OBS Studio is a great program to record and stream online. However, some users can't utilize OBS Studio because of a recording error that occurs when they try to record their screens. Instead of recording, OBS Studio throws up this message: "An unspecified error occurred while recording."

The error usually appears when an important DLL file is missing, or there's corruption in the OBS Studio installation directory. As such, if you also see the same error, then try the below solutions to eliminate the problem for good.

1. Restart OBS Studio

Closing the OBS Studio Process in Task Manager

Whether you're seeing a black screen or getting the "An unspecified error occurred while recording" error, the best way to fix any OBS Studio issue is to restart it. Restarting OBS Studio will clear the system resources and kill any temporary bugs or glitches that might be causing the error.

To restart OBS Studio, open the Task Manager (see how to open the Task Manager), right-click on OBS Studio, and choose End Task. Then, search for OBS Studio in the Start Menu and choose Open from the right pane.

2. Temporarily Disable Your Graphics Driver

The error is likely to occur if there's corruption in the GPU log file that is used by the OBS Studio. To remove the corruption, you'll have to disable the graphics driver before launching the OBS Studio. Doing this will force the program to create a new GPU log.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Open the Power User Menu by pressing the Win + X hotkey and choose Device Manager from the context menu.
  2. In the Device Manager, double-click on the Display adapters node to expand it.
  3. Right-click on the dedicated graphics driver and choose Disable device.
    Disable Device option in the Device Manager
  4. Click Yes to the prompt that appears.

Your screen might flicker after disabling the dedicated graphics driver. But worry not; it'll become normal after the generic driver is started.

Now, launch the OBS Studio and open your project. Then, open the Device Manager again > access the Display adapters node > right-click on the dedicated graphics driver and choose Enable device.

Enable Device option in the Device Manager

That's it! Return to OBS Studio and check if you are able to record.

3. Allow OBS Studio Through Your Firewall

OBS Studio might fail to record and throw the error at hand if it's blocked under Windows Firewall. To fix this, you'll have to whitelist OBS Studio from the Windows Firewall blocked app list. Here's how to do that:

  1. Press the Win key to open the Start Menu.
  2. Type Windows Firewall in the search bar and press Enter.
  3. Choose Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall option from the left sidebar.
    Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall option in Windows Firewall
  4. Click the Change settings button.
  5. Click on Allow another app and then choose Browse from the Add an app prompt.
    Add an app prompt in the Windows Firewall
  6. Navigate to the location where you have installed the OBS Studio.
  7. Select the obs-ffmpeg-mux executable file and click Open.
    obs-ffmpeg-mux file in File Explorer
  8. Click Add.
  9. Check both the Private and Public boxes for obs-ffmpeg-mux and click OK to save the settings.
    Private and Public boxes for OBS File

Restart your computer and check if the problem continues.

4. Fix the Missing DLL Files

Dynamic Link Libraries, aka DLL files, are special implementations of system libraries that contain various functions and variables that programs use when needed. If an important DLL file required by OBS Studio goes missing, you will see the "An unspecified error occurred while recording" error.

To fix that, you will have to re-acquire the required DLL file. Here's how:

  1. Navigate to the place where you have installed the OBS Studio.
  2. Double-click on the obs-ffmpeg-mux file, and note down which of the following DLL file is missing. 
            avcodec-57.dll
    avformat-57.dll
    avutil-55.dll
    swresample-2.dll
  3. Follow our guide on how to fix DLL files missing on Windows to repair the missing file.

Restart your computer and check for the issue.

5. Edit the OBS-Ffmpeg-Mux Installation Folder

If you're still facing the issue even after downloading the missing DLL file, then it indicates that OBS Studio is unable to find the required DLL. The solution, in this case, is to edit the Path environment so that OBS Studio finds the required DLL files.

You can do that by following the below instructions:

  1. Press the Win + I key to open the Settings app.
  2. In the System tab, choose the About option in the left pane.
  3. Click the Advanced system settings option.
    Advanced system settings option in Settings
  4. Click the Environment Variables button.
    Environment Variables option in Settings
  5. Select Path under the System Variables section, and click the Edit button.
  6. Paste the following path in the Variable value text box and click OK. 
            C:\Program Files (x86)\obs-studio\bin\32bit;
    Edit Variable in Settings

That's it! Now, start recording in OBS Studio and check if the problem persists.

6. Check for Corrupted or Missing Files

Sometimes, OBS Studio might fail to record due to corruption in its installation folder. The problem can also occur if an important file is missing.

In either case, you can use the "Check File Integrity" feature to scan the OBS installation for corruption and redownload broken/ missing files. Here's how to use that feature:

  1. Launch OBS Studio, click the Help option at the top, and choose the Check File Integrity option from the context menu.
    Check File Integrity option in OBS Studio
  2. Click Yes to confirm your selection.

OBS Studio will compare the available files with those on its server and download any missing or broken files.

While you're at the OBS Studio home screen, check for and download any available updates. To do that, click Help and choose Check for Updates.

7. Reinstall OBS Studio

If you're still getting the error message, you're left with no option other than reinstalling OBS Studio. To do that, first uninstall OBS Studio from Windows.

Then, visit the OBS Studio official website, and download and install the latest version on your computer.

Enjoy Seamless Recording With OBS Studio

OBS Studio makes it a cakewalk to record anything and upload it online. However, due to corruption in its installation folder or missing DLL files, it might throw the "An unspecified error occurred while recording" error. Fortunately, you can quickly get rid of this error by applying the above fixes.