Auto-organize failing with one specific destination folder

[computerprep 142]

I've had this problem for a few days now, been trying to sort it out and can't get a grip on it.

 

I have five external hard drives, with folders for various Media Libraries across each of the drives. Lately, files being auto-organized into Drive 4\Television 4 have been failing. Every time. No matter what.

 

So I navigated to the folders through the Network links in My Computer instead of the direct hard drive links. Everything is there. And I compared the security settings for user permissions between Television 4 and Television 3. They're identical. Everything is identical. At least everything I'm looking at.

 

So I did a test user-initiated auto-organize, then rebooted to get a "clean" server log. In this test, I moved an existing episode (ER S01E25) alongside my latest problem file (American Ninja Warrior S08E03). Both files are present in sites like TheTVDB.com. ER episode would be transferred to Drive 2\Television 2... and American Ninja Warrior is to be stored on Drive 4\Television 4.

 

ER = pass.

American Ninja Warrior = fail.

 

For the sake of brevity, I haven't included server logs testing other series that are stored in Television 4. I've tested 4 other shows with air dates ranging from 2009 to present, and every file fails with the same error report as American Ninja Warrior. And they fail whether they have their original filename or properly structured filename.

 

Here's the error report. The file attached includes the logs preceding the error up until the "Info TaskManager: Executing Organize new media files"

*** Error Report ***
Version: 3.0.5972.0
Command line: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\System\MediaBrowser.ServerApplication.exe
Operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1
Processor count: 4
64-Bit OS: True
64-Bit Process: True
Program data path: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server
Application Path: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\System\MediaBrowser.ServerApplication.exe
Access to the path is denied.
System.UnauthorizedAccessException
  at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
  at System.IO.File.InternalMove(String sourceFileName, String destFileName, Boolean checkHost)
  at CommonIO.ManagedFileSystem.MoveFile(String source, String target)
  at MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations.FileOrganization.EpisodeFileOrganizer.PerformFileSorting(TvFileOrganizationOptions options, FileOrganizationResult result)

Any thoughts?

[Luke 37008]

Unfortunately this is nothing we can explain for you, other than the error message displayed in the log:

Access to the path is denied.

It means the server tried to save the file, and your operating system (Windows) denied access. We have no way of determining why this happened, but generally it's due to the server process not having permission to write to that folder.

[computerprep 142]

FOUND IT!!!!!

 

This has been the bane of my existence for the past week. Literally, my wife has been yelling at me to get off my fracking computer.

So I gently explain to her that she should remember how much she loves this auto-organize feature I'm so fond of, and that once I fix this we can go back to our happy little lives.

 

But on to the explanation for any future users who may find this post in the middle of their hair-pulling experience.

 

I believe the root of this problem is that my libraries are setup directly through my network shared folders instead of hard drive direct folders. The benefit to this is that I don't have to muddle around with any of those path substitutions. I simply add and remove folders at will to libraries, and I'm good to go. As long as those folders have proper permissions in the first place.

 

There are actually two sets of folder permissions you must verify for your auto-organize features to work properly. Simply sharing the folder location as a network share will allow Emby to stream it more effectively, but to write and modify files in these folders, take a look at the screenshots below.

 

Most everyone is accustomed to the first screenshot... permissions in the the security tab of a folder's properties. But silly me forgot all about the share permissions buried in the sharing tab of the folder. Voila. It had reverted (don't ask me how) to only Everyone Read Only. Problem solved.

 

   

[computerprep 142]

Luke, the Path Substitution tab of the Library page of the Dashboard might be a good place to warn future users of this peril. Either that or somewhere in the Auto-organize section. This problem would show me the destination folder in the activity log, but they would remain red, whether pushing the ORGANIZE button in the top corner or clicking the folder icon next to the individual episode names.

 

Those just seem like the logical places. The auto-organize area could give an administrator a message about checking their path substitutions/share permissions if... logic... you get the picture. Just as a friendly word of advice.

[Luke 37008]

Good investigation. Keep in mind path substitution isn't a factor with auto-organize. Also, when something fails to organize, you can click on it in the activity log to see the original error message.

[computerprep 142]

Keep in mind path substitution isn't a factor with auto-organize. Also, when something fails to organize, you can click on it in the activity log to see the original error message.

 

Well, no. Anyone using path substitution shouldn't ever see the exact problem I just encountered, but for people who want to avoid path substitution, they MUST apply proper share permissions in addition to folder permissions. Also, can't remember my error message in the activity log, but I do remember it was thoroughly unhelpful. Hence the frustration.

 

Hopefully I'll get a chance to reproduce this particular error and see what the activity log told me. I'll let you know.