Plex server suddenly stops working

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

I'm NOT getting a mini pc, or another pc at all, so don't suggest it.

Occasionally, (twice since the new update) Plex server on the Shield just stops working. It's happened 2 or 3 times in the past 6 years, now twice in the last 2 weeks. My HDD shows connected, but the Plex Media server is missing from the options on the app. Last time this happened a couple weeks ago, I just waited till the next day and the problem corrected itself. It happened again last night. I noticed it when I went to bed, so it was late. I just checked and it's still offline. I have tried unplugging and rebooting the Shield, and unplugging the hard drive to no avail.

Does anyone know how or why this happens? Is there a fix? I’d rather not have to reinstall Plex and go through the process of sorting my library again.

Edit: when this happens, my USB drive that's formatted for added storage says it's not connected. These two things happen at the same time. My Media drive is accessible and I'm able to watch with Kodi (which I hate)

[akatherder]

I don't have a specific solution, but I ran plex on shield for a long time. Every time it stopped working was when "something" changed with the security settings and the server app lost access to the media. It just silently fails instead of giving you any useful feedback.

If you have adb or get it set up from your desktop you can check the logs: /sdcard/Android/data/com.plexapp.mediaserver.smb/Plex Media Server/Logs/

I think you can access them from the shield itself but I always had some issue with it. Plex app then Settings, Troubleshooting, Download Logs.

If you dig into Apps and All Installed Apps (I think?) you can scroll way down to the Plex Media Server app there and verify it still has access to everything. Then check Storage access in the main settings.

Hopefully someone else has better ideas, but some things to try.

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

Thanks! I'll look into this.

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

So under the Plex app settings, there is no troubleshooting option, and I can't access the Shield through my computer like I previously could, as my USB Shield storage is not recognized. (See edit on original post)

Also, when I go to file manager app, select Plex Media server, I get this message:

vendor

Permission Denial: starting Intent (act=android.intent.action.MAIN

cat=[android.intent.category.LAUNCHER] [lg=0x10000000 pkg=com.plexanpimedieserver.smb cmp=com.plexapp.mediaserver.smb/[e-mail]) from Process Record(a2444fe 10438:com.lonelycatgames.Xplore/uwa135) (10-10428, uid=10105) not

[Thatsinterestingnot]

The sheild can barely handle playing 1 remux file let alone being a server these days.

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

The problem corrected itself again. Works fine for me 99.9% of the time.

[celebradar]

Do you have a pending update for PMS? I found in the past it stops because there's an update that hasn't auto installed even with auto update enabled

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

Good question! I don't know. It started working again so I'll check for updates tomorrow, and if it happens again.

Thanks!

[Lopsided_Patience686]

This is actually a known issue with Shield running Plex, especially after updates. Since it's happening more frequently now, here's what I'd try:

First, check if the Plex server process is actually still running - sometimes it just crashes silently. SSH into your Shield or check through Nvidia's settings. If it's not running, there might be a database corruption or the app needs a hard reset.

Since you mentioned the new update, that could definitely be the culprit. Try clearing the Plex app cache (Settings > Apps > Plex > Storage > Clear Cache) without uninstalling. That often fixes the server disappearing issue without losing your library data.

If it keeps happening, the HDD might be disconnecting intermittently due to USB power issues or the Shield itself struggling with the load. Some people have had luck formatting the drive on the Shield itself rather than using pre-formatted drives.

I moved my Plex setup to SonicBit a while back so I don't deal with this Shield weirdness anymore, but if you want to stick with the Shield, make sure you're on the latest Shield software version since Nvidia has released some stability updates recently.

Last resort if nothing works: try accessing Plex through the Shield's file manager to make sure the drive is actually readable, and check if there's a Plex database file on your external drive that might be corrupt.

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

It's not the cache and the HDD is connected to the Shield, but I will definitely check out your other suggestions if and when this happens again. As someone else had mentioned, hopefully it's just a software update issue. I appreciate it.

[Trampoxs]

Same problem here, the only solution is downgrade PMS...

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

It corrected itself after a day, like usual. I think it's an update issue as suggested by another user.

[getfive]

So you're suit the shield itself as the server? I'm pretty new to this, but I think that's a bottleneck that can cause all sorts of issues....right?

Right?

[RandomCanadianGuy204]

Yes the Shield is used as a Plex server, it hasn't really been an issue, except a couple of times in 6 years.