Plex Server Marking Random Files for Deletion

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 1.14.1.9057
This just started happening yesterday after years of using this app. Plex server started marking files for deletion (six of them) randomly by itself. When I look at the source directories, the files are still there. I copied all the files to a non-scanned directory and deleted them from the source location and then ran a scan library files and an empty trash. The files are still showing as being there and are still marked for deletion. I played each file and selected get info and chose the delete file option. It removed the file from the list, but then marked the next series of six files in the directory for deletion. Now, it has just started randomly marking MANY (literally hundreds of them) files for deletion, even though I did not delete any of them (they are still all in the source directory). Anyone else seeing this or have any idea what is causing this??? The jpg files have nothing in common and the deletions appear to be totally random.

I just copied the entire directory to a new location, added the library to Plex as a new entity. The files exist in the directory, and Plex will not find them if I do a search for them in the new library (but finds them in the old library). but of 6496 files, it only displays less than half of them in the new library.

Could this be a corrupted database file? Would I need to delete the database and create a new one, maybe? Is there a way to ‘uncorrupt’ the database if that’s what’s wrong?

NOTE: I just added 21 files to both directories. The server is only showing/recognizing six of the files in the original library, and shows/recognizes all 21 jpg files in the ‘new’ copied directory…

2

Are the files stored on a hard drive which is built into the plex server machine?
Or are they on an external hard drive?
Or are they located on a network file share (i.e. another computer or NAS device)?
Do you let your hard drives power down their platters (“sleep”) when they’re idling?

3

They are stored on a hard drive built into the plex server machine. I have files on external hard drives that do power down when idle and NAS devices, but none of those files seem to be affected with whatever this is. It only seems to affect this drive and, in fact, this particular file directory/library. So far, the ‘new’ (copied) directory/library seems to be unaffected. This is also a relatively new mechanical drive (not even 1 yr old) and has never had problems before and passes all drive tests, so there is no problem with the media itself.

4

That sounds bizarre.

There is. Use either the .bat or .ps1 file from here PlexDBRepair/Windows at master · ChuckPa/PlexDBRepair · GitHub to do it thoroughly and more conveniently than the official procedure: https://support.plex.tv/articles/repair-a-corrupted-database/

5

Agreed, it is really kinda bizarre. I’ve never encountered this kind of problem before. I’ll have to try one or both of these suggestions to see if they make this issue ‘go away’. Will keep this thread updated.

6

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