Plan iCouldPlay scan roots without overlapping folder scopes

Selecting both a NAS parent and its child can complicate duplicate diagnosis, while insufficient scope can omit intended content. Map a small tree before scanning in iCouldPlay. Identify which route supplies each file without assuming universal automatic deduplication or using repeated scans to guess scope.

Map real directory relationships

Record a test root, two subdirectory levels and a few personal clips in plain text. Include full locations and distinguish originals, copies and alternate cuts. Matching names do not establish one data object.

Verify current directories, account access and playable files at the source. Old paths can expire despite familiar connection names. Establish source relationships before attributing moved files or permission faults to scanning omissions.

Choose scope for the viewing task

Use a clear parent when its whole tree is needed, or selected branches without unnecessarily adding their parent. Follow actual recursion and selection behaviour rather than promising identical treatment across protocols, depths or links. Start with the sample.

Personal folder categories are your strategy, without guaranteeing automatic app classifications. Scope and media matching are separate checks. Keep tests independent instead of moving formal originals or reorganising other applications' managed directories to experiment.

Reconcile scan results with the inventory

For every sample, check name, source, duration and a scene. Task completion does not prove every intended file is visible or playable. Clear search and category conditions and inspect the source before adding the whole tree again.

Series aggregation and versions can make card counts differ from file counts. Seek a known destination for every sample rather than equal totals. Inspect selectable items individually, retaining path evidence when matching artwork hides different files.

Compare paths and content before removing duplicates

Record both sources and actual paths for similar cards, then inspect a fixed scene. Parent overlap, physical copies and different cuts are separate possibilities. Preserve original scan configuration and test a small supported change without assuming scope edits safely remove old entries automatically.

Do not delete recordings to test deduplication. Use independently retained, disposable copies and inspect actual operation scope. If unclear whether a command changes indexes, selection or files, leave it and retain evidence; visible duplication is easier to recover from than lost originals.

Narrow omissions by layer

Check planned scope, account readability, extension and actual content. Captions and preview images are not missing videos. An invisible directory calls for scope and access checks; a visible file that will not play needs format and completeness investigation.

Use one smaller branch as a comparison if needed, changing scope alone rather than names, permissions and codecs together. Waiting longer does not establish completeness. Verify representative beginning, middle and final locations against the plan.

Retain the scan plan

Keep source, root, selected branches, samples and results. Update the plan before adding directories so count changes remain explainable. Reuse it after server moves instead of relying on memory or scan-attempt totals.

Completion means planned samples are found and played, duplication is attributable and exclusions are explained. Mark unsampled large-library areas honestly. Scanning builds an index; clear scope and actual content checks make that index maintainable.

Related tutorials and sources

Continue with Folder scan basics, Library browsing.

Checked on October 27, 2026 through Apple's public lookup: iCouldPlay 1.1.0 requires iOS / iPadOS 13.0 or later. Feature scope follows the official App Store listing. This article describes a workflow and checks, without treating development-only controls as verified public features or claiming step-by-step physical-device or private-server testing. Follow the options in your installed version.