Server Version#: 1.any on a Win10 Pro pc.
Player Version#:
So years/months ago, I made what now seems like a mistake of installing Plex server executable files, and then pointing the data/cache etc directory path to a same D:\PlexFiles\ folder.
Example
Plex Install = D:\PlexFiles\Plex Media Server
Plex Data = D:\PlexFiles
(You devs can start to scream now…I have been all this weekend)
In troubleshooting various BSOD that’s been occurring for months that seem to occur during, most often, maintenance, I decided to move the install to another folder (C), while leaving Data as is.
PC bluescreened during uninstall, leaving behind tons of folders I’m reasonably sure are not part of the installation, but
I don’t know what to manually delete. I KNOW to leave \Media, \Plug-in Support, \Cache.
(attached is the list of folders)
What can I delete, what is the primary to leave behind? PlexDataFolder.txt (619 Bytes)
Most likely more importantly, what folder permissions should the folders and subfolders/files have in order to Plex to use the data again, in hopes, without random BSOD.
(I’d leave files behind if I only knew what permissions they have - this is how they list now, including all subs, of the \PlexFiles\Plex Media Server folder
Always separate data and program code. Lest we are back to Windows 98 security level.
In fact, there is no good reason to pick a different location for the program code (i.e. the “installation folder”) than the default on drive C:.
(If your drive C: doesn’t even have the room for the 220 MB of the Plex program code, you have a more serious issue to deal with.)
Uninstall Plex server, then re install it into the default location in C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex Media Server
Make sure NOT to use any “uninstaller” and Registry cleaner tools, or you can kiss your plex data goodbye.
The user account which is used to run Plex needs ownership/full access to the plex data folder.
Once you have the server reinstalled, you can compare the contents of C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex Media Server with D:\PlexFiles\Plex Media Server
You should now be able to tell all those folders which are part of the server program code and remove them from D:
Make sure to use the 64bit Plex server installer on Windows 10 and 11.
It was already done years ago, and mostly, ran fine until the past year or so.
I didn’t think of your method after the BSOD during Plex uninstall. Thanks.
[edit - nevermind - see you answered #2 also - thanks]
Ok. Reset folder permissions after doing some comparison cleaning. Thanks.
We’ll see if machine stops BSOD now. Either way, I’m sure separating didn’t hurt.
Next -
I’ve had this data folder since 2012, when 3rd party plugin bundles could be used.
Though I can tell somewhat by names and dates of preference/cache folders, without doing a totally clean install on a test machine and adding one library with a file or two, is there an ‘easier’ way to tell what Plex no longer uses in the data folder? I’ve found xml files from old streaming bundles/etc.
