Failed to load preferences at /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 1.32.5.7516-8f4248874
Player Version#: 4.115.2 (Plex web)

Can’t access server after it ran for 2 years. Running on CentOS 7.9.2009.

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server # la
total 24
drwxr-xr-x. 13 plex plex  280 Sep 20 19:06 .
drwxr-xr-x.  3 plex plex   31 Mar 13  2021 ..
drwxr-xr-x.  7 plex plex 4096 Sep 15 19:45 Cache
drwxr-xr-x.  3 plex plex   57 Feb 11  2023 Codecs
drwxr-xr-x. 22 plex plex 4096 Sep 20 18:03 Crash Reports
drwxr-xr-x.  2 plex plex    6 Mar 25  2021 Diagnostics
drwxr-xr-x.  2 plex plex    6 Nov  5  2022 Drivers
-rw-------.  1 plex plex   42 Aug  9 09:52 .LocalAdminToken
drwxr-xr-x.  3 plex plex 4096 Sep 15 21:09 Logs
drwxr-xr-x.  3 plex plex   23 Mar 13  2021 Media
drwxr-xr-x.  6 plex plex   65 Mar 13  2021 Metadata
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    4 Aug  9 09:52 plexmediaserver.pid
drwxr-xr-x.  2 plex plex    6 Mar 13  2021 Plug-ins
drwxr-xr-x.  7 plex plex   96 Mar 13  2021 Plug-in Support
-rw-------.  1 plex plex    0 Sep 15 20:08 Preferences.xml
-rw-------.  1 plex plex    0 Sep 15 20:08 Setup Plex.html
drwxr-xr-x.  2 plex plex    6 Nov  5  2022 Updates


/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Logs # la
total 60880
drwxr-xr-x.  3 plex plex     4096 Sep 15 21:09 .
drwxr-xr-x. 13 plex plex      280 Sep 20 19:06 ..
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Jul 22 10:03 Plex Crash Uploader.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Jun 30 11:24 Plex Crash Uploader.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Mar 15  2023 Plex Crash Uploader.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Feb 11  2023 Plex Crash Uploader.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Feb 11  2023 Plex Crash Uploader.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex      562 Aug  9 09:52 Plex Crash Uploader.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6408 Sep 15 19:54 Plex Media Scanner.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6303 Sep 15 19:34 Plex Media Scanner.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6408 Sep 15 19:34 Plex Media Scanner.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6303 Sep 15 19:14 Plex Media Scanner.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6408 Sep 15 19:14 Plex Media Scanner.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5443 Aug 10 16:35 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    42871 Jun  4 13:31 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5442 Mar 18  2023 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5442 Mar  9  2023 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5442 Jan  6  2023 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5443 Aug 28 18:33 Plex Media Scanner Analysis.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    82215 Jul  3  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     3011 May  9  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     3334 May  9  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    25684 May  8  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    36756 May  8  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5889 Jul  4  2022 Plex Media Scanner Chapter Thumbnails.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1636162 Sep 15 02:14 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1108062 Sep 14 02:27 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1679927 Sep 14 02:16 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1158984 Sep 13 02:24 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1642514 Sep 13 02:14 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex  1114483 Sep 15 02:24 Plex Media Scanner Deep Analysis.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     6303 Sep 15 19:54 Plex Media Scanner.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     3654 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5359 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5001 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5955 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1077 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1067 Sep 15 04:39 Plex Media Scanner Matcher.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex 10485773 Sep 15 19:24 Plex Media Server.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex 10485818 Sep 15 04:09 Plex Media Server.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex 10485771 Sep 14 11:34 Plex Media Server.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex 10485886 Sep 13 20:06 Plex Media Server.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex 10485853 Sep 13 11:24 Plex Media Server.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex   384776 Sep 15 20:08 Plex Media Server.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     7816 Sep 13 15:06 Plex Transcoder Statistics.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     3548 Sep 13 15:06 Plex Transcoder Statistics.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex   287738 Sep 13 15:06 Plex Transcoder Statistics.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex   322369 Sep 13 14:09 Plex Transcoder Statistics.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     5766 Sep 13 10:41 Plex Transcoder Statistics.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex    16548 Sep 13 15:08 Plex Transcoder Statistics.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1823 Jul 22 10:03 Plex Tuner Service.1.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1823 Jun 30 11:25 Plex Tuner Service.2.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1823 Mar 15  2023 Plex Tuner Service.3.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1823 Feb 11  2023 Plex Tuner Service.4.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1920 Feb 11  2023 Plex Tuner Service.5.log
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex     1823 Aug  9 09:53 Plex Tuner Service.log
drwxr-xr-x.  2 plex plex     8192 Aug 13 09:53 PMS Plugin Logs
-rw-r--r--.  1 plex plex       80 Sep 20 19:06 Startup Crash.log

How much have I lost and what do I need to do to get back up and running?

Moderator Edit: Legibility

2
  1. Stop Plex
  2. Remove the empty ‘Preferences.xml’ file
  3. https://app.plex.tv → Settings - Authorized Devices - “SERVER” (dropdown)
  4. Find this server’s friendly name
  5. REMOVE it (must be removed because its ID values have been lost – zero’d Preferences)
  6. Start PMS
  7. Control + F5 to force reload the browser
  8. http://127.0.0.1:32400/web -or- http://LAN.IP.of.Server:32400/web
    (depends if on the host or on LAN)
  9. Plex/web will open,
  10. It will want you to claim it.
  11. Settings - Server - General (claim it)

If that doesn’t work:

This will help the claiming when ON the server machine.
(SSH into the machine if needed)

  1. DO NOT create new library sections – They are retained
  2. Given the ID was lost, you will need share again (as required)
  3. Lastly, Settings - Server - Set your Preferences however you wish.
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