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Information This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Printable Version

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This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Ipecac - 2025-01-08

I was getting the error "This file is no longer available" when starting some TV shows I'd replaced with new copies, even though I'd deleted and re-scraped the shows multiple times. I've seen multiple threads here about this without any solutions, so I thought I'd share the workaround that I came up with:
  1. Remove the affected shows / movies from the library
  2. Rename all the filenames of all the files affected, like "_u"
    (The Renamer tool by den4b is helpful, but you can do it manually.)
  3. Update the library
I'm using Kodi for Windows to scape, but my file/MariaDb server is Unraid. I think there are some entries in the database left behind after removing the show from the library that match a case-insensitive check (Windows), but fail a case-sensitive check (Unraid/Linux).

Hope this helps some others here, as it was driving me nuts.

RE: This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Ipecac - 2025-01-08

In case it wasn't clear, in step 2, I meant to add something to the filename before the extension, like show.s01e01.mkv becomes show.s01e01_u.mkv

RE: This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Karellen - 2025-01-08

(2025-01-08, 07:39)Ipecac Wrote: This file is no longer available
No need to rename every episode. Just rename the tv show folder. The TV Show folder and everything in it will be seen as new by Kodi.

The message also occurs when your OS changes the drive letter of a plugged in HDD, or maybe your DHCP server has allocated the network drive a different ip address. Use static ip addresses on your network.

RE: This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Ipecac - 2025-01-08

That makes sense that renaming the TV Show folder would work, too. I did the individual files, as I like to keep my show folder names clean, but don't care about extra stuff on episode filenames. It would be nice if Kodi didn't try to re-use deleted items in the database like this.

RE: This file is no longer available - but it's there - workaround - Karellen - 2025-01-08

Did you run a Clean library from the Kodi settings? In some circumstanced, that may clear it, but most times it wouldn't as the "files" table is never cleaned which is the table that records all files in the Source folder.