# PMS not deleting files from filesystem **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-mac\ **Created:** [June 11, 2021, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899 "2021-06-11T10:08:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![max\_ruddock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@max\_ruddock](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_ruddock)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/1 "2021-06-11T10:08:38Z")
Server Version#: 1.23.2.4656 Player Version#: 4.58.1 Morning all. Since moving my Plex media to a new hard drive, when I delete a file from PMS it doesn’t delete it from the filesystem, so the file is still on the hard drive. Rather annoying as I don’t now know what needs to be manually deleted! I have restarted PMS, ticked and un-ticked the file deletion option to no avail. Any help/advice warmly welcome! ---
**Author:** ![SE56](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/se56/32/222425_2.png) [@SE56](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SE56)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/2 "2021-06-11T10:23:03Z")
Question. Is it the folder left behind and file is deleted? ---
**Author:** ![max\_ruddock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@max\_ruddock](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_ruddock)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 10:37am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/3 "2021-06-11T10:37:28Z")
File and folder still intact. It just removes from PMS including all meta data. ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 10:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/4 "2021-06-11T10:38:48Z")
You mean, like if there’s a subtitle file in there - that works WITH NOTHING ELSE? Yea, that’s annoying. On Windows when a file is deleted - if there’s nothing else in the folder - the file is moved to The Recycle Bin and the folder is deleted. I don’t think Plex empties the trash, unless you have ‘Empty Trash Automatically After Every Scan’ enabled (Server/Settings/Library: NOT a good idea if you have storage that goes to sleep), but I can’t say for sure what happens right then. I auto dump the garbage (my storage never sleeps). ---
**Author:** ![max\_ruddock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@max\_ruddock](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_ruddock)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/5 "2021-06-11T12:07:26Z")
Nope. So I have a folder with all my H264 films in. If I delete a film from PMS the file remains in the folder. PMS acts as if it’s deleted from the library but the file still exists in the folder. That’s the issue - annoyingly! ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/6 "2021-06-11T12:08:28Z")
Yea… I can see how that might annoy ya…lol ---
**Author:** ![kazz3r24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/kazz3r24/32/86318_2.png) [@kazz3r24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/kazz3r24)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/7 "2021-06-11T12:12:53Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/4/24e79c35ffdec9bc543e30340924fa7edafad619.jpeg) This option does delete the file from disk. ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/8 "2021-06-11T12:34:21Z")
If he didn’t have that checked he wouldn’t get the option/button. The issue is - it’s not working. (I think I’ve got that now…lol) BTW: @max_ruddock , you have poured over ‘The New Hard Drive’s Access Permissions’ so that Plex has a free hand to do what it likes on that drive… right? If you have - I’d go back there and look again - very closely. ---
**Author:** ![kazz3r24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/kazz3r24/32/86318_2.png) [@kazz3r24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/kazz3r24)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/9 "2021-06-11T12:50:21Z")
You still get the option to remove media from the server whether that option is checked or not. That option only enables deleting the file itself from the server. I haven’t read anywhere where they indicate what options they have checked already, only that what they’re trying to do isn’t working since moving the media to a new drive. Was it working prior to the move? Debug logs would also help. ---
**Author:** ![max\_ruddock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@max\_ruddock](https://forums.plex.tv/u/max_ruddock)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/10 "2021-06-12T07:43:25Z")
So the option for media deletion was always checked. It was working fine before. Interestingly, I have just restarted my Mac and Plex is now definitely deleting files (so working as it should), however the deleted files don’t go into my Mac trash and the hard drive space available remains the same even after media deletion. Odd one to me. I have checked Mac permissions for Files and Folders and all is ok. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2021, 7:44am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/pms-not-deleting-files-from-filesystem/721899/11 "2021-09-10T07:44:09Z")
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