I am currently running the latest version of OS Catalina on an iMac. After the lates update to the Plex Server, the server no longer works. Remote access and local are unresponsive. I had to physically disconnect my Mac from the internet just to shut down the Plex Media Server. I currently uninstalled it because it was freezing up my computer. I pay $4.99 per month for a Plex pass and would like to be able to email support directly instead of writing in a forum. What is going on and what suggestions does support have to get my media server back up.
To check, did you uninstall your PMS that same as this support page?
No I did not. However, I just followed the instructions and deleted it per the link you posted. Should I re install it now and see what happens?
I re installed PMS and it still doesnât work at all. It wonât open in Safari. Itâs just stuck. Do u know a way I can download an older version?
A few suggestions:
- Ensure that Plex Media Server hasnât been blocked from running; in macOS, check Settings -> Security & Privacy -> General tab that Plex hasnât been blocked from running.
- Ensure that Plex Media Server has access to files and folders on your system. In macOS Settings -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy, select Files and Folders in the list on the left. In the list on the right, check that Plex Media Server is listed and enabled.
- Ensure the Plex Media Server process is actually running on the system. Open Activity Monitor, select the CPU tab, and look in the process list (sort by name, if necessary).
Assuming that all of the above checks out, connect to the local server via http://localhost:32400/web and see if you are presented with the setup wizard.
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It works fine with that Server version. A while ago I ran into an article about security and I altered my advanced Firewall settings by recommendation in the article. Guess what, if you install a app post that change it will not communicate with Plex servers and will not launch.
Automatically allow built in apps and Automatically allow downloaded signed software to receive incomming connections must be enabled prior to an install. This can still occur even if it says your server is receiving incoming connections.
Example:
Hello, i have similar problem since Iâve installed OS Catalina - when I click on PMS it only blinks but nothing more happens. Tried all security settings from above, but still not able to run it - some help?
Any anti virus apps
Not at all, no antivirus. Nothing fancy, the computer is having very few things on it, it is used predominantly as entertainment center. Hence the Plex is vital to the whole thing.
Hello, is there any new solution to this problem? Still not able to start pms
Exactly the same issue here, updated to latest version,ran fine until I had to reboot the machine, now it doesnât load at all
Looking in activity monitor, occasionally it will be there when opened but the process is terminated very quickly. It then wonât show in activity monitor again for some time.
Reboot after reboot does nothing
No other changes to mac
Same here! Iâve tried reinstalling the OS in place, as well as resetting my home folder permissions. Nothing has helped: every time I hit the Plex Server icon to launch, I see it flash in the taskbar for a millisecond and then it disappears. Nothing in the Activity Monitor either. HELP!
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trying to remove Plex has been fun, some of the library folders wonât delete as system says they are in use, even though the program isnât running. Have tried it in safe mode and still canât delete.
Think my problem is bigger so gonna start the entire machine from scratch and will report back later in the weekend
Some of this is because Catalina is crap not exactly Plex. Everything works on Mojave but not on Catalina so itâs why I wonât upgrade. Catalina still has bugs Apple hasnât fixed.
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Well thatâs not true, I have my Plex server running on Catalina without issue since 10th Oct 2019. All software have bugs of some sort. Most issues with Catalina are with security and third party software, which can be fixed. Remote access also working with a VPN and split tunneling.
Hello,
Iâm having a similar issue in that I just upgraded to Catalina, and now every time I start PMS I get redirected to the server setup screen (âHow Plex Worksâ)
Iâve tried going through the setup, but predictably this just creates a new server, albeit one that then immediately loads my existing libraries. On reboot, however, the whole thing starts over again. Some notes based on troubleshooting thus far:
My library is on an external drive, but PMS has been allowed access in the Files and Folders permissions for Catalina.
I found a thread from 2017 that implied the problem was with a preferences file that wouldnât update the flags for FirstRun and EULA acceptance. I tried writing to the preferences using terminal (âdefault write com.plex, etcâ) and got a permissions error. I tried again with sudo and it didnât throw an error, but also didnât change anything.
I have also gone through the steps of logging out of my Plex account in PMS, the Mac client, the browser, etc and then logging back in, but still I come back to this server setup screen.
Iâve done a lot of troubleshooting thus far but my gut says this is somehow an issue between Catalina and PMS. Iâve been running smoothly for months on Mojave, and only today having upgraded has this issue manifested.
Near as I can figure, PMS is maybe trying to write a file somewhere else and silently failing? One of the other threads (also a couple years old) I found described a similar issue, but it was determined to be a bug in PMS and was fixed.
Any ideas? Very frustrating. Thanks.
To answer your frustration, I have Catalina running without Issue with Plex. I believe there are underlying issue with your install.
First Uninstall plex properly, donât panic you wont lose your Libraries. It must be done like it is shown in support article.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201941078-uninstall-plex-media-server/
Then I want you to do the following. Go to this site and Repair a disk using MacOS Recovery.
Your not erasing, your repairing only.
Reference below:
After exiting from recovery do the following.
Once completed and restarted go to Plex, sign in and download and install. Add your Plex app to the Application folder. You may see popups asking for disk access, ALLOW.
You will need to go to System Preferences/Security & Privacy/ unlock with admin password.
Scroll down to Files and folders, click and then scroll down in right hand box to Find Plex server and enable your storage.
You should now be ready to set up your Plex Libraries and should look like.
Now depending on where your storage is and I guessing it on a External drive, select the volume Name/ then the folder for that given Library.
I would also advice not to use the Plex menu to open plex but to use a bookmark in the browser of your choice, I donât use the default browser.
Use the following address: https://app.plex.tv/desktop#
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I followed these steps from the Uninstall Plex article, and now it works!
rm -rf "~/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/" "~/Library/Caches/PlexMediaServer/" "~/Library/Logs/Plex Media Server/" "/Applications/Plex Media Server.app"
defaults delete com.plexapp.plexmediaserver
# now restart your Mac
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Glad you thought I had helprd you out
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