Unable to launch Emby Server on Windows without disabling graphics adapter

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

I'm using Emby server 4.4.3 for Windows 10 Home version 2004. My laptop IS:https://support.hp.com/in-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-pavilion-g7-1200-notebook-pc-series/5145712/model/5170339?sku=QH591EA. I use graphics drivers available by default from Windows Update, because no Win 10 drivers are available on the manufacturer's website

 

I have installed the Emby client on my PC and am trying to access the server. But trying to open the web client gives me a "localhost refused to connect response". During this period I am unable to access the server from my android phone. However, when I disable any one of the two Graphics adapters on my laptop,via Device Management, and restart the server, the web client opens flawlessly and I'm able to access all my media both on PC and on my phone. Apart from disabling one or both of my adapters, I've tried

 

1)restarting emby

2)restarting my PC

3)flushing the dns cache

4)Using a different browser

5)reinstalling emby

6)reinstalling windows

7)disabling and enabling windows firewall

8)using ethernet and wifi separately and together

9)running a virus scan

10)rolling back windows to a previous build

11)Uninstalling and Reinstalling the network and Graphics adapters 

 

This problem seems specific to this machine, because I've tried installing and running the server from other PCs on my home's network, and they all work just fine. To get the server to work on my PC, I usually disable the graphics adapter and restart the server, but doing this every time I want to use Emby is a pain, particularly because most of my other workloads depend on both of my graphics adapters being enabled to run smoothly. Is there any fix to enable Emby to work smoothly with both my adapters enabled?

embyserver.txt

embyserver-63727077270(graphics disabled, server working).txt

Edited June 6, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Luke 37084]

Hi, that's strange. @@cayars might be able to jump on with you and take a look.

[Carlo 4330]

This problem seems specific to this machine, because I've tried installing and running the server from other PCs on my home's network, and they all work just fine. To get the server to work on my PC, I usually disable the graphics adapter and restart the server, but doing this every time I want to use Emby is a pain, particularly because most of my other workloads depend on both of my graphics adapters being enabled to run smoothly. Is there any fix to enable Emby to work smoothly with both my adapters enabled?

Out of curiosity could you check/try something for me.  On Emby Server go the admin menu and select Transcoding menu.

If "Enable hardware acceleration when available:" is set to anything other than NO change it to NO and restart the server.

 

Then try to duplicate your issue.  Do things work correct now or still the same problem?

 

Carlo

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

Out of curiosity could you check/try something for me.  On Emby Server go the admin menu and select Transcoding menu.

If "Enable hardware acceleration when available:" is set to anything other than NO change it to NO and restart the server.

 

Then try to duplicate your issue.  Do things work correct now or still the same problem?

 

Carlo

No luck I'm afraid. I disabled hardware acceleration in Transcoding, but the server still refused to connect to the web client or the android client, while both graphics adapters were enabled.

embyserver.txt

Edited June 6, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Carlo 4330]

I didn't really see any errors or anything that jumped out at me in the log.

So right now you are running Emby Server on the HP laptop correct?  

 

On that same laptop you mention having installed the Emby Client but then mention chrome not working. Was a client used at all or just Chrome?

What "client" did you install?

 

You're laptop has two graphic adapters?  Can you upload a pic of that from device manager?

 

Carlo

 

PS I can try and take a look via TeamView later tonight/tomorrow but don't know how much that will help as sometimes that's not the best thing to do with graphic issues.  Plus I'm really not sure what to look for to be honest.  Right now I'd just like to fully understand what's going on more first.

 

What time zone are you in?

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

I didn't really see any errors or anything that jumped out at me in the log.

So right now you are running Emby Server on the HP laptop correct?  

 

On that same laptop you mention having installed the Emby Client but then mention chrome not working. Was a client used at all or just Chrome?

What "client" did you install?

 

You're laptop has two graphic adapters?  Can you upload a pic of that from device manager?

 

Carlo

 

PS I can try and take a look via TeamView later tonight/tomorrow but don't know how much that will help as sometimes that's not the best thing to do with graphic issues.  Plus I'm really not sure what to look for to be honest.  Right now I'd just like to fully understand what's going on more first.

 

What time zone are you in?

Yep, the server is running on the HP Laptop I mentioned in the OP.

 

I'm sorry if I'm using the incorrect terminology, but to clarify, the client I mentioned is the localhost:8096/web/index.html site(the page that opens by default whenever Emby server is launched) on Brave Browser on laptop, and the Emby app for android on my phone. The only program I've installed on my PC for streaming the media is the Emby server that's available here: https://embydata.com/downloads/server/release8/setup.exe. 

 

I've attached the image of the graphics adapters. Also, I'm not sure if this is related, but I just noticed that the Screen Snip functionality on my laptop doesn't work with both graphics adapters enabled either, so it might just be that the hardware is starting to fail. I've attached the DxDiag log in case it helps. I've also tried running the Internet Connections, Incoming Connections and the Network Adapter Troubleshooters on Windows, and the last one detected a problem, so I'm attaching that report as well.

 

And yeah, if nothing else works and you feel like Teamviewer might help, I'm in India(GMT+5:30)

DxDiag.txt

Network Adapter Troubleshoting.pdf

Edited June 7, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[pwhodges 1532]

 I use graphics drivers available by default from Windows Update, because no Win 10 drivers are available on the manufacturer's website

 

You are quite likely to do better by checking the adaptor manufacturers' sites (Radeon and Intel) for properly up-to-date drivers.

 

Paul

[Carlo 4330]

If you have AMD Catalyst Control Center on your laptop you may want to take a look through that and make sure it's the current version.

Other than that maybe just disable one of the adapter and solve your problem.

 

The use of two graphic device on a laptop is a little over the top for most people unless you're a gamer and then it's probably the wrong hardware anyway.

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

You are quite likely to do better by checking the adaptor manufacturers' sites (Radeon and Intel) for properly up-to-date drivers.

 

Paul

i have, in the past, tried to install the latest graphics drivers from the manufacturer's sites, even though the latest driver available on Intel's site is for Windows 8.1. While installing, Setup informs me that the graphics drivers I'm installing are older versions than the one Windows installs by default. In any case, I just did a fresh install of the latest drivers from the manufacturer's websites and overwrote the Windows drivers, and have disabled automatic driver fetching, but the issue still persists.

If you have AMD Catalyst Control Center on your laptop you may want to take a look through that and make sure it's the current version.

Other than that maybe just disable one of the adapter and solve your problem.

 

The use of two graphic device on a laptop is a little over the top for most people unless you're a gamer and then it's probably the wrong hardware anyway.

The most common use I have for my laptop is watching Youtube videos, movies or light rendering of solid shapes, so I could probably make do with just one adapter. The problem is that the two adapters are linked in a manner I don't understand, so disabling either defaults my screen to the brightest setting with no brightness control option, which is annoying, and video rendering noticeably slows down, to the point where I can't simultaneously stream 2 720p videos without significant stuttering. 

 

I have checked Catalyst Control Center and it tells me no updates are available. I guess I'll try reinstalling the network driver as a last resort, otherwise I'll just keep using my current solution. Thanks anyway 

 

One thing I haven't mentioned: When I launch the server on PC, the localhost page opens and for the first few seconds, I'm able to navigate the server on the browser, after which clicking on any icon just pops up the loading symbol, and reloading the page gives the "localhost refused to connect " message

Edited June 7, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Carlo 4330]

You normally watch multiple videos at the same time?

 

This is a weird issue that is almost certainly driver/os related but why?

 

What browser are you using on that computer and if not Google Chrome please try it.

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

You normally watch multiple videos at the same time?

 

This is a weird issue that is almost certainly driver/os related but why?

 

What browser are you using on that computer and if not Google Chrome please try it.No 

 No I don't actually watch multiple videos at the same time, it was just an illustrative quote. I do watch videos at 720p though, and even scrubbing or clicking at a random point on the progress bar takes significantly longer to load with a disabled adapter. I don't use Chrome because of the high memory usage, but for the sake of troubleshooting I have tried to install and use multiple browsers(Chrome,Firefox,Opera,Brave,Edge,Internet Explorer) but the problem is definitely not with the browser. Besides, videos on VLC suffer from the same issue of lag and stutter when playing HD content with a single graphics adapter, so I doubt it's a network issue either.

Edited June 7, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Carlo 4330]

The only other things I'd consider taking a look at would be the BIOS settings especially related to video.

 

BTW, I should have asked this first.

With your present adapters must you assign them?  For example 1 goes to internal screen while 2 goes to external port?

Do you have an external monitor connected?

If so the same or different resolution?

 

If not connected, do you have a monitor you could try to connect?

 

While in pain in the butt, they are all valid diagnostic tests to help figure out solution.

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

I'll take a look at the BIOS and connect to an external monitor to see if it helps. As for the adapter assignment, I don't know how to assign one specific adapter for a specific purpose, but AMD Catalyst Control Center does offer me the option to assign adapters based on power draw, so if I'm using it while on battery power the laptop uses the power saving adapter, but if I plug in the charger, it switches to the High Performance adapter.

 

Edit: I've looked into the BIOS but it's really barebones, and has no option to change anything related to video. I've also hooked up my laptop to my TV via HDMI, and the resolution I'm using is same on both screens(1600 x 900), but the problem hasn't gone away. Another thing I've noticed is the issue of connecting to http://localhost:8096/web/index.html still exists, but at the same time I'm able to connect to http://localhost:8888(used by Anaconda to run a Jupyter Notebook) perfectly fine, which makes me think it might be a port forwarding issue. I've created a rule to allow incoming connections to port 8096 in Windows Firewall, but that hasn't solved the problem either.

Edited June 7, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Carlo 4330]

It's not a port forward issue.

Do you have the option of turning off auto assign stuff in Catalyst?  You're not going to need that if you are using this as a server anyway.

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

I just changed the graphics adapter assignment from auto to High Performance at all times, and after a reboot and a graphics driver update, the issue seems to have gone away. I am now able to use Emby normally while both my adapters are enabled. Thank you all so much   

Edited June 7, 2020 by msqwertylaboeuf

[Carlo 4330]

I was hoping we could get it figured out.

I had a good feeling with enough testing/trying things we could nail it down.

 

Thank you SO MUCH for doing all these tests and trying different things.  I know it sometimes seems like a "shot in the dark" but there's method to the madness usually of figuring this type of thing out!

 

Carlo

 

PS now keeping fingers crossed it wasn't a fluke and I didn't just jinx you. LOL

[msqwertylaboeuf 10]

I was hoping we could get it figured out.

I had a good feeling with enough testing/trying things we could nail it down.

 

Thank you SO MUCH for doing all these tests and trying different things.  I know it sometimes seems like a "shot in the dark" but there's method to the madness usually of figuring this type of thing out!

 

Carlo

 

PS now keeping fingers crossed it wasn't a fluke and I didn't just jinx you. LOL

Dude Thank YOU for taking so much time and working through the problem with me. I was beginning to think it was some issue with the hardware being as old as it is, and this system has been dropped a few times, so something could have been broken. I've restarted the computer a few times and so far, the solution seems to be working great! I've created a restore point just in case the issue returns in the future.

 

Thanks a bunch again