All my movies is added today

[JoLas 26]

So, I upgraded to 4.9.1.80, I'm running the portable version so I just swapped the SYSTEM-folder as I usually do, backing up the old one.

When starting emby server a scan was initiated that took a couple of hours. After the scan all my movies had been added right now. All metadata shows all movies were added 2025-10-01 10:16:34
Not a big thing but the "latest movies" and the sorting is all off.

The TV-shows are same as before, so no change there.

[Happy2Play 9780]

Sound like you go hit with this but devs will want to see specific examples.

 

[Luke 42077]

Hi, yes a couple users reported this on the beta. Apologies for the disruption:

[remid12 5]

6 hours ago, JoLarsson said:

So, I upgraded to 4.9.1.80, I'm running the portable version so I just swapped the SYSTEM-folder as I usually do, backing up the old one.

When starting emby server a scan was initiated that took a couple of hours. After the scan all my movies had been added right now. All metadata shows all movies were added 2025-10-01 10:16:34
Not a big thing but the "latest movies" and the sorting is all off.

The TV-shows are same as before, so no change there.

Hi JoLarsson, 

I have exactly the same issue.

@Lukethis new version is only for beta ? Because on my side It was installed automatically, but I'm pretty sure that I choose only stable version.
I didn't find where we can chosse stable or beta, I just see that in general setting automatic update is on.

 

IMPORTANT EDIT :  I understand now. For information I wasn't in beta !  My serveur was in 4.8.11.0 and install the 4.1.9.80 this night. So I have a difference from JoLarsson.

Edit 2 : In fact only 260 movies on 2000 was impacted for information.

Thanks

Edited October 1, 2025 by remid12

[eugelai 0]

With 4.9.1.80 (TOS5: emby_TOS5_APP_4.9.1.80_x86_64), it appears for my MOVIES library, the sort by Date Added got reset somehow?  It no longer shows my movie library from what it was for Date Added sort prior to the update.

Not sure if something got reset during the upgrade, but is there a way to change this back?

Would restoring from a backup prior to upgrade resolve this issue?

[seanbuff 1315]

@eugelaiI have merged your post into an already existing topic for this issue, please continue in this thread. Thanks.

[JoLas 26]

I upgraded from the last stable 4.8.11.0 to the latest 4.9.1.80. I no longer run betas, my hobbies are elsewhere.
The scan took aprox 12 hours going through 3500 movies.

My file structure is very basic:
\\NAS\Movies\Movie A (year)\Movie.A.year.mkv
\\NAS\Movies\Movie B (year)\Movie.B.year.mkv

Edited October 2, 2025 by JoLarsson

[queenbuzzo 11]

17 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi, yes a couple users reported this on the beta. Apologies for the disruption:

And then you thought it was a good idea to release this anyway? What is the way forward here now? How can this be fixed?

[Happy2Play 9780]

3 hours ago, queenbuzzo said:

How can this be fixed?

Probably only but manually merging the db table or column from a backup db.

 

Do any of you write nfo files with media?

[pgriffith 88]

I've held off on the new update for now. But I have made a copy of every NFO that exists in my library on the off chance that when I do bite the bullet, I can restore my NFO's if needed. Unfortunately for anyone that's had their library screwed by the new update it's going to be too late for them. I can't see any way they can fix their libraries after the fact.

If anyone wants a hand with that hit me up, I have created a batch file that copies my entire library directory structure with nothing but the NFO's copied. 42000 ish NFO's only took up 200MB.

I have to agree with queenbuzzo's comment ...... And then you thought it was a good idea to release this anyway?

[queenbuzzo 11]

1 hour ago, Happy2Play said:

Probably only but manually merging the db table or column from a backup db.

 

Do any of you write nfo files with media?

Well luckily after my last problem with the database after an update I have enough backups so I just downgraded the server and put in a backup from Monday. Now all is back to normal besides some issues with poster art but that's easier to solve then the messy database. Guess I will not update again until the dust settles, but this is really something that should not happen, especially when it was discovered in the beta test.

 

and no, I don't write nfo files. 

[Happy2Play 9780]

3 minutes ago, queenbuzzo said:

and no, I don't write nfo files.

That is good info as something in the db update is causing it then as if it were written nfo file the existing dateadded should be reused.

[C.S. 93]

1 hour ago, pgriffith said:

If anyone wants a hand with that hit me up, I have created a batch file that copies my entire library directory structure with nothing but the NFO's copied. 42000 ish NFO's only took up 200MB.

FreeFileSync is also a great way to make a backup like this. Just pick the file types to preserve and go.

[xLifu 18]

16 hours ago, queenbuzzo said:

And then you thought it was a good idea to release this anyway? What is the way forward here now? How can this be fixed?

I wonder the same thing. I really hope they find a fix for this.

[xLifu 18]

It seems that the new update destroyed 5 of my Libraries from a total of 7. Every item shows as being added today. All of them are in a messed-up order. Every image and all the changes I made to them are gone.

I tried to look for a way to revert to 4.8.11.0, but it seems that it's not possible unless I reinstall everything from scratch?

Why on earth was this update released as stable? 

Lesson learned: Emby is the new Microsoft. Never ever have automatic updates enabled!

[Cactus 16]

Happening here too this morning. Everything is rescanned. So far I haven't had any actual trouble with it (sorting etc) but it definitely does rescan EVERYTHING.

[JoLas 26]

I don't write NFO with Emby, but I generate NFO-files with a powershell script that pulls tags from the filenames (Blu-ray, Criterion, Extended, Directors Cut, Remastered etc)

I switched the global library (advanced) setting to read dates from files instead of when added to the library, in my case this works.

Edited October 3, 2025 by JoLarsson

[Kramerika 18]

I posted this separately before I saw this.  Since I got no response there, I'll chime in here.  I have had a related experience.  My movie library metadata was completely reset.  For whatever reason, this did not affect my other libraries including TV shows.  I first noticed it in my collections.  I had lots of custom collections of movies.  I added TV shows to some of them.  The only collections to survive the update were those with TV shows, and they only include the TV shows, not the movies.  I then checked my movies and any custom images or titles I had assigned were gone.  I do not store NFO files in each movie folder.  Very annoying as there was a lot of effort put into that which I will have to start over on now.

[BRiTiSH 1]

My Media libraries were also badly corrupted by this same bug. For now my Emby docker is turned off.

Like Kramerika wrote, my TV Show libraries survived but my movies library metadata was wiped out.

I am in process of trying to fix this major snafu, hopefully what JoLarsson outlined will work for me. I normally have media managed by external metadata manager.

I will be recreating all the NFO files from an external process (which I had done before) and setting those files as immutable using "chattr". Then I will be sure to disable Emby from writing NFO files and ensure the global library advanced setting to "read dates from files" instead of when added to the library.

 

I think the step after that will be remove all my libraries from Emby and redo the entire scan.

 

I expected better from Emby.

[Kramerika 18]

So I am assuming what happened is that the metadata was refreshed in my movie library completely overwriting all my customizations, and there is no way to undo that.  With that in mind, all I ask is that this doesn't happen again in the future as I invested a lot of my precious free time into doing that and now have to do it again which is extremely irritating.  I do not want to have to do it again.

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  If you customize metadata, we strongly suggest saving that to NFO files as this will be sure and preserve those customizations in just about any instance.

Perhaps we should put a message in the metadata editor any time you save an edit and don't have this option enabled...

[pgriffith 88]

Hey ebr, I have in the past moved movies from one library location to another (different PC's due to installing bigger drives etc)

I do use NFO files and way before that XML. This date added bug has bitten me in the arse a few times, where the NFO date added value has been changed to the day of the move. So NFO files are no guarantee of your shit not getting wrecked anyway (unless you back them up). I have backed up every NFO on my system in preparation for the new move to the new version in case it happens to me too. Frankly I'm very scared of making the jump, people seem to be having way too many problems. It seems like it could have done with a bit more work before going final.

[sa2000 674]

Just for me to understand the impact of this issue - is it that anyone with Server Settings for Library in Advanced with "Use Date scanned into the library" will have the issue when upgrading to 4.9.1.80 

And we are now re-scanning on first launch of 4.9.1.80

and anyone using the "Use file creation date" is not affected 

 

 

 

[JBL 8]

Would the recent update and metadata issues also affect Primary images no longer being created for new videos that I add to my Library? 

A few days ago, I noticed two new issues:

1). All new content I add to my library no longer contain Primary images. 

2). Some (not all) existing content suddenly lost their Primary images. 

3). If I create a new folder in my library and add two .PNG files, one named "Folder" and the other "Backdrop", those don't appear either.  

Thanks! 

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

9 minutes ago, JBL said:

Would the recent update and metadata issues also affect Primary images no longer being created for new videos that I add to my Library? 

A few days ago, I noticed two new issues:

1). All new content I add to my library no longer contain Primary images. 

2). Some (not all) existing content suddenly lost their Primary images. 

3). If I create a new folder in my library and add two .PNG files, one named "Folder" and the other "Backdrop", those don't appear either.  

Thanks! 

 

1) There are topics where it appears library setting are getting disabled so I would double check all your library settings.

2) do images exist with media or is Emby saving to /metadata/library folders?  As that is current issue of uses losing their info that is not saved with media do to the update removing all content and readding, so all images and metadata are lost when not saved with media causing this new date added issue. (but not truly known why library is removed and readded)

3) As for placing folder and backdrop images we would need to see the server log for that specific example as I can only guess a permissions issue.

Edited October 6, 2025 by Happy2Play