TV show episodes wrongly deleted from Plex library

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

Server Version#: 1.26.0.5715-7000
Player Version#: multiple (web, firetv, shield)

I have a library for daily tv late shows (Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden, Jimmy Fallon…) that are downloaded daily… For about 10 days, those shows that are downloaded during the day are being removed (and files deleted) during the next night. Each show is defined to keep all episodes and never delete episodes after playing. I have re-downloaded some episodes and they are consistently re-deleted.

One example in the logs: episodes of James Corden Late Late show aired and downloaded in the last 3 days

> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.556 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Garbage Collector: Deleting expired unwatched content for The Late Late Show with James Corden (policy: -30 before 2022-04-07)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.560 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Garbage Collector: Deleting episode 106 - Tom Cruise, Monica Barbaro, Teddy Swims (beyond window of 30 days old)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.647 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Deleting media item 70732.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.680 [0x7f914671cb38] INFO - Library section 31 (Late Shows) will be updated because of a change in "/volume1/video/Tonight Shows/The Late Late Show with James Corden/james.corden.2022.05.03.tom.cruise.1080p.web.h264-jebaited.mkv"
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.782 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Was connected to metadata item 45179, count is now 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.783 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Destroying metadata item 45179 (Tom Cruise, Monica Barbaro, Teddy Swims)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.833 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Updating deletion state for metadata item 45211, is has a dead item count of 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.834 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Updating deletion state for metadata item 45177, is has a dead item count of 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.887 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Garbage Collector: Deleting episode 107 - Colin Hanks, Mackenzie Davis (beyond window of 30 days old)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.898 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Deleting media item 70733.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.900 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Was connected to metadata item 45180, count is now 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.900 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Destroying metadata item 45180 (Colin Hanks, Mackenzie Davis)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.902 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Updating deletion state for metadata item 45211, is has a dead item count of 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.903 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Updating deletion state for metadata item 45177, is has a dead item count of 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:32.941 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Garbage Collector: Deleting episode 108 - Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Walker (beyond window of 30 days old)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:34.968 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Deleting media item 70784.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:34.969 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Was connected to metadata item 45207, count is now 0.
> May 07, 2022 02:04:34.970 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Destroying metadata item 45207 (Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Walker)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:34.972 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Destroying metadata item 45211 (Season 7)
> May 07, 2022 02:04:34.974 [0x7f910f7bfb38] DEBUG - Destroying metadata item 45177 (The Late Late Show with James Corden)

First of all, this show is not defined to remove episodes after 30 days and, anyway, these episodes are 1-3 days old.

What’s happening?

2

Can you double check that setting? Your log snippet above indicates it is enabled. To be clear, it’s not the “Delete after watching” setting, it’s the “Keep” setting.

3

Thank you for your answer.

As I don’t like the idea of Plex deleting shows automatically, it is for sure a setting that I have never activated. I prefer, from times to time, go into my files and delete them manually.

When this started to occur, I went and check those 2 settings (Delete after and Keep) for each of the 5 shows. I was suprised to see the Keep (Episodes added in the past 30 days) setting activated for 2 shows out of 5. I thought I may have done this a long time ago and forgot about it. I reset that setting to Keep all episodes. But files continued to be removed. If it is visible in the log, then there is something wrong. I have double checked, and it says Keep all episodes.

I have created 3 days ago a second library and copied my media files to a second folder. I have definitely checked the settings for the 5 shows. It was Keep all episodes for all 5. The next morning, one episode had been deleted and I went back to the settings of that show. “Keep episodes added in the past 30 days” had been set. So this was changed by Plex, not by me, I am 200% sure. And even with this setting, a show added the day before should not have been removed.

So I have my 2 libraries running in parallel. This morning, for the first time in 2 weeks, it seems I am not missing a single episode in both libraries. The Keep settings are ok for all shows, both libraries. The logs do not contain anything related to “Garbage collector”. This morning, everything seems normal.

4

Can you provide your PMS logs for that time period? What show was it that got deleted so I know what to look for?

Edit - The logs should show if that setting got changed and when the deletion got triggered, if they happened within the time frame of your logs.

5

For the last 2 days, no show was deleted. It’s as if entering in the settings of the show had somehow “reset” them in the right way. I can share those logs with you. I’m not sure when the settings may have changed but I have probably all logs since I noticed the issue (May 7) until now.

How can I send them to you? I don’t want to post them here as those logs contain my Plex username, IP address…

6

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