Last updated on December 10th, 2022
Now that the cloud reigns supreme, NAS is becoming increasingly popular for data storage for homes and businesses. One of the most renowned brands is Synology NAS for how efficient the server can be, yet there will come a time for updates.
While the Synology streaming packages are available, you can use the Plex Media Server to watch all your films and TV shows, play your music, and access your media in one place and with a single interface.
Yet to watch the latest shows and films, the library will need to be updated.
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When the right time arrives to update the Plex Media Server, it should be straightforward to get the new version up and running. In this guide, we will look at how to update Plex on your Synology NAS (see also, ‘Synology Active Backup for Business Review‘).
Automatic Updates
As with most technology, updating the Plex server can simply be a case of making it work for you. That means using the Auto Updater for the Plex Server which can be found on Synology and provides automatic updates.
To even use that, you need to follow some straightforward steps.
- Install and run the latest version of the Auto Updater application from the Plex Server.
- Create a folder to store the extracted files from the downloaded zip file.
- As a standard user, right-click the psupdate.exe file, choose the ‘Run as administrator’ option and enter the password.
- As an administrator, simply double-click the psupdate.exe file.
Once you can use the psupdate.exe file, there are a few steps to follow to ensure that the updating works.
- Download and then verify the very latest version of the Plex Media Server.
- Ensure that you stop the Plex service and any Plex processes that are running.
- Install that update.
- Delete those ‘Run’ keys in the registry which will ensure that the Plex Media Server is prevented from running from outside the service.
- Ensure that the Plex processes are stopped if they may be running following the update.
- Now the Plex server can be restarted to be used.
The Manual Method
Updating the Plex Media Server can simply be a matter of finding the right update notice and clicking through it.
- Locate the Plex Media Server and open it.
- Click on the icon for ‘Settings’ which should be in the top right corner.
- Head to the left column and then click on ‘General’. This should show which current version of Plex you are running. If there is an updated version to use, there should be an update notice that has a download link.
- Click the ‘please install manually’ option and it will download that update file.
- Find your Synology server and sign in to your account.
- Open the Package Center, click on ‘installed’ which should be in the left column, and then click on ‘Plex Media Server’.
- Press on the down arrow which is next to ‘Open’, and then click on ‘Stop’ as you will need to prevent the server from running while Plex is being updated.
- Head to the top right section of the Package Center and then press ‘Manual Install’.
- Find the update file you downloaded, click on ‘Next’, then ‘Yes’, and finally ‘Apply’ which will install your update.
- Return to your Plex Media Server and now you can run it.
Using The Plex Claim Token
Using a Plex claim token may sound old-fashioned yet if you want to ensure that the update works then it could be worth the time. Even then, thanks to the user-friendly interface and the Package Center, you can update your Plex Media Server at your own convenience.
- Head to the section of Plex’s website that includes media server downloads.
- Download the Synology DSM7 install file at the top, which would be the latest. This should be an Intel 64-bit file yet it may be different due to the CPU on your NAS.
- Open up the Synology DSM 7 then head to the Package Center and select ‘Manual Install’ which should be in the top-right corner.
- Find the Plex file that you downloaded then click on ‘Next’. You will likely get a message that states that the package is ‘provided by third-party developers’ which is fine as you can trust this one.
- You will then be asked to make a decision from two options. Your first option is to run the installation normally and ‘claim’ the server, i.e. link the server to your own Plex user account sometime in the future. Here, we will take the second option to ‘install using Plex Claim Token’ which is restricted for new or lost servers.
- Sign in to your Plex account and there should be a claim token, simply copy the claim code
- Back in the Plex installation, paste in the claim code you just copied and then click ‘Next’.
- All you need to do is click ‘Done’ and the latest version of the Plex Media Server will be installed onto your Synology NAS. It should take a couple of minutes and you should receive a message confirming that it was successfully claimed in your user account.
- Click ‘Open’ to launch Plex and it should prompt you to sign in to your Plex account.
- At the home page, click on settings which should be the wrench icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and choose ‘Libraries’, then select ‘Add Library’, choose the right Library Type, and then add the folder. This should be in the folder titled volume1 then navigate to the folder that holds your media, there is likely a folder for each type of media including music, TV shows, and films.
- You should see your media titles begin to crawl so you know that it is working.
Final Thoughts
Knowing that software needs to be updated, streaming packages and servers have provided several methods for being updated.
That could be via a claim token or simply using an automatic updater so it takes care of itself when a new update becomes available. Typically, there are update files you can download yet ensure that the servers are not running at the time.
Depending on how much media you have, it should still be relatively quick to ensure you are running with the most updated version available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Plex Media Server And Synology NAS Devices Work Well Together?
With the most renowned DiskStation Manager software around, Plex Media Server works really well with the vast majority of Synology NAS devices (see also, ‘Synology Chat Notifications Not Working (Solved)‘).
You do need to ensure that you get the correct Synology models as that can have an impact on the efficiency of the Plex Media Server.
For instance, look out for a NAS device with an exceptionally powerful CPU, up to five drive bays either a 2GB DDR3 or a 4GB DDR4 RAM, RAID configuration, several connectivity options, and high transfer speeds.
All those features have an impact yet, above all, the user-friendly interface is simple to use, there is unlimited traffic to enjoy and the system works well with a rapid bandwidth.
Can You Use Docker To Run Your Updates On The Plex Media Server?
For a simple way of updating your Plex Media Server, simply run it on Docker with your Synology NAS. This way, if you ever want to move the Plex installation to another device, you can copy those mounted volumes to simply migrate the media library.
Using Docker will be one of the few options available if you are using Hardware Acceleration.
