Server Version#:Newest beta version.
Player Version#:
Plex Media Server ignores .plexignore I keep noticing that Plex scans directories that I’ve forbidden in .plexignore. The directory is called .@__thumb__thumb/. I entered “*@__thumb/*” in .plexignore. Even with a period (.) in front of it, it doesn’t work. .plexignore is located in the Multimedia folder. I know you shouldn’t put the media in the QNAP multimedia directory, but I also need the QNAP DLNA server.
What’s going on?
May I please also see the .plexignore file ?
# Diese Ordner nicht in Plex auswerten! (QNAP Miniaturansichten für DLNA u.s.w.)
*@__thumb/*
*streams/*
Hello, Chuck
Here is the the requested File. Windows make some trouble with it. In the QNAP Multimedia folder is the name correct “.plexignore”.
Thanks for the support!
I’m not a Linux guy but doesn’t having that / at the end mess up the match, since it will look for it at that specific location.
I am trying to have my QNAP create those files and coming up empty.
Looking at the source code,
@__thumb in the media scanner.. directory names.What I’m finding in your logs looks like a bug / regression.
I’ve asked Engineering.
When I get their reply (tomorrow) I’ll let you know and we can go from there.
I spent some time today with this.
You do not need to, nor is it recommended, to put your media in the 'Multimedia" shared folder.
The recommended procedure, especially if you are also using Plex, is to point to where the media is stored (in the real Shared Folders)
Engineering will investigate ignoring any .@ files it may encounter.
I will know more on that next week. We did discuss the list of directories it already does ignore.
I have a TS128A. All the media is stored on my big NAS (110 TB)
I have a network (NFS) mount of the big nas on the TS128 at the netmount shared folder. Here are all the directories available to the TS128
I tell Multimedia Console to look there.
When all this media was done being added,
.@__thumb was created in my media on the NASI think the best course of action here is to get you out of Multimedia so you can use it as you should AND have Plex on the NAS.
( Multimedia is entirely a software interface and has always caused problems with PMS from way back in the QTS 4.x days)
Chuck, thank you for your support and your time.
I see your solution for the media. Unfortunately, it’s too complicated for me. Even if the media is in a separate shared folder, the Media Console relies on the .@__thumb__thumb folder being located in the media directories; otherwise, my second TV can’t view the media in it via DLNA. Therefore, I see the following possible solutions for me:
1.) Move all media files to a separate shared folder and forgot Media Console.
2.) Enable the Plex DLNA server for my second TV. (This TV does not support Plex!)
3.) Plex solves the problem with the .@… folders.
Point 3 would be my preference. I don’t use VideoStation, MusicStation, or any other QNAP media apps, only Media Console and Media Streaming add-on.
If point 3 really works, there shouldn’t be any more problems.
I tested your solution, but here too the folder .@__thumb is created in the media file directory.
Are you 100% certain the QNAP is creating them?
Might it be your WinSCP client?
I use linux and cannot replicate. This is a copy by FileStation.
Yes, I am sure! Here is the content of this folder:
The folder .genSub is empty. .@__thumb folders are created if you create thumbnails.
Yes, I am sure! Here is the content of this folder:
The folder .genSub is empty. .@__thumb__thumb__thumb__thumb folders are created if you create thumbnails.
If you open the media folder using FileStation, you get this result:
THANK YOU for being patient with me.
[/share/media/tv/Masters of the Air/Season 01] # ls -laR .
.:
total 40528416
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 ./
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 09:35 ../
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 5091560577 2024-02-09 21:31 Masters of the Air - S01E01 - Part One.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4573630642 2024-02-09 21:31 Masters of the Air - S01E02 - Part Two.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4005317187 2024-02-09 21:32 Masters of the Air - S01E03 - Part Three.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4198853622 2024-02-09 21:33 Masters of the Air - S01E04 - Part Four.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4364172452 2024-02-15 21:24 Masters of the Air - S01E05 - Part Five.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4918843747 2024-02-22 21:21 Masters of the Air - S01E06 - Part Six.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4010352742 2024-02-29 21:21 Masters of the Air - S01E07 - Part Seven.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 4123441558 2024-03-07 21:21 Masters of the Air - S01E08 - Part Eight.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 6214857121 2024-03-14 21:39 Masters of the Air - S01E09 - Part Nine.mkv
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 .@__thumb/
./.@__thumb:
total 12
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 ./
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 ../
drwxrwxrwx 2 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 .genSub/
./.@__thumb/.genSub:
total 8
drwxrwxrwx 2 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 ./
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 10:10 ../
[/share/media/tv/Masters of the Air/Season 01] #
I now have what I need to write for Engineering to add to the IgnoreDirs list in PMS
From here, I will try to create a .plexignore file for you which will work until they add the ignore officially
Thanks, Chuck.
I’m glad you were able to identify the problem.
I will locking for your .plexignore file.
I’ve done several “bad things” to my server to attempt breaking it.
I can get Multimedia to put one .@__thumb directory in each Season folder.
When I have the server start up and it starts adding Notify slots, it does not appear.
This confirms PMS is doing what it should – ignore any filename beginning with dot (.).
Here you can see Multimedia adding that one file
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 2.2G 2023-10-23 00:07 Hogan's Heroes - S01E28 - I Look Better in Basic Black.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 2.2G 2023-10-23 00:07 Hogan's Heroes - S01E29 - The Assassin.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 2.2G 2023-10-23 00:07 Hogan's Heroes - S01E30 - Cupid Comes to Stalag 13.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 2.2G 2023-10-23 00:07 Hogan's Heroes - S01E31 - The Flame Grows Higher.mkv
-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin administrators 2.2G 2023-10-23 00:07 Hogan's Heroes - S01E32 - Request Permission to Escape.mkv
drwxrwxrwx 2 admin administrators 4.0K 2025-09-27 16:06 .@__thumb/
[/share/Multimedia/tv/Hogan's Heroes] #
When I go into Season 1, and into the .@__thumb directory,
[/share/Multimedia/tv/Hogan's Heroes] # cd Season\ 01/
[/share/Multimedia/tv/Hogan's Heroes/Season 01] # cd .\@__thumb/
[/share/Multimedia/tv/Hogan's Heroes/Season 01/.@__thumb] # ls -la
total 8
drwxrwxrwx 2 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 16:06 ./
drwxrwxrwx 3 admin administrators 4096 2025-09-27 16:06 ../
[/share/Multimedia/tv/Hogan's Heroes/Season 01/.@__thumb] #
There is nothing there.
There is a corruption somewhere in the Multimedia Console database.
When is the last time you had it complete Reindex?
We are near the point of needing QNAP assistance.
Hello, Chuck
Yes, I recently reindexed the QNAP multimedia database (MMDB). Of course, PMS was running in the background! Strangely, the database size of the MMDB has more than doubled since then – from 5 GB to 12 GB. I think I should have stopped PMS! After the reindex, I also noticed PMS activity. You could say that’s when the problems started. Strangely, I’ve never had problems like this before. I’ve never had to use .plexignore. So what can I do? I could stop PMS, reset the MMDB, and recreate the MMC database. I think, I will do so.
I did it. My latest findings: When I list a media directory with (QNAP) FileStation, it somehow tries to generate a thumbnail for each media file. FileStation writes each filename to the .@thumb/ folder and constantly changes the date of this folder. I was able to observe this in the Plex Console. It looks like Plex notices this changes and takes action. This is, of course, reflected in the logs.
I see a Plex bug here! QTS reports a new directory/file to Plex, which notices this and analyzes this directory ( .@__thumb/transcode), even though PMS isn’t supposed to scan (.)… filenames! There is something wrong!
I am not sending any logs now because the entries of this behavior has not changed.
What you’re seeing where PMS notices changes in monitored directories is how Notify works. (what it’s used for)
This is why we tell folks to not use Multimedia.
Given the MMDB has more than doubled at this point, I think you need to involve QNAP
As well as moving the media to real shared folders such as this:
Here you can see I use three network-mounted folders and nothing in /share/Multimedia
Well, I moved all my media files to my folder “Media”. I am sick of this crap!
Thanks again for your support!
This thread can be closed.
