Server Version#:1.41.3.9314-a0bfb8370
Player Version#:
Every time that I restart my PC, due to a windows update, I completely lose connectivity to my local Plex server. Only my backup server shows up. I then have to go through the whole process that I found to merge registry keys and trying to reclaim the server. This seems to work but it is very annoying having to do this every time that windows decides it need to do an update and restart my pc. I didn’t have to do that before, I would just simply restart and everything would work as it used to. I have tried the right click on the plex server and open plex to a web page but that gives me the 401 Unauthorized message.
If anyone has any ideas, that would be great to try and solve this issue.
I tried to look at the logs but after the restart, it only shows my backup plex as being accessible and I cannot see any logs from the actual plex server that I lose claim to.
I am not even sure what part of the logs would be needed to look at.
TIA,
Terry
After restarting the PC, does the Plex icon show up in the task tray, on the lower, right side of the desktop?
Yes, the icon shows up in the task tray and when I right click on it and click open plex, it pops a browser window that says 401 Unauthorized.
Do you have an app on your PC which clears out cookies from web browsers and/or removes other usage traces, in order “speed up your PC” or “protect your privacy”?
No, extra apps at all. bare bones chrome no extensions addons or extras.
No anti virus?
Chrome is also configured by default to forget cookies when it’s closed.
Did you tell it to retain all cookies from plex.tv ?
Windows Defender is the only thing that is running as anti virus.
Are there more than one Plex server installations in your local network?
Yes, the other Plex server is a Linux VM running on a completely different machine and I have never had this issue before.
See if you have by chance assigned both servers the same external port number in
Settings - [server] - ‘Show Advanced’ - Remote Access - “Manually specify public port”
Each server must have its own dedicated external port number. Otherwise plex.tv cannot distinguish them, since the external address of both servers is practically the same.
Private Y.Y.Y.Y : 32400 Public X.X.X.X : 21498 Internet - Windows (This one loses connection after restart)
Private Y.Y.Y.Y : 32400 Public X.X.X.X : 21655 Internet - Linux
Did you enable any sort of “app virtualization” or anything similar?
Is the Windows user stored in a Windows domain controller, with a roaming user profile?
I’m trying to find out where the registry data are stored that are assigned to Plex server. Normally, they are in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201539237-backing-up-plex-media-server-data/
However, if that Windows user is somewhat “non-local”, I wonder if there is a condition where the registry branch of this user account gets reset, or overwritten on each OS reboot.
That kind of user account reset you may typically find in machines which have been set up for some sort of “kiosk mode”.
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server
that is where all of the settings are located…
It is a local account, it has always been a local account.
I am not understanding why it is doing this, I haven’t changed anything in plex for quite a long time. I haven’t changed anything on this PC either, no new installs, nothing new except plex updates and windows updates…
Could there be a major OS defect (malfunctioning driver, defective OS installation drive etc.), which is automatically triggering a “Restore Previous OS Snapshot” procedure upon a reboot?
I am not even doing any kind of OS backups at all. If it is a defect, then it has been going on for awhile now…
Nothing else that I can figure out or even think of. I thought maybe someone else might have had a similar issue and found out how to resolve it without having to run the registry merge every time I restart.
What kind of registry merge are you doing?
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\PlexOnlineHome]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\PlexOnlineMail]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\PlexOnlineUsername]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\PlexOnlineToken]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\PreferredNetworkInterface][HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server]
“PublishServerOnPlexOnlineKey”=dword:00000001
“ManualPortMappingMode”=dword:00000000
“LogVerbose”=dword:00000000
“secureConnections”=dword:00000001
After completely shutting down Plex Server, you merge that with registry, then start Plex Server back up, right click on the icon and Open Plex, goes right into Plex server and shows the missing server back again.
Merging this .reg file will forcefully remove your server from the account that it has been claimed to.
It will also reset a manually assigned external port number to automatic. You might want to remove the line “ManualPortMappingMode”=dword:00000000 from your reg file to preserve that.
Is it possible that you are using several web browser instances in rotation? i.e. by using either different browser brands, or by employing the “user profile” feature that some browsers provide.
My idea is that you may have several plex.tv user accounts, and each of your browser instances is using a different one.
Have you tried to use the Plex for Desktop app, instead of a web browser?
Does it behave the same after a machine reboot?
Is your machine set to automatically re-sync its date/time? This is important, both for encrypted network communication, and storing login tokens.
I don’t use manual port mapping, it is set to automatic as it has been since I got Plex back in 2017.
I have one browser open all of the time, I only use one browser, it has several tabs open, Plex, Sonarr, Radarr, OMBI, Tautulli, Nginx Proxy Manager, AMP. This browser and these tabs stay open all of the time, so that I can check on things whenever I feel the need and make sure everything is running smoothly. This browser is not signed into google at all, there are no passwords saved, no extensions, nothing because after this server was hacked into 2 years ago, i removed everything that had anything saved, logins, passwords, etc.
I only have 1 Plex.tv account with my Lifetime Pass that I use and I am only logged into it. I don’t have any other Plex accounts that I could be logged into because I don’t own any other accounts.
Do people actually turn off date/time sync? I have been using computers for quite some time now and I personally have never came across another computer that had their date/time sync turned off. Only time I have ever seen date/time sync issues was when there was a bad BIOS battery and this computer is too new for that, besides the date/time is spot on and I have not had to adjust it. The browser seems to remember me because it asks me if I want to login with my not saved email address every time. This must be stored in a login token or cookie.
I was completely unaware that Plex Server had a Desktop app.
Yet again, the PC restarted and lost Plex again.
So basically, when windows does any type of update that requires the PC to restart, I have to follow these instructions.
Then I get my server back. It is quite annoying. I have uninstalled as many unnecessary programs that are not needed. Still clueless on what could be causing this issue.
Besides that issue, Plex runs like a champ all of the time, as long as I don’t have to restart that PC. I don’t have any problems like this with the Plex that is running on a virtual machine on Linux.
No assistance or suggestions from Plex employees on where to look or what to look for?
