Conversion failed. transcoder crashed or failed to start up

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
61

@NicholasAdmin said:
This happens for me and its a big problem! All movies fail when using subtitles and some work without them and the rest also fails without subtitles. Conversion failed. transcoder crashed or failed to start up.

Logs please - there could be many different reasons for the transcoder to report an error.

Please enable debug logging on the server (it should be on by default)
See https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201643703-Reporting-issues-with-Plex-Media-Server

Restart the server to get fresh logs

Then try one with subtitles that fails - note down the time and the error and the video title
Then try one without subtitles that fails - note down the time and the error and the video title

Then capture the logs
See https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250417-Plex-Media-Server-Log-Files

Attach the logs plus details of the two tests and times/ titles

62

Where do I privately submit logs / sample?

Thanks

63

Getting this same issue, how has it not been fixed. Its not media related.

64

How what has not been fixed?

The transcoder error is a generic error that can be caused by hundreds of different underlying errors / issues - the last one that affected many users was caused by a windows 10 update which Microsoft resolved a few days later by a further windows update

See my earlier post Conversion failed. transcoder crashed or failed to start up - #61 by sa2000

65

Getting same error after the latest update, with no issues ever before updating. Any media, and any player (web, roku, apple tv, plex media player)

I canā€™t see how this is a media issue when it stopped working immediately after the update.

I can submit logs but Iā€™m betting the team already knows theres an issue with the update.

Let us know - A friends server is doing the exact same thing.

Thanks,

66

As I mentioned before the transcoder error is a generic error which can be returned for lots of different underlying issues.

The common issue that is known about and affected many users and giving rise to this generic error message was windows 10 update KB4338819 which Microsoft superseded with a second update 6 days later: KB4345421.

If you have a problem please provide logs of the issue and if you are running on Windows, please state the Windows Build number (Start / Settings / System / About :and then Windows Specifications / OS Build

for logs see
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/
See

Conversion Failed. Transcoder crashed or failed to start up. Plex version 1.9.7.4460
67

Thanks for the help - For some reason my system did not download the new update (421) but it is downloading KB4340917, so hopefully that might fix the issue. Just odd that the update on my machine installed 10 days before the issue started appearing. Either way, Iā€™ll see what happens after the update gets installed. Sorry if I seemed frustrated, but it was movie night and had guests over and we couldnā€™t watch anything.

Thanks again,

68

Windows info:
image
Plex Version:
image
Logs attached.Plex Media Server Logs_2018-07-26_16-27-41.zip (3.6 MB)

As this is my main way of viewing TV (tuner cards), I really would like to get this resolved.

Thank You again for the help!

69

Thanks for the info and the logs

Something went wrong with the install of Plex Media Server. An executable is missing

Jul 26, 2018 15:59:39.820 [6036] ERROR - JobRunner: exec of C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\PlexTranscoder.exe failed: error 0x2.

and error 0x2 is ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND

could you please shut down Plex Media Server and get me these files
copy out C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server directory and all its contents and subfolders into another directory and zip and send me by private message - if too big, please upload to dropbox or similar service and send me the link

Next is to zip the contents of the folder
C:\Users\Dad\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Logs\Installer Logs and attach the zip

If you do manual installs, look for files in %Temp% with names starting Plex Media Server and copy these out and zip and attach?

How did you install version v1.13.4.5271 - was it manual install or automatic through the Plex Web interface ?
And if you did a manual install, did you shutdown Plex Media Server before doing the install ?

70

It was auto update/installā€¦ I didnā€™t even realize I had that selectedā€¦

Iā€™ll get you the needed files shortly.

Thanks

71

Thanks

once you get all the files and logs, you can shutdown Plex media Server.
Download the latest version from https://plex.tv/downloads
and install
If it is the same version, select the repair option

72

Thank you very much dude. It worked. I only hit analyze for the movies I was getting errors from and poof, the problem gone.

73

Thanks for all the logs and installed files

I have been through the install logs for 1.13.4.5271 from 22nd July and also checked all the installed files. Only one file was missing and that the transcoder binary file
C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\PlexTranscoder.exe

I cannot see any errors in the msi logs which show the file was to be installed

Removal of existing installed binary

MSI (s) (F0:F4) [23:13:09:646]: Executing op: FileRemove(,FileName=PlexTranscoder.exe,,ComponentId={264D47D3-BD92-5DC1-AD1C-8DDECAE99E41})
MSI (s) (F0:F4) [23:13:09:648]: Verifying accessibility of file: PlexTranscoder.exe
MSI (s) (F0:F4) [23:13:09:649]: Note: 1: 2318 2:  
MSI (s) (F0:F4) [23:13:09:649]: Note: 1: 2318 2:

and the install of the new binary

MSI (s) (F0:84) [23:13:22:124]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\)

MSI (s) (F0:84) [23:13:22:124]: Executing op: SetSourceFolder(Folder=1\Msi\)

MSI (s) (F0:84) [23:13:22:124]: Executing op: FileCopy(SourceName=l8tkobwj.exe|PlexTranscoder.exe,SourceCabKey=fil0313F454B7FE6B7C8BDED48BBDED46CA,DestName=PlexTranscoder.exe,Attributes=512,FileSize=14090232,PerTick=65536,,VerifyMedia=1,,,,,CheckCRC=0,,,InstallMode=62914560,HashOptions=0,HashPart1=-1236893375,HashPart2=1872965903,HashPart3=1159594842,HashPart4=-1461303919,,)

MSI (s) (F0:84) [23:13:22:125]: File: C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\PlexTranscoder.exe;	To be installed;	Won't patch;	No existing file

MSI (s) (F0:84) [23:13:22:125]: Source for file 'fil0313F454B7FE6B7C8BDED48BBDED46CA' is compressed

and no errors logged

The log entries are similar to the install on 16th July of version 1.13.4.5251 which I presume did not end up with a missing PlexTranscoder.exe binary. 16th Jult log files

MSI (s) (F8:1C) [23:13:03:492]: Executing op: FileRemove(,FileName=PlexTranscoder.exe,,ComponentId={264D47D3-BD92-5DC1-AD1C-8DDECAE99E41})
MSI (s) (F8:1C) [23:13:03:508]: Verifying accessibility of file: PlexTranscoder.exe
MSI (s) (F8:1C) [23:13:03:508]: Note: 1: 2318 2:  
MSI (s) (F8:1C) [23:13:03:508]: Note: 1: 2318 2:

and install

MSI (s) (F8:38) [23:13:15:149]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\)
MSI (s) (F8:38) [23:13:15:149]: Executing op: SetSourceFolder(Folder=1\Msi\)
MSI (s) (F8:38) [23:13:15:149]: Executing op: FileCopy(SourceName=l8tkobwj.exe|PlexTranscoder.exe,SourceCabKey=fil0313F454B7FE6B7C8BDED48BBDED46CA,DestName=PlexTranscoder.exe,Attributes=512,FileSize=14090232,PerTick=65536,,VerifyMedia=1,,,,,CheckCRC=0,,,InstallMode=62914560,HashOptions=0,HashPart1=-1879249599,HashPart2=662989883,HashPart3=1928446831,HashPart4=2020654717,,)
MSI (s) (F8:38) [23:13:15:149]: File: C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\PlexTranscoder.exe;	To be installed;	Won't patch;	No existing file
MSI (s) (F8:38) [23:13:15:149]: Source for file 'fil0313F454B7FE6B7C8BDED48BBDED46CA' is compressed

Could it be possible that the file was removed after the install ? by some security software ?

A repair install or update to later version should bring it back

There is no explanation for this to have happened. Previous example of a file being removed was when there was a file lock and the removal of the old file was deferred till after reboot - but no evidence of this being the case here