Windows Emby Server Stopped working about an hour ago

[michaeltruncale 6]

We stopped watching something about 8:00pm PST, and turned the TV off, about 30 minutes ago I was trying to pull Emby up on my phone and it wasn't running, looked at the server and it was no longer running. I tried to start Emby Server and it won't start. I tried rebooting and starting it again, no dice. I downloaded the latest update and installed it, and tried to launch Emby Server, still nothing. Dead in the water. I'm running Emby Server on a Windows 11 machine.

[seanbuff 1315]

Hi @michaeltruncaleplease attach the Emby server log from when the problem occurred:

How to Report a Problem

Thanks!

 

[michaeltruncale 6]

Didn't know I could find logs without launching the server, nice.

server-install.log embyserver-63894861262.txt hardware_detection-63894857663.txt embyserver-63894864759.txt embyserver-63894864409.txt embyserver-63894864172.txt embyserver-63894864144.txt embyserver-63894864128.txt embyserver-63894863882.txt embyserver-63894863474.txt embyserver-63894863285.txt embyserver-63894863282.txt embyserver-63894863237.txt embyserver-63894861310.txt embyserver-63894861274.txt

[brothom 177]

@michaeltruncalecould your issue be related to this other issue: 

 

[michaeltruncale 6]

No, I don’t think so, Emby Server does not launch at all, I don’t even get any error screen. When I try to load the Emby Server exe the mouse spins for like a second, it generates another log file and nothing. Is there a way to downgrade and go back to the previous version and see if it works?

[brothom 177]

56 minutes ago, michaeltruncale said:

No, I don’t think so, Emby Server does not launch at all, I don’t even get any error screen. When I try to load the Emby Server exe the mouse spins for like a second, it generates another log file and nothing. Is there a way to downgrade and go back to the previous version and see if it works?

The logs aren't showing anything weird, just that the server shutdown.

Are you trying to connect to your emby via localhost or via app.emby.media? Have you tried clearing your browser cache?

Does your server visit via the web just show a "This site can’t be reached" message?

Whatever your cursor or system tray says, is there an Emby process running somewhere on the system?
Perhaps there's a process that's lingering and preventing the "new" Emby from starting.

Edited October 1, 2025 by brothom

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  Have you tried restarting the machine?

[Happy2Play 9780]

Not sure as other logs are not really loading

2025-09-30 21:26:49.572 Info Main: Application path: C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\system\EmbyServer.dll
2025-09-30 21:26:49.606 Info NetworkManager: Adding event handler for NetworkChange.NetworkAddressChanged
2025-09-30 21:26:49.610 Info NetworkManager: Adding event handler for NetworkChange.NetworkAvailabilityChanged
2025-09-30 21:26:49.710 Info Main: Shutdown complete

But has to be something with the update.

2025-09-30 19:34:22.321 Info App: Application has been updated to version 4.9.1.80
2025-09-30 19:34:22.323 Info App: Emby Server needs to be restarted.

2025-09-30 20:34:22.346 Info App: Automatically restarting the system because it is idle and a restart is required.
2025-09-30 20:34:22.351 Info App: Calling RestartInternal

If it will not start you may have to roll-back the system.old folder.

[michaeltruncale 6]

@brothom @ebr @Happy2Play

• I've tried restarting my computer.
• When I click on Emby Server it pops up on the Task Manager for a second, and says Suspended by it, then disappears.
• When I try to connect to Emby via browser (localhost) it just shows "Hmmm... can't reach this page", which makes sense since Emby is not running in the Task Manager.
• There is no Emby process running in the system tray or Task Manager.
• I don't think I can "roll-back" the system.old folder, after Emby Server did not load lastnight, I downloaded the Server install, and ran it again, would that have overwritten the system.old with the version that was not working?
• If I need to uninstall and reinstall what configuration files do I need to backup so I do not lose any configuration (i.e., server settings, users, watched, etc.,)?

 

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

Not knowing your backup configs I would try manually restoring the full backup on a 4.8.11.0 install.

[michaeltruncale 6]

8 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

Not knowing your backup configs I would try manually restoring the full backup on a 4.8.11.0 install.

Is there a wiki for backing up and restoring configuration? Let's say I know nothing about backing up, was that something I was supposed to enable ahead of time?

Which files in the Emby-Server\ folder should I be backing up to restore for an install of 4.8.11.0? And where do I get that older version?

[Happy2Play 9780]

Looks like you have it configure per your log.

2025-09-30 11:00:26.469 Info TaskManager: Daily trigger for Emby Server Backup set to fire at 10/01/2025 00:10:00, which is 789.5588478816667 minutes from now.

https://emby.media/support/articles/Backup.html

4 minutes ago, michaeltruncale said:

Which files in the Emby-Server\ folder should I be backing up to restore for an install of 4.8.11.0? And where do I get that older version?

Get the embyserver-win-x64-4.8.11.0.7z and extract the system folder and replace/rename your current one.

Release 4.8.11.0 · MediaBrowser/Emby.Releases

Now of Emby launches and you sql errors in your log then the db updated with 4.9.1.80 and will have to attempt to Restore a previous backup.

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  Any 3rd party plugins installed?

[michaeltruncale 6]

20 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hi.  Any 3rd party plugins installed?

I'm not sure what a 3rd party plugin would be versus a non-3rd party. I attached a screenshot of my plugin folder:

[michaeltruncale 6]

3 hours ago, ebr said:

Hi.  Any 3rd party plugins installed?

I moved everything to an Archive folder, rebooted, tried to start Emby Server again, didn't work, I also then tried to reinstall Emby again, didn't work.

So, I don't think it's the same 3rd party plugin issue that plagued another user with the EmbyIcons.dll.

Next idea?

 

[Luke 42077]

10 minutes ago, michaeltruncale said:

I moved everything to an Archive folder, rebooted, tried to start Emby Server again, didn't work, I also then tried to reinstall Emby again, didn't work.

So, I don't think it's the same 3rd party plugin issue that plagued another user with the EmbyIcons.dll.

Next idea?

 

Don't mess with that folder. Please undo whatever you did. Then I would delete all of the .dll files in this folder:

C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\programdata\plugins

[michaeltruncale 6]

28 minutes ago, Luke said:

Don't mess with that folder. Please undo whatever you did. Then I would delete all of the .dll files in this folder:

C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\programdata\plugins

Okay I've deleted all the .dll's in that folder, there is a folder left in there, I am assuming don't touch that either...

 

[michaeltruncale 6]

4 hours ago, Happy2Play said:

Looks like you have it configure per your log.

So I do not recall ever setting up the back & restore, or setting a folder for it to make a backup to. Is there a default path it may have backed up to, or a configuration file to access that would show me which path it may have backed up to?

[Luke 42077]

17 minutes ago, michaeltruncale said:

Okay I've deleted all the .dll's in that folder, there is a folder left in there, I am assuming don't touch that either...

 

OK now please try starting up the server.

[michaeltruncale 6]

5 minutes ago, Luke said:

OK now please try starting up the server.

I get the same result. Cursor spins for a second, and it shows in Task Manager for a second, then disappears.

Edited October 1, 2025 by michaeltruncale

[michaeltruncale 6]

@Luke @ebr

What's the best, easiest, quickest way to get me back up and running?

[Luke 42077]

19 minutes ago, michaeltruncale said:

I get the same result. Cursor spins for a second, and it shows in Task Manager for a second, then disappears.

Try shutting down the server. Then install the new release from the website over the top and see if that helps.

[michaeltruncale 6]

9 minutes ago, Luke said:

Try shutting down the server. Then install the new release from the website over the top and see if that helps.

Okay, I shut down the server, turned it back on. Went to the website, installed the latest from the website, same results, not work.

[Luke 42077]

Keep emby server shutdown while you install from the website. If there's still an issue after that then please attach the server log file that got created. Thanks.

[michaeltruncale 6]

7 minutes ago, Luke said:

Keep emby server shutdown while you install from the website. If there's still an issue after that then please attach the server log file that got created. Thanks.

When you say keep Emby Server shut down, it's not even loading, like nothing in the task bar, nothing in the Task Manager, Emby Server does not load, is there a different process I need to kill? Each time I've attempted to install, Emby Server has not been running, and I get the same results.

 

server-install.log embyserver-63894934788.txt

Edited October 2, 2025 by michaeltruncale