Since the last server update yesterday when I add a video file to Plex it is adding a merged file that does not exist as well..this file does not work because the file dowes not exist on the server. You can see in the attached screen shot of the info file of the video it shows one file that is on the server the other is not and is marked as Unableable. Ever video file i have added today is doesing this and I have to go in the delete the unavailable merges file.
Just noticed that if it doesnt merge the files it creates two separate entries into the library one the real file and the other the unavailable file which has to be deleted from the library manually too.
This server version and the last two have been having issues for me with merging files to wrong files and deleting files from the library all together..
Does anyone know why this is happening and how to fix…It is getting to be a pain to have to go in and clean up all the librafy when before everything worked without issue.
Looks like your workflow might add that file to its target folder while it’s still being processed?!
The 1st file name appears to be the standard file name / folder structure used by iTunes… the “unavailable” one looks like an 50% attempt to align the folder structure/naming to what Plex expects.
Why has this issue started now and how can it be fixed? I haven been using Plex for 9 years or so and been using the same work flow. Add to iTunes which adds the file to the computer file folder which Plex reads and adds it to the Plex library.
Plex has never tried to create its on file name or location. It only reads the file folder I told it to read for the movie library. Has Plex changed something where it wants to create its own file name and folder? Like I said it’s never done this before and has only started thus with the last couple of server versions.
That’s what I thought I have never seen Plex try to create a file or name it.
I have nothing but Plex and iTunes involved. Everything was working fine until three Plex server versions including the one mentioned above.
Everything was working as normal before then. I went to watch a movie last night that was added three days ago and I know it was in there because it was in my recently added but it was deleted from the Plex library. This is something that has had to be introduced with the recent server versions. Like I continue to say I never had anything like this and I am not sure the Plex developers are even looking at my issues. I have entered at least three forum help notices within the last week on all of these things.
If the sequence was the other way around my guess would have been it’s how iTunes added the files (e.g. you drop the file into iTunes or into the Automatically Add to TV folder; iTunes/TV recognize the file/move it to its target location but only then rename it to match its naming conventions).
Maybe that’s what happened and the OS/Plex just got the sequence of events wrong.
Anyway… the moment Plex got to process event #2, the file could no longer be found.
When dealing with external drives (network or not) I personally prefer to move the file to that drive before moving it to its target folder. That can help prevent this kind of hiccups where the OS reports a new folder while the file is actually still being processed/transferred.
Actually when I transcribe the files before I import them into iTunes I actually transcribe them to the same drive external drive I keep my movies on which in this case the drobo storage unit. This keeps the transfer of files quick.
The second file you showed above is the non existent file.
Again this does explain why it is doing this now as well as thing deleting from the library.
I am thinking of deleting the library and rebuilding it as new.
I don’t think that’s going to fix the underlying hiccup between the OS telling Plex there’s a new file/folder and Plex not finding a non-existing file.
The only other veritable was that I upgraded to MacOS Catalina. I don’t know if that’s the issue but Plex needs to dertermine a workaround for Catalina comparability.
