Fix 1
Check the recording path and permissions
Settings → Output → Recording → Recording Path. Make sure:
- The folder exists
- You have write permission to it
- The drive has enough free space (recordings can be large)
Set recording path to a local drive folder like
C:\Users\[username]\Videos\OBS. Avoid network drives and external drives for real-time recording.Fix 2
Use MKV format instead of MP4
MP4 recordings are lost if OBS crashes because the file requires a proper ending. Switch to MKV:
Settings → Output → Recording → Recording Format → Matroska Video (.mkv). After recording, use File → Remux Recordings to convert MKV to MP4.
Fix 3
Check for encoder errors
Failed to open NVENC codec
NVIDIA driver outdated
Update NVIDIA drivers to latest versionAn encoding error occurred
Bitrate too high for hardware
Lower bitrate or switch to different encoderCould not write to file
Path permissions or disk full
Change recording path; check free disk spaceFAQ
Not recording questions
OBS records but the file is 0 bytes or missing
The recording likely failed silently. Check the OBS log: Help → Log Files → View Current Log. Look for errors about encoding or file writing. Also try: change the recording format to MKV, change the recording path to your Desktop, and run OBS as administrator.