I am changing hadwar from one computer to another, more powerful, computer. My plans are to mirror my C drive from old to new and copy all of the data from old drives to new ones that have been set to the correct drive letters.
What I am wanting to know is:
Are there settings that I should change before I mirror the system so that the system does not try to change the library until all of the media is back in the place it was?
Is there an easy way to turn off access to everyone except me, the admin, until all of the data is there also?
Anything else I should be mindful of before or after I do this?
Before you shut down the old server:
- disable automatic library update
- disable periodic library update
- disable ‘Empty trash automatically after every scan’
(all three are to be found under Settings - Server - Library)
Make sure Plex server is completely shut down before you attempt the copy/disk mirroring procedure.
Go into the task manager and check for ‘Plex’ and ‘python’ processes and end them. Do also go into the ‘Services’ control panel and stop the ‘Plex Update Service’.
Afterwards, never let the ‘clone’ and the original plex server run at the same time.
All of the things like this are already available in the Support document
So, the big day came, I followed @OttoKerner steps and turned everything off and also followed @ChuckPA link and followed those steps. The problem I have now is that I installed the latest version from the website and though it says it is installed, the tray icon doesn’t show and the media server doesn’t run and can’t start. I can sign into Plex but it say that my media server isn’t running. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling a few times and now I have uninstalled and deleted any trace of Plex (except for my actual data and some backups and such) but I am not sure what to do to even get it to install.
Anyone want to offer up some suggestions?
What steps did you actually take in the transfer? Did clone/mirror the drive as you so stated you would be?
Good question, I should have given more information.
The previous computer had a C drive where all of the programs ar and the User directory is pointed tot he D drive (the C drive is a SSD) and so the data is kept on a separate HDD (D:).
I did not clone the C drive but I did repoint the User directory to D. So the steps I took was, initially, to download the latest Plex software and install it. It ran thought the install and basic setup. I did not add any libraries but it immediately found the iTunes directory and started to put the music in. I opened the settings and changed the database location to the D:\Plex directory that held everything from before. I saved and exited and rebooted. It did not show up in the task bar at that point and I started to do other things.
I uninstalled, I have tried reinstalling, I even reinstalled and added the latest backup to the directory on the C drive to find anything. I am sure I have really screwed it up at this point but I am hoping it is not beyond help.
Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous!!
Good question, I should have given more information.
The previous computer had a C drive where all of the programs ar and the User directory is pointed tot he D drive (the C drive is a SSD) and so the data is kept on a separate HDD (D:).
I did not clone the C drive but I did repoint the User directory to D. So the steps I took was, initially, to download the latest Plex software and install it. It ran thought the install and basic setup. I did not add any libraries but it immediately found the iTunes directory and started to put the music in. I opened the settings and changed the database location to the D : \Plex directory that held everything from before. I saved and exited and rebooted. It did not show up in the task bar at that point and I started to do other things.
I uninstalled, I have tried reinstalling, I even reinstalled and added the latest backup to the directory on the C drive to find anything. I am sure I have really screwed it up at this point but I am hoping it is not beyond help.
Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous!!
I will add that when I connect via the Plex.tv website, the Media Server shows by name but it cannot connect and the server shows in the “Devices” section but hasn’t connected in 4+ hours. The icon is also not shown in the tray
When you say ‘Settings’ are you referring to Plex’s registry entries of where it is looking for the data? I’m not certain of how the actual path resolution works in windows but C:\Users\username\appdata is key to it.
Here is one thought because playing with individual settings in Windows aren’t always as global as one thinks or hopes. With your Plex Library having now been relocated to the D drive, consider this?
- rename
D:\Plex (your actual library) to protect it (D:\Plex-real-one)
- uninstall PMS
- Reinstall it AND manually set the data directory to
D:\Plex
- This should (IIRC) make all the correct linkages in the registry and elsewhere.
- Confirm it starts and will run in this configuration
- Stop it
- Now, while stopped, swap the transitional
D:\Plex with your saved D:\Plex-real-one
- Start it
- Confirm your library is fully back as it was.
I got through the first 2 steps and even rebooted after the uninstall.
On step 3, it says it is done and I click “Launch” and the tray icon shows but no screen appears to configure or add libraries or such.
Just now, it finally starts and has the name of the Previous Media server but it won’t allow me into the Server settings “Server settings are unavailable”
When it’s in the tray, it’s running.
Open the browser, http://127.0.0.1:32400/web and kick off the initialization.
You won’t get anything until after agreeing with the EULA and performing initial setup
I had tried that. It brought it up the application but showed the name of the server from before (my previous one) with no data or libraries. I clicked on Settings > Server and got the message that Server settings are not available. Then the icon disappeared and after a reboot, it does not have an icon and the web address you gave does not take you to anything.
This site can’t be reached
127.0.0.1 refused to connect.
The Plex Media Server shows installed and the Plex Update Service is running but I can’t get anything to start.
I cannot get the EULA or initial setup to start. I am fine to just add a new server if I could and then I can rename everything afterwards.
I had tried that. It brought it up the application but showed the name of
the server from before (my previous one) with no data or libraries. I
clicked on Settings > Server and got the message that Server settings are
not available. Then the icon disappeared and after a reboot, it does not
have an icon and the web address you gave does not take you to anything.
This site can’t be reached
127.0.0.1 refused to connect.
The Plex Media Server shows installed and the Plex Update Service is
running but I can’t get anything to start.
I cannot get the EULA or initial setup to start.
I have reached out to those more experienced in windows. This has gone above my skill level with Windows. (Linux is cake by comparison)
Thank you. I am so lost! It all worked so well before. I await any who can help!! At this point, I am will Ingram to pay for assistance getting it all working. Lol
@rbeatse said:
I did not clone the C drive but I did repoint the User directory to D. So the steps I took was, initially, to download the latest Plex software and install it. It ran thought the install and basic setup.
I opened the settings and changed the database location to the D : \Plex directory that held everything from before.
When you change the path to the Plex data folder keep this in mind:
The Windows user account under which Plex is running, needs to have full access permissions to the folder. This is not always the case when you restore an old backup. The restore process may have restored the old access permissions which only fit to the previous Windows installation.
(using the same usernames doesn’t mean that the access permissions will fit!)
So, you must make sure that:
- the new Plex data folder is on a local drive, formatted with the NTFS file system
- the access permissions and ‘ownership’ of all folders and subfolders and the files within are set to ‘full access’ for the currently used Windows account
- when you change the Plex data folder in the preferences to
D:\Plex, then Plex server is actually looking for its data within D:\Plex\Plex Media Server\
There is only one user on the whole computer and it is the Administrator. Everything should be owned by it.
I am thinking of uninstalling and installing again. Are there registry settings that I should make sure are fully gone so that the system will think it is a complete and full installation? I believe there must be something either on my computer or in my account since after the last install, it still knew the name of the media server I would eventually set it to but before it ever was given that information.
@rbeatse said:
There is only one user on the whole computer and it is the Administrator. Everything should be owned by it.
That is not necessarily true…
- On modern Windows versions, you never work under the true Administrator account, even if your user account is marked as ‘Admin’ in the Windows control panel. The only time when you are working as the true admin is, after you have acknowledged the UAS prompt.
- if you ran a ‘restore’ operation with a backup software, it might have restored the former access permissions, which are not aligned with your current user account (if there was a fresh install of Windows).
Are there registry settings that I should make sure are fully gone so that the system will think it is a complete and full installation?
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201941078-Uninstall-Plex-Media-Server
Keep in mind that this will lose you any shares you might have currently. You will have to re-invite your friends afterwards.
Thank you @OttoKerner . I would rather not lose shares but at this point, I am willing to try anything. If I remove everything and then do a reinstall and point the database to the d Plex directory (the previous one has been renamed), do you think the rest of the steps that were suggested before would work?
Is there a better way? Like restoring a backup? I will try anything at this point.
I can’t even get a Media Server to start to allow me to configure it, so I am not sure it is the permissions on a folder that I haven’t told it about yet.
