# Feature Request - Plex Server runs as a Windows service **URL:** \ **Category:** Dev/API Corner\ **Tags:** other-dev\ **Created:** [November 29, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100 "2012-11-29T11:28:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joew](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/joew/32/4495_2.png) [@joew](https://forums.plex.tv/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/1 "2012-11-29T11:28:36Z")
I would like to be able to run the media server independent of accounts logging in on W7/Server 2008 R2. I know this has been mentioned previously so I thought I would post to gather support. I have tried Firedaemon/Always up/PMS Service 1.0 and none work. Please +1 if you would like this feature so we can get the attention of the developers. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Sirjaymz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sirjaymz](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Sirjaymz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/2 "2012-11-30T01:05:11Z")
+1 in the mean time. For Windows…[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890) ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/joew/32/4495_2.png) [@joew](https://forums.plex.tv/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/3 "2012-12-03T17:00:47Z")
> [@](#): > > +1 > in the mean time. > For Windows...http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890 Thanks, tried it and it doesn't work. ---
**Author:** ![Qbus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecb155/32.png) [@Qbus](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Qbus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/4 "2012-12-03T21:16:57Z")
+1 I was foolish and ?upgraded? to windows 8. I don’t want to have my htpc always unlocked for fears of how the win8 ties computers together with a common log in. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeye426](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Hawkeye426](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Hawkeye426)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/5 "2012-12-05T15:42:02Z")
You can use a scheduled task to run plex in a somewhat headless mode. The reason it doesnt normally work is that it needs to be able to create a tray icon and in order to do this explorer.exe needs to be running. To fix this we create two schduled tasks, one for explorer and one for plex. I’ve included them in their xml format below, and you should be able to import them into WS2008R2 from here. (Please remember to replace the placeholders for username in the xml first 😛 Note you will also have to enter a password in task scheduler after you import as the tasks do not run well under the system account.) **Explorer Task Start** \*\*\*\*\*\*\* \ 2012-08-26T19:13:07.3752362 _ **DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER** _\ ***User Placeholder** \* Starts Explorer In Service Mode true _ **DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER** _\ ***User Placeholder** \* Password HighestAvailable IgnoreNew true true true false false true false true true false false false false false PT0S 7 C:\Windows\explorer.exe _ **Explorer Task End** _\*\*\*\*\*\*\* **Plex Task Start** \*\*\* \ 2012-08-26T19:14:53.5022226 _ **DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER** _\ ***User Placeholder** \* Starts Plex After Explorer true _ **DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER** _\ ***User Placeholder** \* Password LeastPrivilege IgnoreNew true true true false false true false true true false false false false false PT0S 7 “C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Media Server.exe” _ **Plex Task End** _\*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/joew/32/4495_2.png) [@joew](https://forums.plex.tv/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/6 "2012-12-05T16:14:55Z")
> [@](#): > > You can use a scheduled task to run plex in a somewhat headless mode. The reason it doesnt normally work is that it needs to be able to create a tray icon and in order to do this explorer.exe needs to be running. To fix this we create two schduled tasks, one for explorer and one for plex. I've included them in their xml format below, and you should be able to import them into WS2008R2 from here. (Please remember to replace the placeholders for username in the xml first :P Note you will also have to enter a password in task scheduler after you import as the tasks do not run well under the system account.) > > \*\*\*\*\*\*Explorer Task Start\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > \ > > > 2012-08-26T19:13:07.3752362 > \*\*\*DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER\*\*\*\*\*\*User Placeholder\*\*\* > Starts Explorer In Service Mode > > > > true > > > > > \*\*\*DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER\*\*\*\*\*\*User Placeholder\*\*\* > Password > HighestAvailable > > > > IgnoreNew > true > true > true > false > false > > true > false > > true > true > false > false > false > false > false > PT0S > 7 > > > > C:\Windows\explorer.exe > > > > \*\*\*\*\*\*\*Explorer Task End\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > > \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*Plex Task Start\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > \ > > > 2012-08-26T19:14:53.5022226 > \*\*\*DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER\*\*\*\*\*\*User Placeholder\*\*\* > Starts Plex After Explorer > > > > true > > > > > \*\*\*DOMAIN PLACEHOLDER\*\*\*\*\*\*User Placeholder\*\*\* > Password > LeastPrivilege > > > > IgnoreNew > true > true > true > false > false > > true > false > > true > true > false > false > false > false > false > PT0S > 7 > > > > "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Media Server.exe" > > > > \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*Plex Task End\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* I'll try this tonight on W7. What should I do if there is no domain? ---
**Author:** ![ajj7060](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@ajj7060](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ajj7060)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/7 "2015-08-10T22:03:48Z")
A proper Windows service is the right thing to do. The tray app can stay in user mode and talk to the server. ---
**Author:** ![mvendert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@mvendert](https://forums.plex.tv/u/mvendert)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/8 "2015-10-01T18:57:34Z")
I also vote for a proper supported windows service! ---
**Author:** ![damiantje99](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/damiantje99/32/120141_2.png) [@damiantje99](https://forums.plex.tv/u/damiantje99)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/9 "2015-10-15T13:21:35Z")
~~You can use [NSSM](https://nssm.cc/ "NSSM"), works great for me.~~ **EDIT:** Lol, I see this is a post from 2012. ---
**Author:** ![sa2000](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/sa2000/32/6922_2.png) [@sa2000](https://forums.plex.tv/u/sa2000)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/10 "2015-10-15T14:18:34Z")
> @damiantje99 said: > ~~You can use [NSSM](https://nssm.cc/ "NSSM"), works great for me.~~ > > **EDIT:** Lol, I see this is a post from 2012. There is a solution that alot of us are already using - i personally do not care if it is built-in as part of Plex Media Server or a working wrapper as we have here: [PMS As A Service](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/93994/pms-as-a-service/p1 "PMS As A Service") ---
**Author:** ![system\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@system\_3](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system_3)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/11 "2016-01-20T21:43:10Z")
Come on man… make a windows service for crying out loud. Windows 10 wants to reboot every other day and then Plex server is dead in the water. I love the product but it’s shocking that it requires an interactive login to get started. It’s called Plex “Server”!! ---
**Author:** ![foebik](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/foebik/32/4306_2.png) [@foebik](https://forums.plex.tv/u/foebik)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/12 "2016-01-27T03:17:39Z")
> @system\_ said: > Come on man… make a windows service for crying out loud. Windows 10 wants to reboot every other day and then Plex server is dead in the water. I love the product but it’s shocking that it requires an interactive login to get started. It’s called Plex “Server”!! You do have some options. Put a shortcut in your start folder or make a schedule task that will start it at startup. I still have it running on 7 but never have to start it manually. ---
**Author:** ![foebik](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/foebik/32/4306_2.png) [@foebik](https://forums.plex.tv/u/foebik)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/13 "2016-01-27T03:18:38Z")
> @foebik said: > > > @system\_ said: > > Come on man… make a windows service for crying out loud. Windows 10 wants to reboot every other day and then Plex server is dead in the water. I love the product but it’s shocking that it requires an interactive login to get started. It’s called Plex “Server”!! > > You do have some options. Put a shortcut in your start folder or make a schedule task that will start it at startup. I still have it running on 7 but never have to start it manually. One advantage a service has over those solutions is if it crashes (not a reboot) the services can self heal and try to start itself again. ---
**Author:** ![darren-woods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@darren-woods](https://forums.plex.tv/u/darren-woods)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/14 "2016-07-20T01:17:10Z")
Is this on the road map at all??? I’ve been using Plex Server for a little while and just can’t believe that they don’t have an option for it to run as a service. This a server application and i hate the fact that i have to have an account logged in at all times just for this thing to run. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-plex-server-runs-as-a-windows-service/24100/15 "2019-12-20T22:29:31Z")
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