Fix: Plex Media Server Not Opening

After installing Plex Media Server, you may run into an issue where your Plex Media Server is not opening so you can't access the Web app to maintain your Plex instance. This can be frustrating, but there are several options you can use to determine the reason your Plex server is unavailable.

Below are several things you can try to access your Plex Media Server.

Check to make sure Plex is running

The first thing you should check is to ensure that Plex is running on your server. It may seem obvious, but sometimes the simplest solution is the one that works. Log into your server and check to ensure that Plex is running.

Some operating systems, such as Windows, won't start Plex automatically until someone logs into the computer. This can cause Plex to not be running unless you manually log in with the user ID associated with Plex.

For Windows, if you would like Plex to run without logging in, you can have Plex run as a service.

Ensure the computer and Plex are on the same network

To reduce network issues, ensure you are accessing Plex from the same network where the Plex server is located. This will reduce the number of network devices between your computer and the server.

If your computer is on the same network, and you still can't connect, try logging into the server and then accessing the Plex Web app from the server.

Claim your Plex server

In order to be able to access Plex you will need to claim your Plex server. After claiming your Plex server, it should appear as one of the devices under your Plex account, including as a server when you access plex.tv.

Disable any VPN or proxy

If you are trying to connect to your Plex server through a VPN or your server is behind a reverse proxy, try disabling the VPN or proxy.

A VPN could prevent connection to your server if it doesn't allow access to the internal LAN. A proxy could be misconfigured, which could be preventing access to the Plex server.

If you are able to access the Plex server while not connected to the VPN, or the server isn't behind a proxy, then that would be the reason for your Plex server being unavailable.

Check remote access

If you are trying to open your Plex server from outside your network, ensure that the Remote Access settings has been enabled on the server.

If remote access has been enabled, ensure that the proper firewall rules are in place to allow access to the Plex server from outside the network. The IP address and public port can be found in the Remote Access section of the Plex administrative site.

Check the Plex logs

If Plex Media Server is running on your server, but you still can't open Plex, check the Plex logs to see if there is any error in the log.

There are multiple logs created by Plex, so you should check each log to see if there is an error message related to your trying to open Plex.

Ensure the firewall is open

Most operating systems have an internal firewall that can restrict inbound and outbound connections. When Plex is installed, this is usually not a problem, as Plex will open the ports it needs if a firewall is detected.

If you can't open Plex from outside the server, check the local firewall to ensure port 32400 isn't blocked. If it is, allow that port through the firewall and try again.

After opening the port you still aren't able to open Plex, try temporarily disabling the firewall and try again.

Check the Plex data path

The Plex data directory is where are the data files Plex creates and uses are located. If Plex can't find this directory or doesn't have access to the directory, then Plex may not be able to run.

Ensure that the data directory is specified properly in the Plex advanced settings, and if it is, ensure that the user running Plex has full access to the directory.

Rename the Plex data directory

If you determine that the Plex data directory exists and that the user has full access to the directory, but you still can't open Plex, you may need to have Plex recreate the directory.

To do this, close Plex, rename the Plex data directory, and then restart Plex.

Why should you not delete the directory? If you find that Plex creating a new data directory doesn't work, you can then rename the previous directory back to the original name.

Uninstall and reinstall Plex

After trying the above solutions still doesn't allow Plex to open, you should uninstall and reinstall Plex.

To uninstall Plex, use the following steps:

1. Stop Plex if it is running on the server.
2. Uninstall Plex from the server.
3. Delete the Plex data directory.
4. Delete the Plex settings.
5. Reinstall Plex.

After Plex is reinstalled, try to open Plex again.

If Plex won't open after trying the above solutions, then the next step would be to try asking for solutions on the Plex forums.