Case-sensitive paths and preserved spelling
Case-sensitive lookup distinguishes names such as Film.mkv and film.mkv, while case preservation merely retains their spelling.
A file system can preserve the spelling Film.mkv while allowing it to be opened as film.mkv. That is case-preserving but case-insensitive lookup. With case-sensitive lookup, those names can identify different files.
The distinction affects media collections moved between systems and paths written into scripts, sidecar references or server configuration.
Two names, two possible inventories
| Names present | Sensitive lookup | Insensitive lookup |
|---|---|---|
Only Film.mkv |
Exact spelling is needed for that name | Differently cased spellings can resolve to it |
Film.mkv and film.mkv |
Both can be distinct entries | They cannot normally coexist as two distinct names under the same insensitive naming rules |
Request FILM.mkv |
Can fail when no matching entry exists | Can resolve to the existing case variant |
These are naming models. The application may also perform its own comparisons, and a network server can expose rules different from the client's local file system.
A move can introduce a collision
Imagine a source directory containing Poster.jpg and poster.jpg as two different images. A transfer to a case-insensitive destination cannot preserve both using only those original names. A tool may stop, replace one according to its policy, or generate another name.
That is a naming collision, not evidence that one image was corrupt. Resolve the intended names and references before treating a transfer as complete. A sidecar reference that still uses the old spelling may become broken on a sensitive destination.
Windows and Linux are useful defaults, not universal rules
Many Linux file-system arrangements use case-sensitive names. Windows commonly uses insensitive lookup while preserving case. NTFS can support case-sensitive directories, including arrangements used with Windows Subsystem for Linux. The directory setting and application behavior therefore matter more than an absolute “Windows never distinguishes case” rule.
For a network share, the remote server's naming policy participates. For a container, the mounted file system still has its own rules; starting Linux software does not automatically convert the underlying names.
Use the server's actual path spelling when investigating an unavailable Emby source. If a path works only with one capitalization, that observation describes the current lookup behavior. It does not establish how a later copy, share or mounted directory will compare the same name.