Friends shared library access permissions being removed

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 1.40.1.8227
Player Version#: 4.125.1

Plex appears to be occasionally removing all of the shared access given to friends. There has been a few instances of this in the past few months. The only significant change which lines up with the timing of this would be when I performed an in-place upgrade from Server 2019 to Server 2022.

  • All friends have partial library access
  • A second plex server was added recently (uncertain if this would affect the pre-existing server)
2

No.

Judging by the amount of different server machine IDs on your user account, it is more likely that you have created yet another server ID (maybe without being aware of it).

Shares are bound to a certain server machine ID.
If you set up a new server, or clear the registry of an existing machine, or delete the server out from Authenticated devices https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms
a subsequent claiming of that server in your user account will create a new machine ID and thus, all existing shares are not valid for the new machine.
You will have to edit the users and grant them access to the new server. https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/manage-library-access

It is also not possible to operate more than one server using the same machine ID.
So if you have copied the registry data of an old server installation to a new hardware/VM, then plex.tv will oust one of the machines from your account – forcing you to claim it anew. And thus, making the existing shares invalid.

A machine ID is not connected to the server’s “friendly name”. If you set up a new server and give it the friendly name of an older server, the shares of that older server are not transferred over to the new machine.

1 Like
3

Thanks for the response!

This explanation makes sense and looks to be the culprit for this issue.

4

Just to be precise: it’s perfectly fine to copy the registry data to a new machine. But if you do that, you must never fire up the old machine again, or even start up old and new concurrently.

It is possible to use the existing registry data, but create a new machine ID. See Moving/Cloning Metadata - #4 by OttoKerner

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