Notice: Users running the Windows version of Plex Media Server

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We’re aware of issues that affected some (but not most) users who have updated to the 1.23.2.4625 version of Plex Media Server on Windows. That issue has now been corrected in newer releases and won’t affect additional users.

However, some users may still be affected if they had installed the affected server version.

Am I affected?

This issue affected only some users running Plex Media Server on Windows. Affected users will see a duplicate or brand new Plex Media Server entry appear under the MORE menu in their app.

There may be different symptoms if you have set a custom/non-standard location for the Plex Media Server data directory or are running Plex Media Server “as a service”.

What can I do if I’m affected?

First, you should upgrade your Plex Media Server installation.

1. Upgrade Plex Media Server

Upgrade your installation to Plex Media Server version 1.23.2.4656 or newer. You can do so either via the regular auto-update or grab the installer from our Downloads page.

Older instructions for downgrading (upgrading to the new release is better)

  1. Exit/quit Plex Media Server (e.g. select Exit from the server’s System Tray entry).

  2. Uninstall Plex Media Server through the standard ‘Programs and Features’ area of the Control Panel in Windows. (Do not use 3rd-party “uninstaller” software such as Revo or similar. Do not use Registry “cleaners” or “optimizers”.)

  3. Go to your Plex Media Server’s data directory and delete the Preferences.xml file.

  4. Still in that main server data directory, locate the Updates subfolder. This will contain data related to previous versions of Plex Media Server you’ve had installed.

  5. Inside that “Updates” subfolder, locate the subfolder for the last version prior to “1.23.2.4625”. Open that subfolder and then the “packages” folder inside it, which will contain a server installer executable. (e.g. [server data directory]\Updates\1.23.1.4602-280ab6053\packages\PlexMediaServer-1.23.1.4602-280ab6053-x86.exe)

  6. Execute the installer for the previous software version that you got from step 5 (or you can download the public version from our Downloads page).

  7. Reboot your Windows computer (to ensure all associated files and dependencies have been updated)

2. Deal with a new/duplicate server entry

A. The new/duplicate server connects and is accessible

In cases where you can connect and access the new server, most users can simply go about using that server and instead remove the old/original one (from the https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms page). If you were sharing with other users, you can simply send new sharing invitations.

If you had too many shares to be practical to recreate, it’s possible you may be able to recover access to the old/original server entry. Doing so requires editing the Registry in Windows, so you’ll need to be comfortable with that. If you have questions or issues with that, ping @BigWheel here in the forum, who can try to walk you through it. The “shows as disconnected/unavailable” instructions below are the general steps.

NOTE: If you were previously running Plex Media Server “as a service”, you will need to get the server up and running as normal before you attempt to switch back to running as a service.

B. The new/duplicate server shows as disconnected/unavailable

In cases where the new/duplicate server shows like it’s disconnected, you can try to restore access to it. Be aware that this does involve manually editing the Registry and is a fairly advanced process. As before, ensure that you have first upgraded to Plex Media Server version 1.23.2.4656 or newer.

To be able to use these instructions, the original server does need to be listed at https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms in the web app.

Get the identifier for original server

  1. Get your authentication token, by following our support article
  2. In a new browser window, go to the following URL (making sure that you insert the token you just got): https://plex.tv/api/servers?X-Plex-Token=YOURTOKENHERE
  3. Leave that browser window/tab open, as we will need to use the value of the machineIdentifier for the entry corresponding to your original server. You may have multiple listed with the same name.

Edit the Registry

  1. Exit/quit Plex Media Server (e.g. select Exit from the server’s System Tray entry)
  2. Open the “regedit” application on Windows (How to Use Regedit (with Pictures) - wikiHow)
  3. Go into the Plex Media Server registry settings: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server
  4. Edit the value for ProcessedMachineIdentifier and replace it with the “machineIdentifier” value from earlier. (Note: You will see a separate MachineIdentifier entry in the registry. Leave that entry alone.)

Start the server back up

After editing the Registry, you can launch your Plex Media Server like normal. Your original server should be connecting and available again. You can then remove the new or duplicate server from your authorized devices.

If you are still having trouble please let us know.