Win Duplicate TV Shows all of a sudden. Pictures explaining problem.
#1
So I've had this same XBMC setup for a good year or so now. I have 3 computers all hooked up to a main computer that acts as a server. Everything is using either Windows 7 or 8. I have everything synced up using MySQL or whatever that thing is called.

So, today, all of a sudden my tv shows are all showing duplicates. It has never been a problem before, and I haven't updated computers/XBMC versions for a while either.

Here is a picture of Band of Brothers. As you can see, it is duplicating the episode.
http://i.imgur.com/VphzsGG.png

If you saw this, first thing you would look at is where the source is, right? Well I went into the episode information for both episodes:

First duplicate: http://i.imgur.com/ZQEbpeB.png
Second duplicate: http://i.imgur.com/Rv41EMM.png

So, it would seem like they both are pointing to the same file, but are taking slightly different paths. So then I end up going to the Video Files list to see the sources... But there aren't any sources showing.
http://i.imgur.com/wSsf7Pg.png

Anyone know whats going on? I can't seem to fix this for the life of me. I just don't get why it happened so suddenly.
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#2
Your problem definitely is the fact that XBMC has, at some point, found those episodes at 2 completely different paths.

I am assuming that one of those paths is an old path that has now changed to the new path, based on what I'm seeing in those screenshots.

The first thing you need to is Clean your library. Go to System-Video-Library-Clean Library.

That will get rid of any entries in the library that are pointing to paths that no longer exist.

Also be aware that if you have 3 different PCs sharing the same MySQL library, but you setup those PCs to access the SAME media via different shares or paths eg. via SMB on one machine, via NFS on another, via a mapped network drive on another, that will also potentially cause XBMC to create multiple entries for the same things because XBMC cannot know that it's the exact same thing. As far as I can tell XBMC uses the full path to the media file to determine the uniqueness of any given file.

In other words, pick ONE standard way of accessing the files on your network, and use the exact same method on all of the machines running XBMC to avoid any confusion.

You say there are no sources now, but at least one of you machines MUST have sources setup for there to be anything your library in the first place. Or you had sources setup previously which you've now removed.

Again, make sure than any sources you add are using the SAME method of accessing the files, if you are going to add the sources on multiple machines and allow multiple machines to scan the sources and update the library.
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#3
So I forgot to mention but I did try cleaning the library already. It didn't work though as all the files (duplicates included) are working.

And I always do make sure to add the source in the same way with all the PCs. But mistakes do happen, so I'll double check those too.

I do want to clear one thing up though. If I have that MySQL thing, do I still need to add the video file sources on each separate computer? Or do I just need to do it on one computer?
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#4
You only NEED to add the source on one computer, but you CAN have sources on every computer.

It's safer to only have it on one machine because it then limits the possibility of this kind of confusion happening.

Coming back to your problem. You say that both instances of that same episode currently play from BOTH of those paths ?

My question then is: What is "L" in the one path ? Is there a folder named "L" ?

XBMC is managing to get to that episode via 2 different paths that are apparently BOTH currently active and resolving correctly, so we need to understand how that's happening.

Those are clearly SMB shares, so on the face of it, it looks like "L" is a folder name ? But then that implies that you have 2 copies of your episodes on the server ? 1 copy sitting under a folder called "L", and one copy next to that ?

Is "L" maybe some kind of shortcut / symlink that is actually pointing to another folder ?
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#5
This is how I have it setup. I have the harddrives on the server set up as Network Locations on the other computers. I'll show you the pictures and how I have the files organized.

Pic 1: http://i.imgur.com/S1eCZLv.png
Pic 2: http://i.imgur.com/qYLiR8u.png
Pic 3: http://i.imgur.com/z0Ro4v4.png
Pic 4: http://i.imgur.com/UrLldPJ.png

So the "L" is just the name of the harddrive that stores the TV shows.
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#6
Now that I think about it, I think know what's going on.

I think you've simply shared that folder with 2 different SHARE names on the server itself.

And then you've created multiple video sources at some point, probably on different machines, that each used a different share name to the other to scan the media in.

Go to your server, to the actual folder containing the media, right click that folder, and look at what you have the folder shared as. I suspect that you will find that it's currently shared using both of those share names / paths.

Right click on the L drive itself and check what you've got it shared as. I suspect multiple things.

Right click drive -> Popup menu -> Share With -> Advanced sharing

I think you may even have shared the entire L drive and then the TV Series folder itself as well. That's how you end up with the 2 different shares pointing at the same thing.
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#7
So this is what I see on that Advanced Sharing screen.

http://i.imgur.com/YxnhW6S.png

Does that look good?
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#8
Ok, now go check if the Series folder itself is ALSO shared.

I'm guessing it is.

And that explains why there are 2 different ways of hitting the same folder on your network at the moment, with one path including "L", and one not.
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#9
Oh god, what the hell.

http://i.imgur.com/wPScTke.png

How do I get rid of those? I don't know what they're doing there, lol.

I can't right click on them and delete them.

EDIT: And what would be a better choice... Sharing the whole "L" drive or just the "TV Shows" folder?
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#10
I would drop the drive letter shares and rather share the folders only.

Click Start Button -> Computer

From there, right click each drive letter, popup menu, Share With -> Advanced Sharing, and turn off sharing for the drive letters.

After you drop those drive letter shares, CLEAN your XBMC library again and the extra entries should go away.
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#11
Those extra folders have been unshared!

That should do it. I'm very tired though (1:30 am) so I shall double check into it a bit more tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the help, man! Especially since you got back to me instantly every time I had a question. Very awesome.

The internet needs more people like you.
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