This page describes four different symptoms, each with its own cause. Find the heading that matches what you see.
Nothing happens, or the program closes again
Check whether OBS Studio, or another program based on it, is running. This is the most common cause. Close that program and try again. See alongside an existing OBS.
Check the rights on engineconfig. The program must be able to write to that folder. If the folder is read-only, the program starts and closes again.
The program stays on the loading screen
The line under the wordmark shows the current stage:
| Text | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Starting up… | The program is loading |
| Loading modules… | The modules are starting. The program usually stops at this stage |
| Building the interface… | The window is being built |
| Starting playouts… | The previews and outputs are starting |
If the program stays on the modules, a module is almost always waiting for something, such as a network drive that is not available, a service that does not respond, or antivirus software that is scanning the process.
After about 15 seconds, the program continues without its modules and tells you so. Switch off the module that you suspect under Settings → Modules, and then find out what it was waiting for.
The program starts but looks like plain OBS
There are two possible causes.
You started the wrong file. Start the program from the launcher shortcut on the desktop or in the Start menu, and never from the executable in enginebin.
The installation is incomplete. If files in the program folder are missing or renamed, you get plain OBS. Run the setup again over the existing installation. Your settings remain.
The modules report that they cannot start
A window with the title Modules could not start appears, and its message names the cause: Windows refused to start upmod-runner.exe, upmod-runner.exe is missing, upmod-runner.exe started but did not respond, upmod-runner.exe did not start in time, or The installation is incomplete.
None of these problems stops the program. You lose what the modules provided, but the cue list, the outputs and the broadcast continue to work.
For a missing file or an incomplete installation, reinstall the program. The other messages are almost always caused by antivirus software, and the message then names the folder to add to its exclusions. See Settings → Modules.
When you need help
Send the log, because it records exactly how far the start got and what the program was doing. See sending logs.