Windows Desktop Plex Downloads library "Unexpected Error"

Server Version#: 1.32.4.7164-7000 (Synology NAS DS920+ on DS7.1.1.42692 Update 5)
Player Version#: 1.70.2.3845-31e96af6 (Windows 10 64-bit)

I’m preparing to go underway, so I won’t have internet for a while. I installed the latest Plex Desktop Player for Windows. I noticed that it didn’t give me a choice as to where I wanted to install the videos I downloaded, always pointing to “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Plex\Plex Media Server\Sync” which is on the C: drive.

That’s just not going to do. That will quickly fill up my C drive, so instead I created a symbolic link to a different internal SSD through the use of the mklink command line. It was successful. Every show and video I chose to download was not taking up space on my C: Drive but my my other internal drive.

The problem now is that when I click on Downloads Library in the left pane of the Plex Desktop Player, it just tells me “There was an unexpected error” and directs me to the forums. No error code, no summary, nothing. Super DUPER useful…

I checked the location of the symbolic link (where all the videos successfully downloaded) and all the files are there, so if need be, I could just dig through the folders and play the files individually, but that defeats the entire purpose of downloading my shows on the Plex Desktop Player to view offline.

The symbolic link should be completely transparent to Plex. It shouldn’t even recognize that the files are actually stored on a different internal drive entirely, so I don’t think this is the issue. It could be though. What can I do to find out more about this issue. How can I fix this so I can watch all my shows offline through Plex?

I will be in the middle of the ocean in a matter of days. Any help is greatly appreciated.

This will require to app logs to diagnose further: https://support.plex.tv/articles/windows-mac-app-logs/

I placed both types of logs in my Google Drive link

Did you capture these logs after one of these playback failures? I’m not finding the typical things I look for in these logs. Is also appears there was no attempt to play any of the downloaded content in the logs but they may have rotated since you made you last attempt as they start on Jun 11.

If the explanation is that they’ve rotated, the best thing to do is quit the app if already running, launch the app, attempt the playback that fails, wait until you see the error message, quit the app, and then capture the logs again.

If you are sure you attempted a playback in the time period the logs cover, an approximate date/time would be really helpful to narrow down what to look at.

Apologies for the late response. I’m in the Navy and we already set sail and went underway. I just pulled the files out from their folders under Plex and played them elsewhere. It will be a few months before I get back home and attempt this again, because downloading the videos over a cellular connection is going to take too long while I’m in a foreign port for a short duration in time.

This topic can remain open on the chance that I get an opportunity to test it when my schedule isn’t so crazy hectic, or it can go ahead and be closed. I don’t mind making a new post in the future when I encounter this issue again.

When you are able to reproduce, feel free to reply in this thread. Note that threads automatically close after 3 months of inactivity so if that happens just create a new one. Be sure to capture the logs just after the playback failure.

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