# Unable to Claim Plex Media Server

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386>\
**Category:** Plex Media Server\
**Tags:** server-linux\
**Created:** [December 9, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386 "2025-12-09T16:56:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oliver\_brason.co.uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Oliver\_brason.co.uk](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Oliver_brason.co.uk)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386/1 "2025-12-09T16:56:53Z")

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Server Version#:1.42.2.10156 (Linux Ubuntu)  
Player Version#: NA (I wish we were that far)  
\<If providing [server logs](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only [debug logging](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/#toc-1) should be enabled\>

So I have been in the process of building a new Plex server. I have copied everything across and I am now at the point where I want to claim my new plex server @localIP:32400/web and sign in to claim.

So no matter what setup I use. Be it remoted in SSH or directly connected I cannot seem to claim the server.

A few details. Both my plex servers are on the same network. This was so I could RSYNC my contencts across my network.

Plex Server A is on 10.0.0.25:32400 and Plex Server B is on 10.0.0.28:32400. I have also given both of them their own public IP addresses.

So I am able to navigate to the Plex Server and so are other colleagues who have been helping me and they are greated with the adoption screen wanting me to sign in.

However every time I sign in. I get the message Unauthorsied. (images uploaded)

I also have followed many articles which have involved stopping the plex server, extracting the xml file and ensuring I remove certain elements such as: [https://support.plex.tv/articles/204281528-why-am-i-locked-out-of-server-settings-and-how-do-i-get-in/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/204281528-why-am-i-locked-out-of-server-settings-and-how-do-i-get-in/)

Quit/exit your Plex Media Server, so it’s not actively running  
In your text editor, remove the following attribute/key pairs from the Preferences.xml file:  
PlexOnlineHome=“1”  
[PlexOnlineMail="jane@example.com](mailto:PlexOnlineMail=%22jane@example.com)"  
PlexOnlineToken=“RanD0MHex1DecIm4LtoKeNheR3”  
PlexOnlineUsername=“ExampleUser”

However, the XML does not hold those items as it has not been claimed. See example below:

\<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?\> 

I am beside myself and donot understand why this would be happeneing. I have also tried turning off the server completely at 10.0.0.25 and I get the same problem.

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386/2 "2025-12-09T17:17:26Z")

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Make sure the system can communicate with [plex.tv](http://plex.tv). If it cannot, then claiming will not work.

Try the User Credential Reset utility:

> **[GitHub - ChuckPa/UserCredentialReset: User Credential Reset utility for Plex](https://github.com/ChuckPa/UserCredentialReset)**
>
> User Credential Reset utility for Plex

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**Author:** ![Oliver\_brason.co.uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Oliver\_brason.co.uk](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Oliver_brason.co.uk)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386/3 "2025-12-09T20:43:42Z")

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Thank you. This was resolved. I had to use Putty to SSH and access via localhost:32400/web rather than the IP address.

Thank you for responding.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/unable-to-claim-plex-media-server/934386/4 "2026-03-09T20:44:21Z")

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