Update files location without refreshing metadata

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
1

Server Version#: 1.18.2.2058
Player Version#:

I want to change my folder structure from this:
.
├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).en.srt
├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).mp4
├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).pt-BR.srt
├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).en.srt
├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).mkv
├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).pt-BR.srt

To this without updating any metadata, just the file path:
.
├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968)
│ ├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).en.srt
│ ├── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).mp4
│ └── 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 - Uma Odisséia no Espaço (1968).pt-BR.srt
├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001)
│ ├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).en.srt
│ ├── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).mkv
│ └── A Beautiful Mind - Uma Mente Brilhante (2001).pt-BR.srt

I saw some similiar discussion, but nothing that helps me to achieve this. Is it possible?

2
  1. Add the folder, then copy - not move - the movie & subtitles into the new folder. You will have two copies on your drive.
  2. Scan the library. Plex should pick up the new folder and show that you have two copies of each movie.
  3. Double check the metadata.
  4. Remove the original files.
  5. Rescan library. Plex should now show you have one copy of each movie.
  6. Empty trash, clean bundles, optimize database.

Try with one movie first, to make sure you get expected results. If it works to your satisfaction, can then proceed with multiple movies if needed.

3

If after the move, the external subtitles don’t appear at first, Refresh Metadata on the affected movie(s).

4

Is the Local Media Assets agent enabled? (it can be at the bottom of the list but must be enabled)

5

Great news. @FordGuy61 suggestion works!

@OttoKerner Plex found my local subtitles that I manually synced, but if it hadn’t, wouldn’t “Refreshing Metadata” make Plex replace all the changes I’d made in that movie?

@ChuckPa Yes, my Local Media Assets is enabled and at the top of the list ( but I don’t really know what it does)

So, just for future reference, I’ll illustrate all the steps I took so this post can help other people.

You can do manual scanning as suggested by @FordGuy61 or automatic scan like in my configuration under Settings > Library

scan
Before starting the changes, my movies were organized like that:

├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).en.srt
├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).mkv
├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).pt-BR.srt
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).en.srt
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).mp4
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).pt-BR.srt

And it was displayed like this in my library:

01 before

After creating a new directory and duplicate all the files related to that movie you should see something like this in your library:

02 after

03 file info
03 file info730×525 45.1 KB

New folder structure

├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004)
│   ├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).en.srt
│   ├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).mkv
│   └── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).pt-BR.srt
├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).en.srt
├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).mkv
├── Man on Fire - [ Chamas da Vingança ] (2004).pt-BR.srt
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).en.srt
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).mp4
├── Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins (1964).pt-BR.srt

Once you library is updated, delete the old files and your thumbnail will go back to normal

01 before

In my tests all the information below were kept untouched for movies and collections:

  • Personalized subtitles
  • Personalized names, cover and background
  • Watching history

Thank you very much y’all

1 Like
6

It should not, because your manual edits should normally activate the orange “locks” on the edited fields. So subsequent metadata refreshes will only update the un-locked things.

7

The “Local Media Assets” agent handles associating files found with your media to the actual movie. The most commonly known use of this is External Subtitles. Other types of Local Media Assets are extras, e.g. Interview with the director-interview.mkv which will show in the Movie’s pre-play screen as “Interview with the director”.

8

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.