can't add shared folder to a library

[sward 28]

Hello - I can see several shared folders on my LAN, but when I try to add them to an Emby library, it says 'path not found.' What am I doing wrong?

[GrimReaper 4742]

10 hours ago, sward said:

Hello - I can see several shared folders on my LAN, but when I try to add them to an Emby library, it says 'path not found.' What am I doing wrong?

Mount those shares in your OS and then add THAT as path in your Library. 

Edit: Additionally, you can optionally add those share paths in respective fields. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by GrimReaper76
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[sward 28]

Strangely, even after mounting the share it still says 'path not found.'

[GrimReaper 4742]

4 hours ago, sward said:

Strangely, even after mounting the share it still says 'path not found.'

I'd say you have permissions issue somewhere, Emby needs 'read' permission as a minimum, 'write' if you're gonna store your artwork/nfos with media. 

[Luke 42080]

@sward please let us know if this helps you resolve it. Thanks.

[sward 28]

What username & password is Emby using to access these shares?

[Luke 42080]

2 hours ago, sward said:

What username & password is Emby using to access these shares?

What kind of shares are they?

[sward 28]

I am sharing folders that can only be accessed by selected users, however recall that I also mounted one of these shared drives and Emby still couldn't see it, even though it was mounted locally to a driver letter.

[Luke 42080]

Can you please go over a specific example? thanks.

[sward 28]

Let's say I mount a folder of recordings to drive letter Z, I should then be able to add Z as the path to files for an Emby library, but within Emby Z isn't even visible in the drop down menu of local drives, and if I type it in manually, it says path not found. Mind you this happens despite the fact that I can click on Z: within Windows Explorer and browse all these recordings.

[Luke 42080]

I would not suggest using windows mounted drive letters. Use the original network path instead. Windows will disconnect mounted shares when idle, and when this happens Emby Server will not be able to reach them.

[GrimReaper 4742]

26 minutes ago, sward said:

Let's say I mount a folder of recordings to drive letter Z, I should then be able to add Z as the path to files for an Emby library, but within Emby Z isn't even visible in the drop down menu of local drives, and if I type it in manually, it says path not found. Mind you this happens despite the fact that I can click on Z: within Windows Explorer and browse all these recordings.

That's how I've been doing it for years, for my secondary (portable/laptop) server, with media on external USB HDD: whilst at home, it's connected to my main server and share mounted under Z:\ on my laptop; once going portable, share unmapped and connected directly via USB to laptop, again with driveletter Z:\ assigned. Had no issues ever.

[Luke 42080]

For USB that's fine. I just meant for a network share.

[GrimReaper 4742]

33 minutes ago, Luke said:

For USB that's fine. I just meant for a network share.

It is network share half of the time: when connected via USB to main PC server, on laptop is network share, mapped to Z:\, secondary server runs on that. 

Edit: Realeted, there's also a tertiary Shield server, but that one always runs on mounted network share (same external HDD), either from main PC at home or from laptop when away, and those mountpoints used in Library definitions. But that one requires little shuffling upon every change, as opposed to secondary server which is hassle-free either at home-mode or away-mode. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by GrimReaper76
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[sward 28]

I only used the windows mounted drive letter, b/c it was telling me 'path not found' whenever I tried putting in the full network path (which I copied from Windows Explorer whilst viewing contents of the needed share). I thought for sure it would see the path if it was a local drive letter, but no luck.

[pwhodges 2012]

Are you running Emby as a server, and if so, under what user, with what rights?

Paul

[sward 28]

Since I log in as a regular user, I had to install Emby as a service using NSSM. It's logged in using the local system account. I originally tried logging in the service with the Admin account, but that wasn't very stable.

[pwhodges 2012]

You need to use a suitable user account to get network access.  Actually, although it's bad practice  I use administrator...  If that account is doing something unstable you have a real problem.

How did the instability manifest itself?

Paul

[sward 28]

I don't believe logging the service in with the Admin account will improve the situation, and I don't recall the particulars of what wasn't working when I was using the admin account, but everything became stable once I logged the service in with the local service account. Furthermore, I have another machine (my main mediacenter PC) that has the same setup - meaning the Emby service logs in with local service account, and it can see shared drives on the network no problem. With this problem machine, if I click network as the location of the folder to add to the library, I don't even see the machines on my home network/LAN.