Downloads duplicating and not completing after many hours

[ajeansnz 8]

I have searched the forum but can't find this having been handled.

We are overseas and I thought I'd download some movies for my son to watch while we are traveling.

I can select to download and Emby adds them to the queue - great.

And then it duplicates them.

And then they all start downloading at different rates.

And then it duplicates them again.

and again ...

I now have 45 progress entries for 5 movies, and none completed after leaving it running for a day and a night.

Pic below.

I am using Emby Windows 2.207.2.0 client.  Emby Server on Windows 4.8.10.0.

Anyone have any idea what is going on?

 

[softworkz 4534]

The new app is using the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service).

Can you check the log in Windows Event Viewer?

Applications and Services\Microsoft\Windows\Microsoft-Windows-Bits-Client/Operational

[softworkz 4534]

You can try this tool which allows you to explore and view BITS download jobs: 

https://pub.emby.media/download/tools/BITSManager.msi

It's a bit more convenient than digging through logs..

[softworkz 4534]

@ajeansnz - Were you able to resolve the issue you were seeing?

Thanks

[SimonS75 2]

I'm also having this issue. It happens on the conversion queue too and on Android as well as Windows. So i'm thinking it's a either a sever issue (Truenas Scale 25.10) or an Emby issue. But I don't have the knowledge t figure out which.

[SimonS75 2]

Okay, I seem to have figured it out.

It seems that if you have selected "Automatically download new content" that Emby will see your queue, or your partly converted, or partly downloaded files as "NEW" content (Not sure exactly what the trigger is) and will re-add it to the bottom of the queue.  So, unselecting this option solves the problem in the short term.  I guess you can select it again once your task is complete to catch any new media, but this seems like a bug in the software that needs to be fixed.

[Luke 39813]

@SimonS75what exactly did you click download on?

[ajeansnz 8]

On 4/17/2025 at 12:02 PM, SimonS75 said:

Okay, I seem to have figured it out.

It seems that if you have selected "Automatically download new content" that Emby will see your queue, or your partly converted, or partly downloaded files as "NEW" content (Not sure exactly what the trigger is) and will re-add it to the bottom of the queue.  So, unselecting this option solves the problem in the short term.  I guess you can select it again once your task is complete to catch any new media, but this seems like a bug in the software that needs to be fixed.

Hi @SimonS75- where is that setting.

I thought this issue had resolved itself through a Emby for Windows client update.  But have found just today that the issue still occurs.  Where do I find the setting you refer too?  I am simply selecting a movie on the server and choosing 'Download" off the menu.  I chose a reasonable number of movies tonight because we are travelling tomorrow.  Each added to the queue the same way - Original File - so no transcoding/conversion.  However I do have another movie converting for another purpose - not donwloading it.  And now have many duplicates.  Server is on the same network.  I am connected via wifi.

 

[ajeansnz 8]

I am wondering if it's something to do with the transcoding/conversion, even though that is not one of the movies downloading.  Now I think about it I am sure the queue was downloadiing OK, until I started another movie converting.

[Cliffex 1]

Downloading from the Emby Server to a PC with the Emby Windows app isn't working

The download task doesn't show in the BITS jobs

[softworkz 4534]

Please note that downloading to the local machine (or even within a LAN) can complete so quickly that you hardly have a chance to see it in the BITS explorer.

Rather look at 

Settings >> Downloads >> Tab: Manage Downloads

Edited April 22 by softworkz

[softworkz 4534]

Also note that when you add like 100 items for download, you won't see 100 items in the BITS queue - but in the Windows app you see all of them. There's always only a certain number of files which are queued in BITS (= shown as "transferring" in the Windows app). 
This is to prevent overloading the BITS queue and to keep the app in charge of controlling downloads.

[Cliffex 1]

Testing by trying to download three videos from the Emby server to the desktop on the same LAN. No success

[softworkz 4534]

16 minutes ago, softworkz said:

Settings >> Downloads >> Tab: Manage Downloads

What do you see there?

[softworkz 4534]

Can you please post or PM the log? 

(EmbyCllient*.txt - from Settings >> About >> Log files)

[Cliffex 1]

Settings >> Downloads >> Tab: Manage Downloads

Show three items "Ready to Transfer"EmbyClient.txt

 

Log Attached

[softworkz 4534]

Thanks for the log. There seems to be an error downloading:

 

You can check the Windows/Application event log for more informaton on the issue or install the BitsManager tool: https://pub.emby.media/download/tools/BITSManager.msi

Another user had a similar issue and it was due to the BITS queue being filled up. 

[Cliffex 1]

BITS Manager shows no jobs

I have found the issue the folder on the QNAP is /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/US History

Unlike the other shares on the NAS eg /share/United Kingdom

Somehow, I have shifted the original shared folder into an area that isn't accessible.

Thank You for your patience

[sa2000 350]

On 11/01/2025 at 04:38, softworkz said:

Can you check the log in Windows Event Viewer?

Applications and Services\Microsoft\Windows\Microsoft-Windows-Bits-Client/Operational

Also check if it is named as follows 

Applications and Services\Microsoft\Windows\Bits-Client/Operational

On my windows 11 machine it is Bits-Client and not Microsoft-Windows-Bits-Client

 

Right Click on Operational and select Save All Events As .. option to save the bits-client event log as either evtx or csv file. If saving as evtx, please give an indication of your timezone when providing the evtx file (please zip the file)

The Emby Windows  app logs folder is shown on the App Settings / About screen

 

[SimonS75 2]

On 20/04/2025 at 20:19, ajeansnz said:

Hi @SimonS75- where is that setting.

I thought this issue had resolved itself through a Emby for Windows client update.  But have found just today that the issue still occurs.  Where do I find the setting you refer too?  I am simply selecting a movie on the server and choosing 'Download" off the menu.  I chose a reasonable number of movies tonight because we are travelling tomorrow.  Each added to the queue the same way - Original File - so no transcoding/conversion.  However I do have another movie converting for another purpose - not donwloading it.  And now have many duplicates.  Server is on the same network.  I am connected via wifi.

 

Yes, you are correct. It seems to be still happening to me.

It's very frustrating.

[pbathuk 11]

Hi, 

Just to chime in, as I am facing the same issue.

I have narrowed my issue down to a certain instance:

Start a download of somthing (movie / tv show etc) and while that is converting start another one, which does not, or might need converting (not fully tested).

It seems to be as the converted items tick up and queue they re-queue everything that is already in the queue i.e.:

 

My BITS event viewer shows lots of:

Quote

 

The description for Event ID 16403 from source Microsoft-Windows-Bits-Client cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local > computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event: 
Emby Download: Carl's Funeral
EV_RenderedValue_2.00
1
<SERVER>/emby/Sync/JobItems/4364/File?api_key=a868d021c440450e8e2070c9d519e9fa
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Packages\EmbyMedia.EmbyTheater_svmepx4c03f7m\LocalState\data\syncItems\TV\Schitt's Creek\Schitt's Creek - S01E09 - Carl's Funeral.mkv
21480
4503599627382521

The message ID for the desired message could not be found

 

 

I can then see, about once every few seconds the same number of "6" event code items being listed. Then on the downloads screen all of the info then appears again as a new download.

 

If I cancel the converting item, then it stabilies.

 

So to me, from a very simple view, it seems like the server it broadcasting to re-download the items that are not fully downloaded & for some reason my laptop is not properly keepigng track and just re-queuing.

 

The way I have worked around this, is to only download things in batches.. i.e. I want a few movies, use multi-select then download them. then wait till they are fully complete before doing the next thing. It seems a bug in the handeling between laptop / client and server at the moment.. but when it works - its great

[Luke 39813]

HI, we are looking into it. Thanks.

[SimonS75 2]

12 hours ago, Luke said:

HI, we are looking into it. Thanks.

Hopefully it something that can be fixed by Emby.

I've found that on my local network, downloads can usually happen quickly enough that the duplication occurs much less often, but it does still happen occasionally.

But if I'm trying to download while connected to an external, slower network it happens frequently and a single file may never complete before it stops downloading and then creates a new duplicate download, starting at zero percent. This happens over and over again.

[SimonS75 2]

Are there any updates on this problem?

[sa2000 350]

I do not have any update to give yet. It is with the development team