Plex Media Server play musical chairs

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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Server Version#:(1.42.2.10156-f737b826c-x86_64) & (1.42.2.10156-f737b826c-x86_64_DSM7)
Player Version#:
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>

I have been having problems with my Plex Media Servers every since the emails went out to change the user password.
I have 5 different Plex Media Servers which consist of Qnaps (1.42.2.10156-f737b826c-x86_64), Synology (1.42.2.10156-f737b826c-x86_64_DSM7), & Nvidia Shields (currently disconnected). When I claimed one or two servers I’m ok but when I claim a third server then server #1 or server #2 disappears. It was as if the servers were playing musical chairs no matter which servers were claimed.
Then I found this Tip on the board-
Q30: How to reset ownership and reclaim your Plex server on QNAP

  1. Create a shared folder, named “PlexData” (exact capitalization)
  2. Restart Plex
  3. Let it run for 30 seconds then stop it
  4. Install the QNAP “Text Editor” app from App Center if not already installed
  5. Using FileStation, Open PlexData → Plex Media Server (click into it)
  6. Right-click Preferences.xml → Open in Text Editor
  7. Carefully remove the PreferenceName=“Value” pairs for
    • PlexOnlineUsername
    • PlexOnlineToken
    • PlexOnlineMail
    • PlexOnlineHome (This might not exist . OK if it doesn’t)
  8. SAVE the file
  9. Start Plex
  10. Open http://ip.addr.of.QNAP:32400/web from your computer
  11. The server will now be in the state for you to CLAIM it again.
    The instructions above did allow me to claim all the servers and get them to work under my account. However, after a few days I could only see two or three servers under my account. Now I’m back to the musical chair of servers. I have attempted to use the Putty method of claiming the servers but can’t figure it out because it’s over my technical level.
    After months of unclaiming all servers and reclaiming all 5 servers, I don’t know if there’s something I’m missing or something wrong with my account.
    Also, I have enabled Enable Plex Media Server debug logging but the Plex Web Debug Level will change from Enabled to Disabled after I have saved the Dubug Level for each IP Address on a server; so I not sure if the Plex Media Server debug logging is working properly with the Debug Log changing to disabled.
2

I’m not very familiar with plex on these systems but how are you claiming the server? Are you using the claim token method? If so, you need a new token for each server. If you use the same token, that would explain the musical chair effect.

3

@dmohead My first guess would be that you copied the servers from one device to another and included the machineidentifier which duplicated the server. Plex can only have one device per ID.

4

This is the symptom of duplicated ID fields in Preferences.xml
(Copying/cloning a server without deleting Preferences.xml before starting)

  1. On the QNAP (The 3rd server ?), with Plex stopped, Using the QNAP Text Editor, open Preferences.xml

  2. remove MachineIdentifier="value", ProcessedMachineIdentifier="value", and AnonymousMachineIdentifier="value"

  3. Save Preferences.xml

  4. Presuming they all have different Friendly names, When you start this server, it will be visible by the friendly name but will now have a distinct ID.

Repeat this using the Synology Text Editor if needed for the Syno.

This should resolve the issue because PMS will create these three field values fresh when it starts and , using the claiming info already there, claim it for you.

Be careful and make certain each server is stabilized with their new IDs before starting the one which will retain the original ID fields.

After you’re all done, go to https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms

Clean up and phantom server entries which may linger