Install OBS Studio on Windows — step by step
- 1
Download the installer
Get
OBS-Studio-31.0.3-Windows.exefrom the download page. The file is ~150 MB. - 2
Run the installer
Double-click the .exe. If SmartScreen appears, click More info → Run anyway. Follow the wizard and click Install.
- 3
Install Visual C++ if prompted
OBS may prompt to install Visual C++ Redistributable. Click Yes/Install — this is required for OBS to run.
- 4
Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard
On first launch, the wizard appears. Choose Optimize for streaming or recording. OBS tests your hardware and sets optimal encoder, bitrate and resolution automatically.
- 5
Add your first source
In the Sources panel, click + → select Display Capture or Game Capture. Click OK to add it to your scene.
Where does OBS Studio install on Windows?
Install questions
OBS Studio default installation path Windows — where are my settings?
OBS Studio installs the program to C:\Program Files\obs-studio\. Your personal settings, scenes, profiles and recordings are stored in %APPDATA%\obs-studio\. Uninstalling OBS does not delete your settings — they remain in AppData until manually deleted.
How long does OBS Studio take to install?
The installation takes about 1 minute. The Auto-Configuration Wizard runs a 30-second benchmark to test your hardware. Total first-run setup is about 3–5 minutes.