I replaced my internal hard drive on my Windows 10 desktop with a SSD and had to reinstall everything from scratch. I installed the latest version of PMS for Windows. I logged in correctly. It recognized me and my Plex Pass subscription. It identified the name of my server as I had previously named it, but it could not access it. The movies associated with the server are on a WD NAS device. Both my desktop computer and the NAS device are attached by ethernet to my Netgear router (R8000). I can easily access the the NAS device and all its contents from my desktop computer, but PMS cannot access the movies or the server associated with my account in which the movies are organized. How can I restore my server? Thank you.
You must rebuild from scratch. It knows the name because it was cached. None of your actual library information is cached by Plex. That would be a) tons of data to store it for everyone b) gross privacy invasion.
OK. I am willing to build from scratch. but how? Will I be building a brand new server with a brand new name, or will I be repopulating a shell with the same name as the vanished server? When I click on the old server’s name, the bottom item on the drop-down menu reads, “remove server.” There is no “rebuild server.” Should I first remove this one and then I will be presented with a link to build (or rebuild)? When I clicked on “remove server,” the pop-up message reads, “If this server is restarted, it will be automatically added to your account again.” So, if I remove it, how does it get restarted?
You will be rebuilding from scratch just as you did the first name. It’s probably best to sign your browser out of your Plex account. Next access the server directly (http://127.0.0.1:32400/web) and begin the first-run / setup wizard all over again.
You can use the same name that you originally had. If you see it listed twice in Settings - Devices simply delete the older one or remove server as you are seeing now. That’s your choice.
When you’ve finished going through setup , Go to Settings - Server - General and you will see it’s signed into your Plex account. By the time you get to that point, you should see your browser has also signed back in. This is expected what we’re looking to have happen. Everything will be in sync again.
OK, I have removed the old server name, uninstalled PMS, reinstalled the latest version, and restarted the computer. Now, I am ready to start building a new server, but the only option I see is to set up a Plex Cloud server. How do I start building a server like the original one, with my media on my NAS device?
- As I said earlier, sign out of your Web browser (In the upper right corner, click on the letter F, and sign out)
- Close the browser and reopen it
- Now open
http://127.0.0.1:32400/web
I did all of that. Now, it gives me my second nightmare: the “other” server that I created mistakenly, without telling Plex what folders or types of media to choose. Plex grabbed all of my photos and music audio and put them there. I don’t know where it got them from. The funny thing is that these songs and photos only show as “Recently Added Photos” and “Recently Added Music.” If I click on “Music” or “Photos” under “Libraries,” I find them empty. In fact, it tells me, “You must be lost!”
I want to completely remove this accidentally created server and create a new server. If that is not possible, can I at least depopulate the “Recently Added” items? I never wanted a photo library or a music library to begin with. I only want a film library. If I can depopulate the Recently Added photos and music, I can then add a film library to this persistent server and live with it.
Is any of these options possible?
What OS is this running on?
Windows 10.
One more thing: This pesky server that I want to obliterate only appears when I click on the link you provided. If I use the shortcut I have on my desktop (https://app.plex.tv/desktop), I don’t see this server at all, which is fine by me, but I can’t start a new server. What good is a PMS that does not let you start building a server?
I do not know/ use Windows. I happened to see your post and tried to help. I support Linx and NAS systems.
@OttoKerner Would you take over please?
Thank you, ChuckPA, for all your input.
To clarify further: My question concerns two servers: one that I created for my movie library and then lost because I replaced my internal hard drive. I understand that I need to rebuild it from scratch. I am willing to do so, but I can’t fine any menu item to select to create a new server. I don’t remember how I created my first server!
The second server is one that I created quite unintentionally after I installed Windows 10 on the new internal hard drive. I don’t know how it got created or even where it built its libraries from. It has two libraries, photos and music. Each library is completely empty, and yet the “Recently Added” photos and music has literally 1000’s of items. I don’t want this server at all. I want it gone completely. If there is no way to annihilate it, I wish to to at least depopulate the Recently Added items. I can remove the items one by one, but there are thousands of them. Is there a way to make them all go en mass? If can do that, I would effectively reduce this server to an empty shell and use it to build a move library to replace the lost one.
The other source of madness is this: If use this link (https://app.plex.tv/desktop), I don’t see either the old or the new server, and I see no link or button to build a new server. On the other hand, if I use this link (http://127.0.0.1:32400/web), I see the second server, with the “Recently Added” photos and music.
My preferred objective: kill the second server and re-create the first server from scratch.
My second choice: depopulate the Recently Added items and use the empty server to build a new one.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201941078-uninstall-plex-media-server/
Perform that, then log out like @ChuckPA recommended above.
Then install again.
