t lose any of the work you did.
At this point I am stuck only using a wireless setup. We sold our house several months ago and we are living in our camper behind my sisters house. Once our new house is built it will be back to wired again. Could this be the cause for these errors? If so, I can still play the files, I just need to go into explorer and open up each one manually and watch.
Question. Do I delete ALL of the sub-folders under “Caches”. There are about 50 of them. Or is there a specific one I need to look for? The procedure doesn’t say delete all it only gives an example.
There is no harm done if you delete all of them.
Is this better?
I do need to clarify on the built-in wireless setup. All my internet connections are wireless, however, all of my monitors and TV are wired directly to my computer. The monitors using DVI and my TV using HDMI cables.
Thanks you, that is better.
However, the error message is still present in your logs.
Please for the following tests do not ‘freeze’ this computer. I’d like to exclude this potential source of trouble from the equation for now.
Have you already defined the excemption for the Plex data folder from the ‘freeze’?
Please perform this procedure and then reboot Windows afterwards
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/227341367-Windows-Key-not-valid-for-use-in-specified-state-error-and-transcoding-analysis-issues
Please try a different web browser for Plex. Chrome is widely reported as well working.
This tv show uses the ‘DVD ordering’. Can you switch that back to ‘Airing order’ and repeat the Plex Dance please?
The computer was not in freeze mode during that last one. Also, the deep freeze program doesn’t give any type of exemptions, it is either in deep freeze mode or thawed mode.
You said this tv show uses the DVD ordering. I have looked everywhere and I cannot find where to change that. Where is that located?
