[Windows 10 Update KB4338819 issue] Conversion Failed. The transcoder exited due to an error

[sa2000]

@benevs

same issue as a large number of people here seem to be stating - ‘Conversion failed. The transcoder exited due to an error.’ when all media files that have failed work perfectly in other players.

Can you please look the windows 10 OS Build Number and let me know what it is

Start / Settings / System / About and then below Windows specifications you will find the OS build

[sa2000]

@benevs

same issue as a large number of people here seem to be stating - ‘Conversion failed. The transcoder exited due to an error.’ when all media files that have failed work perfectly in other players.

one other unrelated point. On 25th july at 17:39 the Plex Media Server crashed. If you get a crash where the Plex Media Server.exe process disappears and the system tray icon disappears, please get the logs soon after the restart and attach to a forum topic. I would like to pursue the crash and whilst I have located the crash report, I do not have the logs that cover the time of the crash. So would need to wait for the next crash and fresh logs captured on restart after the crash

[sa2000]

@pennywaltz

Yesterday Plex worked fine. Today, I keep getting this error. On the latest public version of Plex. From skimming it, it looks like it is an windows update issue which Microsoft need to release a fix… but just in case here are my logs

Yes same underlying issue

Jul 25, 2018 20:27:19.630 [17460] ERROR - [Transcoder] [dash @ 03c44280] Unable to open http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/vidx8qqz4g2laj0tre21abji/57149769-f5df-43a4-a2b1-ab9b95bace40/manifest for writing
Jul 25, 2018 20:27:19.635 [10396] ERROR - [Transcoder] av_interleaved_write_frame(): Unknown error
Jul 25, 2018 20:27:19.670 [6768] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Terminated session 0x8816138:poyc6s0zue1h9f7bod7jz26a with reason Conversion failed. The transcoder exited due to an error.

It looks like the issue introduced by windows 10 update KB4338819 which Microsoft superseded with a second update 6 days later: KB4345421.

Make sure you have the later windows 10 update applied. You should be able to install it manually

[sa2000]

@andyplex

Running into this issue a lot. Just recently started logging as a result, so logs might not reflect the full extent of issues I’m hitting.

Using PMS on Windows 10 PC -> Roku

Logs attached. Would really appreciate some insight on how to fix, super frustrating.

Yes same issue as (almost) everyone else who posted recently in this thread.

frustrating - it should not be, because the solution was posted several times in this forum thread

Jul 25, 2018 00:37:41.365 [25660] ERROR - [Transcoder] [stream_segment,ssegment @ 0416e6c0] Failed to open segment list 'http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/f066675477036652c69cda27d0b3adcf/2f978e1d-0615-4b0e-803f-6fc1e3885af0/seglist'
Jul 25, 2018 00:37:41.377 [20604] ERROR - [Transcoder] av_interleaved_write_frame(): Unknown error
Jul 25, 2018 00:37:41.418 [25660] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error writing trailer of media-%05d.ts: Invalid argument

Appears to be the windows 10 update KB4338819 bug which Microsoft superseded with a second update 6 days later: KB4345421.

Please check your windows updates and pick up the later one. you should be able to download it and apply it manually - if it does not auto update

This was the first post (by @cbabb) in this forum thread that identified the fix
https://forums.plex.tv/t/solution-conversion-failed-the-transcoder-exited-due-to-an-error/234363/145?u=sa2000

[sa2000]

@thiimo

Also having a lot of issues with this lately. This evening has been particularly bad, as I can’t seem to stream to any of the Rokus in my house for more than a few minutes before failure.

Running PMS on a Windows 10 PC.

Logs attached.

Same error as everyone else

Jul 25, 2018 19:29:04.232 [4592] ERROR - [Transcoder] [stream_segment,ssegment @ 04835180] Failed to open segment list 'http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/37618841fec2e8511b3e89d889778838/d69e290b-2266-4cc2-b23f-b65c6033f35d/seglist'
Jul 25, 2018 19:29:04.245 [7716] ERROR - [Transcoder] av_interleaved_write_frame(): Unknown error
Jul 25, 2018 19:29:04.358 [12692] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error writing trailer of media-%05d.ts: Invalid argument

which would suggest that it is the windows 10 update bug introduced by KB4338819 bug which Microsoft superseded with a second update 6 days later: KB4345421.

Please check that you do have the later update installed - if not you should be able to download it and install manually

I am seeing other 127.0.0.1 related errors - in communications between the Plex Media Server.exe process and the PlexScriptHost.exe python processes. It may well be due to the same bug - but worth checking that you do not have any proxy / vpn software running that may be causing this. check start / internet options / connections / LAN Settings / Proxy

Unrelated: Noticed that your Plex Media Server had a crash on 25th July at 19:25. I have located the crash report and will be submitting it to the development team together with the logs that are included in the zip you provided

[sa2000]

As many users are encountering still the windows 10 update bug - I am going to split this topic and create a separate topic with all the posts relating to the error that came with the windows update

[outz]

@sa2000 KB4345421 states it’s OS Build 17134.167.

winver states that I have Windows 10 Ent, OS Build 17134.191.

PS> get-hotfix KB4338819,KB4345421
get-hotfix : Cannot find the requested hotfix on the ‘localhost’ computer.

I manually downloaded KB4345421, but when attempted to install it stated that it wasn’t applicable for my computer - I assume because my build is newer. The reason for the newer build is because MS pushed this update 7/24:

July 24, 2018—KB4340917 (OS Build 17134.191) - Microsoft Support

did KB4340917 supersede KB4345421?

[pennywaltz]

Hmm this is weird, I installed the KB4345421 update as you suggested. Rebooted my computer and tried playing a video and still same issue.

To clarify to make sure I am doing this correctly, I downloaded the Win 10 X64 bit KB4345421 update. Did the installation. The installation asked for a reboot, so I rebooted. I opened up plex, tried to play a few videos, it plays for about 5-10 seconds and then I get this error again

[sa2000]

@outz

KB4340917 supersede KB4345421

May be there is a problem with the new update KB4340917

The Microsoft web page says

If you installed earlier updates, only the new fixes in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device

Web page July 24, 2018—KB4340917 (OS Build 17134.191) - Microsoft Support

This implies that if you have not installed earlier updates, it would apply them.

What we know

10th July Windows Update KB4338819

This caused the issue July 10, 2018—KB4338819 (OS Build 17134.165) - Microsoft Support

16th July Windows Update KB4345421

This applied on top fixed the issue July 16, 2018—KB4345421 (OS Build 17134.167) - Microsoft Support

24th July Windows Update KB4340917

This is an unknown quantity at this stage July 24, 2018—KB4340917 (OS Build 17134.191) - Microsoft Support

You could try removing the 24th July update and applying the 16th July
May need some extra reboots

[sa2000]

@pennywaltz

Hmm this is weird, I installed the KB4345421 update as you suggested. Rebooted my computer and tried playing a video and still same issue.

To clarify to make sure I am doing this correctly, I downloaded the Win 10 X64 bit KB4345421 update. Did the installation. The installation asked for a reboot, so I rebooted. I opened up plex, tried to play a few videos, it plays for about 5-10 seconds and then I get this error again

Please do another reboot and get me fresh logs of the issue and also what it shows in Settings / System / About / OS Build
and in windows update history

[outz]

@sa2000

You could try removing the 24th July update and applying the 16th July
May need some extra reboots

will do - thanks

[pennywaltz]

Might be a false alarm on my end, KB4345421 “Requires a restart to finish installing” when I checked WIndows update. I thought start==>Shutdown and turn computer back on would finish the installation but it didn’t. I actually had to do a restart.

I just got through an entire ep of The Daily Show without issues. so looks like it was resolved now

[outz]

@sa2000 so I uninstalled KB4340917, and installed KB4345421. So far so good… last nights 3 shows recorded fine at the same time. I’ll keep an eye on it for the next few days (mostly use it for OTA dvr recordings) fingers crossed

[cbabb]

If you didn’t pause updates, 917 will be installed again in 48 hours. Since it’s only a quality update it’s no big to deal postpone that update. However, if a security patch comes along it will install 917. And to remove 917 you will need to remove the security patch that put it back. Which is generally something you should avoid. Run sfc /scannow in admin command prompt. This will repair any damaged Windows resources. Apply 917 and try again.

[Bazrat]

I can confirm installing the latest Windows 10 update has resolved the issue for me.

[jcmills4]

I’m getting this error as well, just started a week ago or so, never had it before, and I did recently update Plex. Only happening with certain files, and only happening with those files when serving to my PS3. Prior to this never had any issues with those same files being served there. Usually I can get 1-2 minutes into the program before the error happens.

[cbabb]

@jcmills4 This problem started just over a week ago and was solved for a lot of users. Please confirm you are on OS Build 17134.167 or 17134.191. You can find this by going to [Settings] > [System] > [About] > and look for OS Build towards the bottom. If you are not on either build, you need to update Windows. If you still have problems after updating, please provide logs.

@cbabb

I think Microsoft fixed the problem today for some of us on Win 10. Sat down an hour ago I went to reapply the update KB4338819, and there was another update in that list too, KB4345421.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4345421/july162018kb4345421osbuild17134166

It’s been an hour now of non-stop streaming and nothing has went went wrong. Could be too early to tell but I do think this emergency update could have magically solved the issue. Will report back soon.

A team member broke it down for users to understand.

@sa2000

10th July Windows Update KB4338819

This caused the issue https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4338819

16th July Windows Update KB4345421

This applied on top fixed the issue https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4345421

24th July Windows Update KB4340917

This is an unknown quantity at this stage https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4340917

[mcrommert]

I am another person whose issues were fixed by KB4345421 - I will hold off on updating to the newer cumulative until more people chime in

[cbabb]

@mcrommert

I will hold off on updating to the newer cumulative until more people chime in

917, this update is just a bug fix update. I have had no issues. If you do update and experience issues, it is absolutely OK to remove this update. It is not a security patch.

[mcrommert]

I was planning to probably take it today. Honestly my wife had been waiting for the tv to work last night so i just went with the quickest option