Server Version#: 1.18.0.1944
Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Hello guys, I’m having a few issues with Plex since migrating over to a windows based server from a Linux one. When running Linux i could leave my machine running headless and the Plex Server would remain available at all times.
It seems that i have to be logged onto the Windows desktop for the Plex Server to be available on my network. If i try and select my server to play something with the machine on but no remote desktop llogged into the Windows desktop or monitor connected (VGA plug is attached to port to provide a display feedback to simulate a monitor being connected in the same way i did when Linux was running the show) the server is listed as “UNAVAILABLE” if i then create a RDC via my laptop to the server, Plex all of a sudden comes to life. This completely invalidates having a headless media server. Any suggestions?
A “clean” solution would be to run PMS as a “system service” (on Linux a “daemon”). However, this will disable one half of hardware transcoding.
Other tricks are using the Windows task scheduler to start plex server after bootup.
Or other solutions are activating automatic user logon after bootup.
all of these have one or more drawbacks, though.
So if you want it to be like it was on Linux, go back to Linux.
Sadly i cannot go back to linux as i need to use the system on a remote desktop connection and all the RDC options ive tried on linux are buggy as hell and SLOW A.F… Even NOMACHINE wasnt as quick as windows RDC. I need to still be able to use this machine remotely, smoothly in a graphic environment. So based on this i need to tell windows to run plex as a server/service.
The machine is an always on unit so auto logon after bootup isnt an issue as its always booted up, the issue i sem tohave is when the lock screen kicks in it makes plex unavailable, loging on back to desktop in RDC is the only way to wake it up. Whats my best option here to acomplish this. security isnt a factor as its sat behind a FreeBSD distro based hardware firewall so no one is getting in with it being left logged on.
The transcoding issue im not too sure about as the only devices running the Plex player app are the 2 Amazon FireSticks on the same netowork, i never use the server via remote access outside of the house.
If you can live without hardware decoding, use the PMS as a service wrapper.
It gives you the option to run Plex under its own user account (highly recommended, restrict ‘write’ access to valuable media) which doesn’t interfere at all if you use RDP to login under a different user account.
But it also means you have to install Plex software updates manually.
