# Windows Client App slow to start **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Players\ **Tags:** server-windows\ **Created:** [November 25, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902 "2024-11-25T23:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cap3344](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/cap3344/32/18558_2.png) [@cap3344](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cap3344)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/1 "2024-11-25T23:05:24Z")
Server Version#: 1.41.2.9200 Player Version#:1.105.1.257-3bc35ab9 Over the last month I have experienced 20 second start up on the Windows Client from launch until the accounts are presented for signin. Using the Web CLient on the same PC, it comes up in a couple of seconds. I looked at [PMS logs](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) turned off and on and off debugging and verbose debgugging. The only error of note I saw was PMS looking for an MP3 file that really exist and I deleted that from the Plex client. I ran an clean bundles and optimize libraries without any impact. Seems if I run the client on the same system (WIndows) as PMS, it comes up really quick. That smells like some type of network issues - and yes, there have been network changes recently. PMS machine is wired to the network, this client is on Wifi, I tried the client on a wired Windows PC and that was actually worse. Looking for some clue as to where the network issues might be - I suspect it’s either a firewall issue or some other aggressive traffic analysis ?? The weirdness here is that the App eventually comes up… so is it looking for alternate paths? I did turn off the FW on both the clients and server and while I got each client to come up within seconds, it was haphazard. As I turned FWs back on and tried one side (client) or the other only (server) sometimes it worked, sometimes not. Then turned both sides off and - again, 20+ seconds to fire up… I’m exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![Malcolm\_Powder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Malcolm\_Powder](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Malcolm_Powder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 10:42am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/2 "2024-11-26T10:42:08Z")
I had this recently. Plex support told me to unmap any network drives that were/are currently unavailable. Incidentally, it would open and be ready to use much quicker if opened as administrator. ---
**Author:** ![cap3344](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/cap3344/32/18558_2.png) [@cap3344](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cap3344)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/3 "2024-11-26T18:54:15Z")
thanks, removed mapped drive not available - that worked (though I need to have that mapping), but I think I have seen that “run as administrator” behavior, so i may try one of those admin/UAC workarounds. ---
**Author:** ![Malcolm\_Powder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Malcolm\_Powder](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Malcolm_Powder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/4 "2024-11-26T19:07:07Z")
The other thing that was suggested was to create a shortcut on the desktop to the unmapped drive for when it’s in use. Hang on, let me find the thread… Here you go: > [@Plex app for Windows takes ages to open](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-app-for-windows-takes-ages-to-open/895342): > > Server Version#: Player Version#:Version 1.104.0.241-2164c90a As per title. It takes a lonnnng time to open - sometimes up to a minute. If I run it as an administrator it opens and is ready to interact with immediately. Edit - well that’s interesting. I was launching it from the taskbar after pinning it there. If I navigate to C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex and launch plex.exe from there, it’s fine. Strange. I deleted the shortcut from the taskbar, re-added it and the behaviour continues. … ---
**Author:** ![cap3344](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/cap3344/32/18558_2.png) [@cap3344](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cap3344)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/5 "2024-11-26T21:49:48Z")
thanks I’ll give that a try… tried the techniqiue to bypass the UAC warning using a shortcut to a task scheduled… doesn’t seem to work as well as removing the mapped drive… so this shortcut might help. ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/6 "2024-11-27T11:50:45Z")
The “Open as Admin”-technique might only work because the Admin account on the user’s machine doesn’t have those invalid drive letters linked, while the regular user account has them. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/windows-client-app-slow-to-start/896902/7 "2025-02-25T11:50:55Z")
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