Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working: I just realized, after doing various updates in the Plex app, that my Fast Forward and Skip Back buttons were no longer working – they were grayed out.
I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app and tried the “Restart Now” option in Settings, and all the other suggestions on the web. Nothing worked.
If you are not familiar with Plex’s “Plex Fast Forward” and “Plex Skip Back” functionalities, they are part of the Plex Media Server (PMS). From the main PMS menu you can select “Skip Back” or “Plex Fast Forward” and the selected video will be skipped back and forward at the scheduled time.
Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working: How to FIX
If you are running Plex Media Center (PMC) under Windows 10, you might notice some odd behavior: when you press the fast forward or rewind key on your keyboard (the F10 / F12 keys), the playback doesn’t move forward / back.
This behavior has been around for a while, but recently, it’s gotten worse. The fast forward and rewind keys no longer work at all. Don’t panic here are the solutions…
Disable Direct Play or Direct Stream ( Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working )
Direct Play refers to the process of playing audio and video without having to go through a player like Windows Media Player or iTunes.
It is a feature built into Windows, and for Macs, it is built into the operating system. Disabling Direct Play or Direct Stream gives you more control over how files play on your system.
There are two ways to do this: install a third-party utility such as AutoRun Disabler or AutoRun Reviver, which removes Direct Play from Windows, or edit the registry to disable Direct Play.
Streaming music from your phone to your car speakers is convenient, but it’s not always safe. Streaming music over Bluetooth is less secure than playing the media on the phone itself, and it only takes a one-time mistake to let hackers access your sensitive files.
On Android phones, you can quickly disable Direct Play or Direct Stream, which stops music playback as soon as the phone is out of Bluetooth range. On an iPhone, disabling AirPlay must be handled through your phone’s settings, and you’ll need to select a specific device to disable it.
- Open the settings option on your Plex media player.
- Go to the video section.
- Look for Direct stream and Direct Play.
- Disable anyone and check if it makes a difference.
Delete Cache Files
Have you ever typed in something in Internet Explorer, and when you closed the browser, your browser found web pages that don’t exist?
Or have you ever gotten a pop-up advertisement that you didn’t want? Well, these things occur when your computer has a cache file that you haven’t cleared out.
Cache files store temporary or recently accessed files. When you visit a page, your computer saves that information in a cache file. Your cache files aren’t used a lot. In fact, if you clear your cache files, your computer will start using up memory again.
Caches are temporary files that help your browser function properly. But once you delete a file, you might wonder, “how do I delete cache files?”
In most cases, you don’t need to fear cache files (unless, of course, you want to erase your browsing history). You can easily delete cache files, and you don’t even need to use a keyboard shortcut or editing tool.’
In Windows PC/Laptop:
- Open the Run box and enter the following path into it.
%LOCALAPPDATA%Plex Media ServerPlug-in SupportCaches
- Click on enter and open the path.
- Delete all cache files listed there.
- Restart your Plex client and check.
Or in Macbook
In case you are using Mac OS, then you will have to follow these procedures instead.
- Open Finder and click on Go > Goto folder option.
- Paste the following location into it:
~/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Caches
- Delete all files and folders within it.
Now restart the plex client and check if the problem is still present.
Fubo TV Not Working on Roku, Firestick, And Apple TV: How to FIX
Check the Subtitle file ( Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working )
When you learn how to check subtitle files, you save yourself a lot of time and effort.
Subtitle file compression is a technique in video processing, video coding, and image compression that is used to create smaller-sized subtitles for video.
The subtitles can then be transmitted, stored, or displayed more efficiently.
A subtitle file, sometimes called a subtitle track, is a text file that contains a translation of the text on a video into another language. Subtitle files can also be called subtitling.
They are usually used for movies, TV shows, and other video content, and they function differently from captions or audio descriptions. The SDI Subtitle file allows you to add and edit subtitles for your videos. It is automatically included in your installation.
- To change your subtitle settings on Plex, go to the settings option on your Plex client.
- Under the video section, find the subtitle option and disable it.
- Check to see if the fast forward or skip back function work properly.
- If they do, you will need to find a different subtitle file for your media.
Check the actual media file
To properly fix a corrupt media file that’s preventing you from moving, copying, or viewing it, you should first identify what’s causing the corrupt media file in the first place.
If you’ve deleted the file by mistake, you’ll need to get it back. If it’s a file that’s part of a larger file, you’ll need to recover all the files it’s part of too. And in some cases, a corrupt media file may just be a result of bad compression, which can be fixed with the proper software.
When something goes wrong with your computer, one of the first things that you want to do is check to see if the problem lies with the actual file you are trying to open or the application that is opening it.
For example, if your computer takes forever to load files, does the problem lie with the file itself or with your computer’s hardware?
To check whether a file is actually corrupt, all you have to do is double-click it. If the file opens, it is fine. If the file fails to open, check to make sure it is not corrupt by opening a new instance of the file.
Update the Plex server version ( Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working )
If you have more than one computer, and you’re using the Plex media server to organize and stream all your media, then you’ll want to update to the latest version. The latest update includes support for macOS High Sierra, as well as a number of other fixes and improvements.
If you need to upgrade Plex from version 5.1 to 5.1.1, you need to manually update the version of the Plex server software. Use the steps below to update your Plex server to the latest version.
- Log in as a user-level administrator
- Go to the Plex Server page
- On the left panel, click the “plex web” icon
- In the Plex Web UI, click on the “Settings” tab
- Scroll down to “Server”
- Change the “Plex Media Server” server to the latest version
Netflix Roku app doesn’t have this issue
Fast Forward and Skip Back are two features on the Netflix Roku app that allow you to fast forward or rewind through the currently playing video.
When you use these functions, Netflix adds a few seconds of video at the beginning or end of the current video, giving you a few seconds of extra playback time.
This feature is also handy when you’re trying to watch something at an awkward point, such as the end of a show, and you want to skip forward a few minutes.
The Bottom Line ( Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working )
How to fix Plex Fast Forward and Skip Back not working. Plex is a fantastic media center, and if you use it, you will definitely get value from it.
For instance, you can make Plex your default media player and remote control for all your devices and media in the house. But, sometimes Plex can play up, and when this happens, it can throw your media center into chaos.
Plex is a media player that can also stream your media library on your local network. It has an easy interface and is great for young kids.
But, if you upgraded the firmware one morning (like me) your playback stopped working. This article will cover how to make it work again.