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Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide

Section titled “Quick Start Guide”

Get Plex up and running as fast as possible. This guide covers the essential steps—see platform-specific guides for detailed optimization.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Installation

Section titled “Installation”
  1. Download the Plex Media Server installer for Windows
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts
  3. Plex will launch automatically and open in your browser
  4. Sign in with your Plex account

Initial Setup Wizard

Section titled “Initial Setup Wizard”

After signing in, the setup wizard guides you through configuration:

  1. Name your server

    Choose a descriptive name like “Living Room PC” or “Media Server”

  2. Add your first library

    Click “Add Library” and select the type:

    • Movies - Individual movie files
    • TV Shows - Episodic content in show/season folders
    • Music - Audio files and albums
    • Photos - Image collections

  3. Point to your media folder

    Browse to where your media is stored (e.g., D:\Media\Movies)

  4. Let Plex scan

    Plex will analyze files and fetch metadata automatically

Folder Structure

Section titled “Folder Structure”

Plex works best with organized media. Here’s the recommended structure:

Media/
├── Movies/
│   ├── Inception (2010)/
│   │   └── Inception (2010).mkv
│   └── The Matrix (1999)/
│       └── The Matrix (1999).mkv
├── TV Shows/
│   └── Breaking Bad/
│       ├── Season 01/
│       │   ├── Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot.mkv
│       │   └── Breaking Bad - S01E02 - Cat's in the Bag.mkv
│       └── Season 02/
│           └── ...
└── Music/
    └── Artist Name/
        └── Album Name/
            └── 01 - Track Name.mp3

Verify It’s Working

Section titled “Verify It’s Working”

  1. Check your library

    Navigate to your library in the web interface. You should see your media with posters and descriptions.

  2. Play something

    Click on a movie or episode and hit play. Verify audio and video work.

  3. Try another device

    Install a Plex app on your phone or smart TV and verify you can see and play content.

Common First-Time Issues

Section titled “Common First-Time Issues”

Media not showing up?

  • Check folder permissions
  • Verify naming follows conventions
  • Click “Scan Library Files” to rescan
  • Check the scanner logs

Wrong metadata?

  • Use proper naming: Movie Name (Year)
  • Fix match: Click ”…” → “Fix Match”
  • Try different database (TMDB vs TVDB)

Buffering/stuttering?

  • Check network speed
  • Lower streaming quality temporarily
  • Ensure Direct Play is enabled
  • Check transcoder settings

Can't connect remotely?

  • Enable Remote Access in settings
  • Check port forwarding (32400)
  • Verify firewall allows Plex

What’s Next?

Section titled “What’s Next?”

Now that Plex is running, dive deeper into your platform:

Essential Settings to Review

Section titled “Essential Settings to Review”

Before going further, review these important settings:

  1. Settings → Library - Scan intervals, empty trash settings
  2. Settings → Transcoder - Quality settings, hardware acceleration
  3. Settings → Network - Remote access, bandwidth limits
  4. Settings → Scheduled Tasks - Maintenance timing

Congratulations! 🎉 You now have a working Plex server. Explore the platform-specific guides to optimize your setup.