Plex Media Server installer not launching

[john_d]

Server Version#: 1.18.2
Player Version#: 1.4.1

Hey, I’m sorry if this is an extremely stupid question, but it’s driving me nuts and I can’t figure out the problem. I’ve downloaded and installed both the Plex app and the Plex Media Server app on my new iMac from the Plex Downloads site (newest versions of both, as you can see from the version numbers above).

Plex runs fine, but when I click the Your Media tab on the left-hand side bar, the window shows this message:

Add your media to Plex
Organize, beautify, stream, and share your personal collection of movies, TV, music, and photos anywhere, on all your devices. To get started, download our free Plex Media Server software on the device where you store your media.

Then there’s a little call-to-action button that says

GET PLEX MEDIA SERVER

Once downloaded, I double-clicked the Plex Media Server icon in my Downloads folder. I then got a message saying something like, “I can move myself to your Applications folder.” So I clicked yes and the app icon did in fact move to my Applications folder. Once I click the Plex Media Server icon in my Applications folder, however, nothing happens. The “Genie effect” makes it look like the app is opening, but then nothing happens: no installer shows up, no setup wizard, no menu bar icon appears, just nothing.

I have followed the instructions to do a “clean uninstall,” but there are no files in my Library cache or elsewhere in my Library folder associated with Plex Media Server. I assume this is because the app has never actually installed or launched. Another thing I saw listed as a possible fix was to check the “Gate Keeper” software in the “Security & Privacy” section of my Mac’s System Preferences. Several of my audio apps have required me to grant permission manually to run them, and I’ve done so, but this has not happened w/r/t Plex Media Server.

Am I doing something wrong? Why is the Plex Media Server just not launching on my computer? Has anyone had a similar problem? Thanks so much in advance for your time.

UPDATE: I have an older iMac which was my normal, everyday work computer up until I got this new machine yesterday. Just for the heck of it, I fired it up, and Plex Media Server launched and installed immediately. I formatted this new machine using Time Machine files from the old machine, and they’re both running identical OSs. There’s no significant difference between the two computers except that one is newer and one is older (2012). Any ideas why PMS launches, installs, and runs perfectly on the old machine and not on the new one?

[pshanew]

After you run Plex Media Server do you have the Plex symbol in your menu bar?

If so, click it and select “Open Plex…” If not, check in the macOS settings app under Security & Privacy -> General to see if Plex Media Server has been blocked, and allow it if it has.

[john_d]

Thanks for your response. I mentioned this in my post:

nothing happens: no installer shows up, no setup wizard, no menu bar icon appears, just nothing.

Plex Media Server does not “run” in any identifiable way.

Re: Security & Privacy, I mentioned that, too, and it still does not seem to be the problem.

[pshanew]

It turns out I didn’t read your post very well at all, missing the part about the menu bar icon and the Security & Privacy settings. I blame it on multi-tasking. Sorry about that.

Is PMS creating any logs at all? Open Console, select Log Reports, use “Plex” as the filter in the top-right. Or look in:
/Users/username/Library/Logs/Plex Media Server/

If so, the Plex Media Server.log file may provide some clues as to what’s going wrong.

[pshanew]

I just remembered that a month or so ago there were some reports of a particular anti-virus program getting a false-positive on one of PMS’ dynamic libraries. The product was Cylance. If you’re running any anti-virus software on your system you may want to see if it’s interfering with Plex.

I also just noticed that you had already checked your ~/Library folder for any traces of PMS. That would include the Logs folder, so never mind on that suggestion.

[jackmckearn_gmail_com]

I have the exact issue, I think. I launch Plex Media Server… and it opens a Plex web page in Chrome. I click “Your Media”… and it tells me to “Get Plex Media Server”. I already got it! WTF?!