I made some mistakes trying to reclaim my server. Now Plex won't start on QNAP

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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Server Version#: 1.28.2.6151-914ddd2b3

Once I logged out due to the password change, I was unable to access the local web app to reclaim my PMS. I got an error: ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

I removed and reinstalled plex from scratch and no matter what I do I cannot connect to my server. Its almost like the server isn’t actually completing its installation and startup, because the preferences.xml file is missing. .qpkg/Plex Media Server/Library is empty. There is no “logs” folder. During the removal process, one of the “removals” hung, so I manually deleted the Plex Media Server folder and edited the QNAP app config file to remove any mention of plex: /etc/config/qpkg.conf. Maybe this is why new installations are failing?

My server is hosted on a QNAP TS-453 Pro. Its running QTS Firmware version 5.0.0.2131 Build 20220815 and I’m trying to access it from a windows machine on the same subnet. I’m using http://192.168.1.100:32400/web, same IP as the NAS, but with the standard plex port number. I ran Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.100 -p 32400 in windows powershell and its refusing a tcp connection. I get success when I change the port to the QNAP login portal.

I don’t see a Plex process in resource manager either…what could prevent plex from launching at all?

I’m using Unifi network gear if that matters.

What am I doing wrong?

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My guess…

After you sadly uninstalled PMS, a process is still running, preventing the new install to start

So please restart your QNAP

Then report back

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I’ve done that many times, but I tried again. No luck. when QNAP is done booting, App Center claims PMS is running, but there’s no process i can find in resource manage that mentions plex. Server doesn’t respond at all. Then i tried installing over the previous, no change, rebooting, no change.

If I reboot, and quickly, before app center has “started” PMS, I try to install again manually, app center indicates plex is “updating” but nothing happens. Rebooting results in the same behavior as in the paragraph above.

The PMS folder in filestation contuinues to have nothing except the tmp folder in the Library folder.

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What’s your local time, as well as timezone?

And currently 00.43 here in Denmark, so the clock is ticking

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I’m sorry, you nicely asked that on the Reddit thread.

I’m US East Coast Timezone. It’s 18:49

I’m wondering if there’s a log created during the qpkg install process? Something seems to be failing during the install.

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Check DM

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Huge thanks to you dane22 for going above and beyond and helping me solve this issue. What a courteous and professional person.

We discovered the Plex Media Server executable in the installation folder was not installing correctly, and was a Symbolic Link. This was, of course, preventing PMS from running at all.

Today he found the solution. I had created a shared folder called “PlexData” pointing to the Plex Media Server install location in the .qpkg folder. I did this though the Shared Folders section of the QNAP control panel. Leaving this share intact seems to have prevented a successful removal and reinstallation of plex media server. dane22 suggested I uninstall plex from the app center, then remove the share folder (without erasing data) and after that, a reinstallation from the latest QPKG download from plex.tv was successful.

Big takeaway for me was: whatever you do, don’t ever uninstall a plex server through the QNAP app center without backing up your entire Plexdata folder…

1 Like
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And you can recreate the PlexData share.

But when doing so, don’t point out a path, use auto, and then restart PMS

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