Updating Emby Server - How to Ensure Custom Metadata Sort Data & Identify Linking Is Not Lost

[reperrier 2]

Since joining Emby last December, I have spent a lot of time organizing my media libraries, including correcting any mis-'identify' linking, updating metadata, and even setting custom "sort as" information to organize my libraries.

 

Then the previous media server updated versions came out, I installed the new server version, and to my dismay, all of that custom information and work was lost! as the server restarted and essentially ran what looked like a fresh scan and link process. So much work and time, gone in an instant.

 

I suspect that there's a way for me to help ensure this doesn't happen again, before I install the latest update.

 

I appreciate any guidance or tips to help ensure that I don't make this same mistake again. I did find the 'lock this metadata' near the bottom of the metadata screen for each individual piece of media - is that sufficient to select to preserve my inputs? Or is there more to be done.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Luke 38825]

Hi, what have you applied custom sort orders on?

[reperrier 2]

For example...the Jurassic Park film series...if you sort by title, it would not have the films appear in order of release, and so I have gone into the metadata of each film and input my own text into the "Sort Title" field, and this then rearranges the titles in the order I wish. I have also done this for the Star Wars series. When I updated the server last time, all of that data suddenly disappeared and I was back to square one.

 

In addition, some of my collections had been automatically linked to the wrong film, or could not be identified for some reason. I went in for each title and used the "Identify" function to link to the correct film. Once again, during the updating of the server, all of those links were broken and the films once again appeared as unidentifiable.

 

How can I prevent those custom changes from being overwritten the next time I update the server?

Edited February 18, 2019 by reperrier

[Luke 38825]

Do you have nfo metadata files?

[reperrier 2]

I'm not sure what "nfo metadata files" are - can you clarify?

 

The metadata is flowing from whichever sources Emby is sourcing. I have simply gone in and modified that metadata to put in my own "Sort Title" information, which then the rest of the data that Emby pulled is unchanged.

 

My question is whether there's a way to ensure that the custom info that I have inputted doesn't get over-written during the next server upgrade? and is the "lock this item to prevent future changes" option sufficient to prevent my customizations from being over-written during future upgrades to the server?

[Luke 38825]

Do you have .nfo files next to your media files containing copies of the metadata values?