Issue with Portable Jellyfin Installation on Windows

[Adauchi]

Hello Jellyfin Community,

I'm currently experiencing an issue with my portable Jellyfin installation on Windows. I’ve set up a batch file to start Jellyfin using the following command:

Code:

system\jellyfin.exe -d E:\Program Files\Jellyfin v10.9.11\jellyfin\database

pause

However, as shown in the images I’ve provided, Jellyfin seems to be creating and storing metadata, library files, and other related data in E:/Program/ instead of the intended E:/Program Files/.

I suspect this might be due to the space in the directory name (Program Files) and the overall length of the path. After doing some research, I believe that enclosing the path in double quotes might resolve the issue. So, I modified the batch file to this:

Code:

system\jellyfin.exe -d "E:\Program Files\Jellyfin v10.9.11\jellyfin\database"

pause

My Questions:

1. Would enclosing the path in quotes "" fix the issue where Jellyfin incorrectly sets the metadata/library paths?
2. If this doesn't solve the problem, what might I be doing wrong, and what can I do to ensure that Jellyfin is properly saving everything in the intended E:/Program Files/ directory?

I'm using Jellyfin version 10.9.11, and I’m running the portable version on a Windows system.

Any help or suggestions on resolving this would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

[theguymadmax]

Yes, you need to use quotes.

To start Jellyfin with the default data directory, use this command: 

Code:

.\jellyfin.exe --datadir "C:\ProgramData\Jellyfin\Server"

If you don't provide an argument and simply run .\jellyfin.exe, it will automatically use the following data directory: 

Code:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\jellyfin

Unless you have a specific reason, I wouldn’t recommend storing your data directory alongside your application files.

[Adauchi]

Yes, you need to use quotes.

To start Jellyfin with the default data directory, use this command: 

Code:

.\jellyfin.exe --datadir "C:\ProgramData\Jellyfin\Server"

If you don't provide an argument and simply run .\jellyfin.exe, it will automatically use the following data directory: 

Code:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\jellyfin

Unless you have a specific reason, I wouldn’t recommend storing your data directory alongside your application files.

Thank you for the clarification! I'll make sure to use quotes in my arguments from now on.

I can't use the default data directory as my C Drive only has 16 GB of free space (64 GB total), and I try to keep it as empty as possible to ensure Windows runs smoothly. I need at least 6 GB free for the system and additional space for temp storage.

When you mentioned "Unless you have a specific reason, I wouldn’t recommend storing your data directory alongside your application files," do you have a better recommendation for where I could store it? I'm currently running the portable version of Jellyfin on my SDCARD (E Drive) and also have a 3TB external drive connected. I assume the SDCARD might be better since it's technically faster than the external drive. What do you think?

[theguymadmax]

For naming, that’s your call, but I suggest keeping it similar to Jellyfin's path. For example:
.\jellyfin.exe --datadir "E:\ProgramData\Jellyfin\Server"

Which ever drive has the faster read/write speeds. If it's a mechanical hard drive then then I'd go with the  SD card.