Don't get it, plexmediaserver is not found after password change

Plex Media Server
1

So far I’m at a loss.

I routinely changed my plex password. I didn’t get an email about the breach, but nevertheless I thought I’d change it to be on the safe side.

Then my dashboard showed triangles on all my local libraries. So I went to the forum, and looked up what to do, found out that it should be solved with cleaning out four keys from the Preferences.xml (this is running on linux).

So I stopped the plexmediaserver, went to the folder

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/

And opened the file with nano, removed the four fields and keys from the very long string.

I even copied it out, just to make sure they are gone.

When I now start plex from my local server, I am shown the plex streaming channels, not my own libraries, and my server is not listed under accounts.

If I click on the ‘Your Media’ I’m offered to download it, but I can’t claim it.

If I click More, I can click Your Media again, and it just offers me the download.

If I look at the Plex Media Server.log I see this:
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.777 [124244491733816] INFO - Plex Media Server v1.42.1.10060-4e8b05daf - Ubuntu ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. NUC15CRBC7 x86_64 - build: linux-x86_64 debian - GMT 02:00
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.778 [124244491733816] INFO - Linux version: 22.04.5 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), language: en-US
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.778 [124244491733816] INFO - Processor: 4-core Intel(R) Core™ 7 240H
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.778 [124244491733816] INFO - Compiler is - Clang 11.0.1 (``https://plex.tv`` 9b997da8e5b47bdb4a9425b3a3b290be393b4b1f)
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.778 [124244491733816] INFO - /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.807 [124244494322320] WARN - [CERT/OCSP] getCertInfo failed; skipping stapling
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.808 [124244494322320] INFO - Running migrations. (EPG 0)
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.852 [124244494322320] INFO - Running migrations. (EPG 0)
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.854 [124244487105336] INFO - Preemptively preparing driver imd for GPU Intel Raptor Lake-P [Intel Graphics]
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:53.854 [124244487105336] INFO - Preemptively preparing driver icr for GPU Intel Raptor Lake-P [Intel Graphics]
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:54.589 [124244438403896] INFO - LibraryUpdateManager path watching is disabled
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:54.852 [124244427701048] ERROR - MyPlex: Error 401 requesting JSON from: ``https://plex.tv/api/v2/server/users/features
Sep 17, 2025 18:17:54.852 [124244487105336] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn’t get features. Trying again soon.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:04.688 [124244381395768] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:04.689 [124244385614648] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:04.690 [124244383505208] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:07.022 [124244431919928] WARN - [HttpClient/HCl#14] HTTP error requesting GET ``http://10.11.14.8:80/discover.json`` (7, Couldn’t connect to server) (Failed to connect to 10.11.14.8 port 80 after 3158 ms: Couldn’t connect to server)
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:07.023 [124244412644152] ERROR - DVR:Device: Error refreshing existing device device://tv.plex.grabbers.hdhomerun/14201777, marking as dead.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:09.475 [124244414786360] WARN - NAT: PMP, got an error: Not Supported by gateway.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.456 [124244412644152] ERROR - Error parsing content.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.456 [124244412644152] ERROR - Error parsing XML: Error parsing file.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.456 [124244412644152] ERROR - Grabber: Error obtaining device status.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.456 [124244412644152] ERROR - DVR:Device: Error refreshing existing device device://tv.plex.grabbers.tunerservice/dvb%23sat2ip%23uuid%3a663d5d6c-f9f8-4bb4-84d4-5C497953052D, marking as dead.
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.458 [124244385614648] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.459 [124244381395768] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:18:14.460 [124244383505208] ERROR - Subscription: Error refreshing sub: Could not find providers for subscription
Sep 17, 2025 18:22:54.995 [124244440660792] ERROR - MyPlex: Error 401 requesting JSON from: ``https://plex.tv/api/v2/server/users/features
Sep 17, 2025 18:22:54.995 [124244402088760] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn’t get features. Trying again soon.
Sep 17, 2025 18:27:55.192 [124244427701048] ERROR - MyPlex: Error 401 requesting JSON from: ``https://plex.tv/api/v2/server/users/features
Sep 17, 2025 18:27:55.192 [124244402088760] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn’t get features. Trying again soon.
Sep 17, 2025 18:32:55.357 [124244427701048] ERROR - MyPlex: Error 401 requesting JSON from: ``https://plex.tv/api/v2/server/users/features
Sep 17, 2025 18:32:55.357 [124244440660792] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn’t get features. Trying again soon.

10.11.14.8 is an old hdhomerun that is now dead.

What to do? I don’t see the ‘claim server’ anywhere?

2

Changing your Plex account password unclaims your server.

The most direct way to reclaim a server is pointing a browser at its IP address.

If the server has a monitor & keyboard, then on the server itself, point a browser at http://localhost:32400/web (use http). Login and select the gear icon (settings). You should see the server listed on the left, below the Plex Web section. If so, select General (for the server, not Plex Web). There should be a message saying the server is unclaimed and insecure with a Claim button.

Alternately, from a system on the same network as the server, use the same process but point the browser at the server’s IP address: http://pms_ip_addr:32400/web.

If neither of the above work, then use the User Credential Reset utility.

Download the utility to the server, make it executable (chmod +x), and run it as root. You will need a claim code from https://plex.tv/claim. The utility clears information from preferences.xml, authenticates with plex.tv, then writes new information into preferences.xml.

The readme on GitHub has additional details.


Example: On my Ubuntu 24.04 system

Download:

wget -O UserCredentialReset.sh https://github.com/ChuckPa/UserCredentialReset/releases/latest/download/UserCredentialReset.sh

Note: wget is not supported on some systems (some NAS, etc.). Download via web browser instead.

Make it executable: chmod a+x UserCredentialReset.sh

Run it as root, adding the claim code:

$ sudo ./UserCredentialReset.sh claim-ersr9EU5xgasYGeb-pnq

          User credential reset & reclaim tool for Plex Media Server (Linux)  (Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS)
                                     (Version: v1.11.0)

This utility will reset the server's credentials.
It will next reclaim the server for you using a Plex Claim token you provide from https://plex.tv/claim

Using given claim token:  'claim-ersr9EU5xgasYGeb-pnq'

Stopping PMS
Clearing Preferences.xml
Getting new credentials from Plex.tv
Claim completed without errors.
 Username: FordGuy61
 Email:    <redacted>

Starting PMS
Complete.
$
1 Like
3

Thankyou very much, the script worked, didn’t know that.
Is there any reason not to just use that next time?

4

Not a problem at all.