I recently upgraded the firmware on my QNAP NAS from QTS 4.2.x to 4.3.x, and in doing so Plex stopped working. It was difficult to find information online to fix the problem, so I figured I'd write this short post on how to fix the issue.
The problem
That depends on how you've installed Plex and Kodi on your NAS? For the following steps I'll assume you installed both as qpkg. Those apps are stored on your (first / system) Volume, that is usually named something like CACHEDEV1DATA. The apps are stored in a directory.qpkg within that volume. QNAP has a great app system built in that will let you install all kinds of optional software packages to expand the usefulness of your system. Among those optional packages is Plex, a very popular video streaming platform. Plex Media Server You can use your QNAP NAS as a Plex Media Server to stream your movies and videos. Plex Media Server software organizes your media library and provides you the best browsing and streaming experience on your HDTV. Find the best NAS for PLEX. The Plex Media Server takes your media and creates libraries with your collections. From watching movies in virtual reality to organizing your photos for an album, Plex Media Server is both the beauty and brains creating the magic. Need more information? Visit the Plex Media Server support overview page.
I first noticed the issue after the firmware update to QTS 4.3.x completed and the NAS had rebooted, as I was presented with the following error message.
I then went into the App Center to try and manually start Plex, but the same problem continually occurred.
Upon trying to start Plex manually through the command line we receive the following error message.
I spent a while looking at the script and made some tweaks, but nothing really helped.
Fixing it
Short video on how to install manual update of Plex.tv onto a QNAP Qnas device.Example device shown here: http://amzn.to/2wZEvr2.
Finally I found some useful information on the Plex FAQ, specifically question 20 which notes that if you've upgraded from QTS 4.2.x to 4.3.x then you need to use the 64 bit version of Plex rather than the 32 bit version.
Plex Qnap Not Working
I then downloaded the latest version of Plex and uploaded the .qpkg file through the App Center interface to install it. This can be done by selecting the icon highlighted below in the top right corner of the interface.
Do not remove the 32 bit version as this will likely remove metadata etc. I literally just installed the 64 bit version with the other one still installed and it all worked fine.
Once complete wait a few minutes while the 64 bit version installs.
Once complete Plex automatically started and I confirmed that it was now listening on port 32400 once more and that the web interface was accessible.
Summary
A QNAP NAS with QTS 4.3.x or above needs the 64 bit version of Plex. I appear to have had the 32 bit version which worked fine for many years with QTS 4.2.x and below. I'm not sure why there was no warning from either the NAS itself when performing the firmware upgrade or from Plex about this incompatibility, it took me quite a while to find out what the issue was and work out how to resolve it, so I hope this information helps you.
Network attached storage have evolved into devices that are more than just for storing and backing up files. Over the years, new features are often released, and aside from the original uses of a NAS, users begin to find that their NAS have so much more to offer. In this article, we'll be rediscovering the embedded feature – Plex Media server, and how to share your media in a whole new way. Your friends and family could easily access your media files stored on your NAS on TVs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
How does Plex work?
Plex Not Working On Qnap
Plex Media Server Download For Qnap Server
