01-08-2026, 04:30 PM
When you create a dedicated user for Plex, you are not logging into Plex with that account. Instead, you are telling ADM which system-level permissions Plex should have when reading your media files.
Here’s how it actually works behind the scenes and what you need to do.
First, Plex always runs under its own internal service account. Asustor names it plex and it is created automatically when you install the Plex Media Server app. You never directly log into it or switch to it.
Second, the reason you create a user account manually is not for Plex to run under it, but to help you manage folder permissions cleanly. For example, some users prefer creating a “media” or “plexaccess” user so they can group permissions or apply ACLs in a more controlled way. But Plex itself will still run as the built in service user.
To give Plex access to the right folders, open ADM, go to Access Control, then Shared Folders, select the folder your media is stored in, open Permissions, and make sure the plex service account has read access to that folder. Do not use the account you manually created for this step.
After adjusting permissions, restart Plex Media Server in AppCentral so it reloads access rights.
Here’s how it actually works behind the scenes and what you need to do.
First, Plex always runs under its own internal service account. Asustor names it plex and it is created automatically when you install the Plex Media Server app. You never directly log into it or switch to it.
Second, the reason you create a user account manually is not for Plex to run under it, but to help you manage folder permissions cleanly. For example, some users prefer creating a “media” or “plexaccess” user so they can group permissions or apply ACLs in a more controlled way. But Plex itself will still run as the built in service user.
To give Plex access to the right folders, open ADM, go to Access Control, then Shared Folders, select the folder your media is stored in, open Permissions, and make sure the plex service account has read access to that folder. Do not use the account you manually created for this step.
After adjusting permissions, restart Plex Media Server in AppCentral so it reloads access rights.