Latest Plex update breaking external storage network sharing on NVIDIA Shield, fix incoming

We are living in a technology-driven world and it has become almost impossible not to consume digital content. Right from the moment we wake up, to the second of falling asleep, we watch, listen, and read a lot.

It is even possible for you to remotely access the content you stored in a device at your home. However, a popular method is local network sharing, using which you get to access the files in a device from another one (both situated at a single place).

You know what Plex is, don’t you? It is a client-server media player system that gives you a one-stop place to find all your media files. Apparently, you need to install Plex server on the device where you store the media. Using the application, you can browse them from any gadget.

With an account on the official application, browsing third-party content is also possible. Nonetheless, majority use Plex on NVIDIA Shield TVs as a media center to browse the files through network sharing.

In the last few days, after server version 1.18.1.2019 rolled out, many NVIDIA Shield users are finding it difficult to get along with the SMB service. They can’t see the Shield’s external storage drives on other devices. Read a complaint from the official forum below.

External hard disk suddenly unavailable over network
I have a 2015 SHIELD TV (16GB, model P2571), primarily running as my Plex server. I have a 4TB USB HD that holds my library. Until recently I could connect to this drive every few days over the network to push content to it, over a persistent connection using local drive “S:” to “\\SHIELD\Seagate Backup Plus Drive”.
Today Windows told me that the network path couldn’t be found. The SHIELD is still there but is only presenting “Internal” to the network. I checked the SHIELD and it can see the drive just fine, and “Transfer files over local network” is enabled. I turned the setting off and back on and rebooted the SHIELD several times, but it’s still not showing the drive to my network.
I know the drive is good because I can play media from the SHIELD’s own Plex client as well as over the network via any other Plex client (a PC, a phone, etc.)
Everything’s running on the same network. Everything is wired. I’ve changed nothing in months. It simply stopped working. I have to assume that something changed, and silently broke, on the SHIELD. Can somebody help me?
(Source)

Not just NVIDIA Shield forum, we could find many concerns on the Plex official support community too. Despite mounting the network storage option on the device (check the image given below), the server fails to start normally.

If you installed Plex from Play Store, you wouldn’t see this problem. Those who got the app upgraded through the forum brought themselves into this chaos. Still, the developers were quick to acknowledge the issue and release the fix via a test APK.

There is no ETA regarding the availability of the fix via Google Play store. Do let us know if the hotfix resolves the glitch for you.

Note:- Don’t forget to stay tuned to this story to know the progress.

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