Plethora of startup problems - Windows PC

Plex Players Desktop Players
1

Server Version#: Many
Player Version#: Many

I have had startup problems with Plex for many months. It has been on at least 3 different windows PCs. Win10 and Win11. The problems are.

  1. Sometimes it takes a LONG time to load. Longer than anyting else on my PC ever.
  2. Most of the time, when I pick Plex from the menu, it will first try to load an install file. I have no idea where this is even coming from. I’m clearly picking Plex out of the start menu. Both Win10 & 11.
  3. Many times, the Plex application will start ‘off screen’. So, its unelectable to move to a real monitor. I use Shift-Win-Arrow to try to move it, and it doesnt always work.

Whats going on? Is this app just that bad? No other application gives me any issues like this, and its been this way for over a year. Perhaps longer.

2

Looks like this is about the windows player, not the server.
2 is the automatic updater that runs when there are updates available.
3 happens to me as well and I have no idea how to resolve it, it’s very annoying.

3

Yes, its definitely about the player. I dont question the server at all. Hence, posting this in the player category.

  1. No, its not the “update now?” dialog you get when there is an update available. It actually runs a downloaded .exe update file. Player doesnt say there is an update at all. Its up to date already.

Its all very annoying. Not had this kind of nagging problem with any other app. Like I said. Its on mulitiple PCs. Its not just one.

4
  1. uninstall the player, empty out the folder C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Plex\cache, download the latest installer and run it
  2. see Suddenly black window - plex unsuable - #5 by FordGuy61 for a workaround. (Or avoid starting the player when connected to a screen which is not there all the time.)
5

@OttoKerner

  1. This seemed to work for this issue.

  2. I never open plex on a screen that is not on all the time. In fact, I rarely turn off my computers ever! Monitors are always active.

EDITED AFTER CLOSURE*

Um… I’m surprised noone caught this. As a surprise to me, this issue is not an issue at all. The smart and clear update splash window on startup is gone!?? So, this is just Windows UAC (User Account Control) reacting to an automatic attempt to load an upgrade. I had no idea this is what was happening. Its pretty bad form to push an upgrade without a proper splash telling a user what is going on, and giving him a clear choice. I never caught this before. Surprised noone else here did either.

6

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