Server Version#: .42.1.10060-4e8b05daf
I’m running server on a Mac Mini (i5 2.8 Ghz, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB fusion drive), with media stored on an external USB-connected drive. This computer is used for nothing else. I always keep the server version up to date.
Lately, last 2 or 3 weeks, I’ve started to experience crashes of the Plex server. It just goes down and system tray icon vanishes. This sometimes happens while watching media, but can also happen when nothing is being watched. I’m afraid I’m going to have to address this as it’s happening almost daily now.
I’ve run this exact setup for years (at least 2021) and virtually never had crashes. Saw a post on Reddit that said it was due to metadata/database being too large (>3GB), but not sure if that’s correct.
If logs would be helpful, I will try to add to this post.
What is the size of com.plexapp.plugins.library.db?
It is located in the /Plug-in Support/Databases directory in the Plex Data Folder.
Ensure the server is configured for debug, not verbose, logging.
Settings → server_name → General + Show Advanced
After the next crash:
- Restart Plex Media Server
- Wait two - three minutes for Plex to log the startup sequence
- Pull the server logs (settings → troubleshooting)
- Post the entire zip file to the thread (drag it into the message window and wait for it to upload).
Someone familiar with running PMS on a Mac can then look that the log files and assist.
My com.plexapp.plugins.library.db file (located in Plex Media Server > Plug-in Support > Databases) is 95.1 MB.
I’ll await the next crash and try to capture the logs immediately afterward.
That’s good.
There was a bug in some 1.41.7 versions that caused the database file to grow to tens or hundreds of gigabytes. Just wanted to make sure your system was not afflicted.
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Well, at the time of my last message in this thread (4 days ago), I rebooted the machine that was running the server, and after that it didn’t crash for a while so I thought maybe I had fixed my issue with that old standy—the simple reboot. Sadly, it’s down again.
Not sure how long it’s been down. A lot going on here, so it may have been as long as 2 days. Anyway, log files are attached. Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks!
Plex Media Server Logs_2025-09-08_15-56-41.zip (4.7 MB)
Thanks for the log files.
Plex Media Server stops at Sep 07, 2025 17:38:33 (end of Plex Media Server.1.log) and was restarted Plex at Sep 08, 2025 15:52:56 (top of Plex Media Server.log). A remote user was streaming Dexter: Resurrection - S1 E2 - Camera Shy at the time. They previously streamed episode 1 OK.
Plex Media Server also stopped at Sep 04, 2025 01:00:21 (end of Plex Media Server.5.log) and was restarted at Sep 04, 2025 10:47:51 (top of Plex Media Server.4.log). A different remote user was streaming Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Both were using Roku devices and the audio was transcoding in both instances.
The Plex transcoder was asking for segments out of order. That can indicate a media file with poorly interleaved video/audio/subtitle segments, but Plex usually handles that OK (it did so with Dexter: Resurrection s01e01).
So… I cannot say why Plex Media Server stopped.
I may have missed something, especially if it is Mac specific (I run PMS on a Linux box).
Hopefully someone else can take a look and spot what is happening.
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Thanks for taking a look. I have been running a Plex server for more than 10 years and have been a lifetime PlexPass user since 2016. Always a Mac Mini, but now the server has been running on this dedicated machine since 2021. It’s crazy how much I rely on this. Anyway, sure sometimes files aren’t perfect and will stop playing, or the player will “crash.” That’s always happened from time to time. But I’ve never had a problem with the server itself shutting down, and doing so repeatedly.
In fact, after I started typing this reply, I happened to look and the server is gone again. So I’ve rebooted and am attaching more log files.
Thanks again!
Plex Media Server Logs_2025-09-09_11-52-18.zip (3.8 MB)
Btw, your response made me think about something. Due to this problem I’ve been thinking about replacing the machine running the server. I always have just replaced Mac Minis every few years, so I have them on hand. But instead of spending “Apple money,” do you or anyone else have a recommendation for a stable machine that would serve this purpose, maybe something that only costs a few hundred dollars? I do have experience with Linux and am quite comfortable with it.
For instance, I have a small Windows 11 mini-PC that I bought a few months ago just for occasional gaming. Specs are: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 512 GB SSD, 16 GB Ram. It was like $260, but it runs Blizzard and Steam games just fine. I don’t really game much so it’s just collecting dust.
The only other factor I can think of is that my media is stored on a 4 TB Seagate external HD that is about 9 years old. I could run a disc check on it, I suppose, but I’ve also been thinking maybe I should replace it. Long ago I used to keep Plex media on a NAS, which worked fine except sometimes the NAS would “go to sleep” and Plex couldn’t find the media. This was a long time ago so maybe NAS machines are more effective for Plex these days. Anyway, I’ve never had a problem with the USB-connected external HD (has its own power supply) … until now.
User s******5 was streaming Dexter: Resurrection - S1 E5 - Murder Horny when Plex stopped.
As a test, try remuxing the file with MKVToolNix or a similar tool. This will copy the the video/audio/subtitle tracks into a new MKV file and make sure they are correctly interleaved.
Then replace the original with the remuxed version, scan the library, and have s*****5 stream it again.
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Plex has poor support for AMD GPUs for hardware accelerated transcoding. On Linux, they’re limited to SDR video only and do not support transcoding to HEVC. Windows is unsupported. The hooks are in the software, but they’re not tested, so it may or may not work.
That written, the 5700U is a decent CPU. You should get several 1080p video transcodes using just the CPU. It won’t transcode 4K video using the CPU.
It won’t hurt to install Plex and give it a try. It is not a problem to have multiple servers on a single Plex account.
If you’re looking at other systems, it depends on how many concurrent video transcodes you need.
On the inexpensive end, the Intel N150 mini-PCs are popular. The CPU is not that strong, but it has a nice GPU (Intel Quick Sync Graphics) and can transcode & tonemap 4K HDR video using hardware accelerated transcoding.
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Crashed/shut down again. Looks like it’s been 8 days this time. I’m attaching another set of logs.
Not sure what is going on, though I”m curious to know who was watching what when the server died.
I’d been considering replacing the machine, and may yet do so. But it seems as though there’s been an improvement since I recently rebooted the machine. Also, the specs on this Mac Mini are more than sufficient for this purpose.
For some years, whenever I get a new Mac I just mirror the old one onto the new one. In other words, the “old” one (which is now used exclusively as a Plex server) still contains all the files and programs and clutter as my “new” did immediately after I bought it and mirrored. There definitely seems to have been improvement since the reboot, but this Plex server used to run for months at a time, minimum, with no problem. I wonder if I’d get any more stabilization if I wiped the Mac altogether and installed a fresh OS.
EDIT to add that since making this post, I’ve learned that it crashed while a friend of mine was watching a particular piece of media. It has now crashed 2 additional times since I first posted this. The interesting thing is that another friend of mine watched this exact same movie-length piece of media the previous evening and had no problem. I just don’t think it’s the files.
Plex Media Server Logs_2025-09-17_15-37-52.zip (5.0 MB)
Just want to add that I’ve done some polling among friends. It’s pretty clear that those experiencing server crash are using Roku, while non-Roku users are largely not. This is overstating things just a bit, but by and large these repeated crashes are coming from remote Roku users.
Gonna make one more post here. Curious if anyone has any feedback.
My hypothesis, based on what I’ve been seeing, is that there is (or at least was) a problem playing files over Roku devices. I think I’ve ruled out my actual files being a problem since one user watched a full movie on a non-Roku device, and another user had multiple crashes on an external Roku, occurring at different points in the same movie.
I’ve had just a few scattered reports of crashes on non-Roku devices. My intuition is that those crashes occurred while someone else was watching something via a Roku device. I could be wrong, but this just feels right. I have a friend who frequently accesses my server from the opposite side of the country on a non-Roku (“Tizen”) app, and he has never had a single problem.
On a related note, I have a basement TV with an old Chromecast attached. This served its purpose for a few years, as this TV is infrequently watched. But in the last few days I could not get some Plex media to play at all (even though Plex did “cast” to the TV). I finally decided to discard the Chromecast, which honestly was always a tad clunky. Because of the recent Roku problem, I went looking for something Android based and settled on an “ONN” Android streaming device for $20 bucks (Walmart’s house brand, it would seem). It’s essentially a Google TV, and in fact looks exactly like the OS built into the Google TV in my bedroom, which has been great. Haven’t used it really at all yet, but I did confirm that the same media that wouldn’t play via the Chromecast plays just fine via this new piece of Hardware. I’m pretty enthusiastic about it. After installing, the little remote that came with it somehow even knows how to control the power and volume of the TV. I have no idea how that’s possible as I never entered any info about it; it somehow just automatically detected how to do it. That’s new to me!
I wanted to add that I have been experiencing pretty much the same thing. I am on an M1 Mac, with a Synology NAS hosting my media. My plex server crashes pretty much every day. I cannot figure out why. I am not super experienced looking at the logs, so I am struggling. The thing is, I am pretty much the only user. No one is streaming from outside my network. It just…crashes and I have to trudge up to my office, and reopen the Media Server, every day.
Is there a good guide out there on how to look at the logs and do my own troubleshooting? I am willing to put in the effort, but I don’t really know what I am looking for.
