Server Version#: 1.43.0.10231
Player Version#: Any (latest)
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>
When launching a new Plex Server on a completely new Mac on my network, the
machineIdentifier always mirrors the existing Plex server on my other Mac.
What I’ve done:
Make sure the following is done first:
killall “Plex Media Server”
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server
rm -f ~/Library/Preferences/com.plexapp.*
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.plexapp.*
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Plex\ Media\ Server
rm -f ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.plexapp.plexmediaserver.plist
rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/tv.plex.desktop.savedState
sudo rm -rf “/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server” 2>/dev/null
sudo rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.plexapp.plexmediaserver.plist 2>/dev/null
Delete all browser cookies and history
Restart machine
Clean install of Plex Media Server app
Open Plex Web (http://localhost:32400/web)
Log in with your Plex account
This process never asks for approval, it just logs me in and wallah:
I visit http://localhost:32400/identity and see that the machineIdentifier is identical.
This leads to Plex thinking it’s the same machine and all outside access shows one server or the other.
I can’t rebuild my server. My original server has more that 7k Video’s and 50k of music. I started this and have been upgrading since 2015.
Please advise
This line, at least, is incorrect. It should be:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/PlexMediaServer
Other suggestions (prior to the uninstall):
- Click the Plex icon in the menu bar and de-select “Open at Login.”
- Click the Plex icon in the menu bar and select “Quit.” (This is instead of the
killalland ensures a clean shutdown.) - Run the following command from the terminal:
defaults delete com.plexapp.plexmediaserver - Delete Plex Media Server.app from /Applications.
After doing so, proceed with your other removal commands (some are unnecessary and will do nothing, but they’ll also cause no harm).
Once you’ve restarted your Mac and moved the Plex Media Server app back into /Applications, go ahead and run it. But instead of navigating to http://localhost:32400/web, click the Plex icon in the menu bar and select “Open Plex…”
This should begin the claim process (sign-in) for the new server. Once logged in, you may need to select More > at the bottom of the side panel to see the new server (by default, with no libraries, it likely will show the existing server, depending on your selections during the setup wizard).
You may further need to ensure that macOS’ System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network allows Plex Media Server access.
I have no fewer than 6 Plex Media Servers running on my network right now, two of them for macOS (I do a lot of testing). Multiple servers is not a problem for Plex. You just need to ensure you’re starting clean and performing the claim process correctly.
Here’s the official Plex documentation for performing a clean install, if it helps.
Thank you for trying to help. I’ve basically tried everything you mentioned with the same result. (just tried it again)I too have setup multiple Plex servers for other people. The launch from the menu opens (the latest version) Chrome and never resolves. If I try the “http://localhost:32400/web,” option I’m back in the same boat. I’m pretty good at this…there is something else at work here and the general rules don’t apply. It’s a Mac mini running Sonoma, no VPN, no other firewalls, or security software.
Anyone else have anything new to try?
Too be clear, I didn’t suggest to use https://localhost:32400/web. I suggested using Plex icon → Open Plex. I know on the surface it seems like exactly the same thing, but it’s not. The difference is in the request URI Plex Media Server receives.
Plex implemented new claiming requirements for PMS a few years ago. It’s also the method outlined in the new server installation docs.
If you haven’t tried it specifically that way, from a clean installation, I’d really recommend it.
If that doesn’t work for some reason, try http://127.0.0.1:32400 (no /web) which should be equivalent to what “Open Plex” does.
I’m not questioning your experience. However, I’ve done this successfully very recently (less than a month ago) after the recent Plex security incident.
Two other potential considerations:
- You may want to temporarily (read permanently) set your primary DNS server to 1.1.1.1 to ensure there are no DNS rebinding shenanigans taking place.
- I think @nibbles might have a script they created to ensure a complete uninstall. Maybe they can hop in and share that.
My current delpms.sh looks like this:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
rm -rf /Applications/Plex\ Media\ Server.app && echo '[1/5] deleted the app'
rm -f ~/Library/Preferences/com.plexapp.plexmediaserver.plist && echo '[2/5] deleted the plist'
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Plex\ Media\ Server && echo '[3/5] deleted the logs'
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/PlexMediaServer && echo '[4/5] deleted the caches'
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server && echo '[5/5] deleted the application support'
echo 'Two manual steps are required to remove all traces of PMS on your Mac.'
echo ' * Use the link to remove the Mac from your Authorized Devices - Server.'
echo ' * Empty your Trash and restart the Mac.'
echo ' '
echo ' https://app.plex.tv/desktop#!/settings/devices/pms'
echo ' '
Maybe you missed the cache that @pshanew spotted,
Maybe you need to delete the Mini PMS from Authorized Devices.
You’re close to success I figure.
1 Like
I’m having issues with this working. It opens Chrome, I’m getting a spinning lookup indicator in the tab and it never connects. even after changing the DNS to 1.1.1.1. Running Sonoma 14.6.1 (23G93). Ever seen this?
Tried with Chrome and Safari . Local loopback works fine for web, but not with the token.
Please explain again the current problem, as I find the thread slightly confusing. At first you complain that loopback doesn’t work just spins then you say “loopback works, but not with the token.” Explain what happened after you ran the script and followed the direction to remove your Mini’s authorized device and rebooted then installed PMS from scratch. The more you leave out the more difficult it gets. Mac’s have a complex PMS install that was fixed years ago then regressed due to changes in browser tech (where you can get an infinite spinner during initial setup).
Apologies if this sounds like asking you to repeat your very good initial post. It’s not. But we may need to fight through some obscure detail again.
Not a problem at all. I’ve following the Clean install guidelines (listed above), and the new thing I’m trying recommended above is to Launch Plex from the menu instead of https://localhost:32400/web, or http://127.0.0.1:32400 which created a link that looks like this and never connects “127.0.0.1:32400/myplex/launch?X-Plex-Token=local-c7f1e571-9c0f-447e-a791-xxxxxxxxx”. Choosing either of the 2 previously mention links yields the same machineIdentifier which conflicts with my existing server.
A word of caution, never post any part of your token. If I had forum rights I’d redact that for you.
fwiw I’ve not found the system tray Open Plex… to be a working method of finishing a PMS install on a Mac. That’s definitely part of a Windows PMS install in certain configurations, though, and is a reasonable thing to try as macOS and Plex evolves, but is not known to work at this time. And we need to prove you get a valid install & setup. We have not shown your claiming step is working, and it’s at that point you should get a unique set of IDs.
Follow these exact steps to the letter please.
If you could also screenshot every single thing that happens during install, it would be a great help to see when it doesn’t work or where you get stuck. I too have multiple PMS on my LAN and can’t reproduce your issue yet.
It’s definitely known to work. It’s how I reclaimed both of my servers after the recent security issue which required a password change and sign-out of all devices. It’s the documented method of claiming a new server as well, as linked above. It’s also resolved claiming errors for other users in these forums.
@zefcorreal Please try navigating to http://127.0.0.32400 in a private Safari window after a clean install. The fact that it’s including your token implies that something might be getting cached in the browser.
You should immediately be redirected to app.plex.tv for login after which you should be redirected back to your server for setup.
If that doesn’t work, ensure you can actually browse to app.plex.tv in a Safari private window.
We may need to expand this to examine your network setup as well. Do you have any sort of domain/country restrictions configured?
Folks, I ended up taking the nuclear option !! created a new, non-iCloud user profile on my Mac and did a clean Plex install. That did the trick! When Plex repeatedly reused the same machine ID and refused to generate a new token, that usually means macOS user profile–level data. The new server now shows up correctly as a second one on my Plex account.
Thanks to everyone for the input and advice…. I might need it again down the road. Clearly something deeper was causing the issue (and I hate not knowing exactly what it was), but at least it’s working now.
Nice, glad you got it working. How did you end up claiming the server?
