My original server cannot be located after I reset my computer and reinstalled Windows 11

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 1.40.4.8769
Player Version#: web player
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>
Now I can see a new server with none of the videos I previously uploaded. Will I need to upload all my videos again or is there some way I can access my original server, which still shows on the list of authorized devices?

2

What you see in Plex is a reference of a server linked to your account. It’s not the actual server or any of its content.

If you wiped the server while reinstalling the OS, all of what actually makes up the server is gone… unless you kept a backup of your media and the server data directory.

3

Thanks Tom, I have all my media stored on a USB flash drive, but how do I backup the server data directory in case I ever need to do another reset? How would I then be able to restore the old server?

4

https://support.plex.tv/articles/201539237-backing-up-plex-media-server-data/

https://support.plex.tv/articles/201370363-move-an-install-to-another-system/

5

Thanks again. I reviewed the webpages but I’m not sure where is the main Plex Media Server Data Directory in Windows 11. Is it in Program Files? Where is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Plex Media Server?

6

%LOCALAPPDATA% is a placeholder for a system folder linked to your Windows account. You can enter it in the Explorer address bar for it to jump to the actual folder.

7

I copied the Plex Media Server folder from Local App Data and put it into my One Drive. Now when I open PMS it shows as Plex Media Server (2) and although I can see all my video titles, there is message against all of them “Not found. We’re having trouble finding this page. It might have been deleted”. Well I haven’t deleted anything so what happened and I do I recover without uploading all media again?

8

You cannot use a networked folder for the plex data folder.
It doesn’t make much sense anyway to use Onedrive for that.

9

I just made a copy of PMS in case I did another computer reset. I left the original file where it was in Local App Data.

10

It will only be usable if PMS was stopped while the copy was made.

If your case allows it, I recommend to plug in another drive locally. Then move the Plex data permanently to this drive, away from C:
That way you never have to fear losing your Plex data in case of a Windows reinstall.

11

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