After OBS Classic, OBS Studio came along, with many new features and fix, but sometimes many problems can pop up. When you’re at the beginning of your streaming career, you will face many setbacks, but HelpTechYou is here to help.
Right now we will talk about how you can solve this issue when you see the following message: OBS Studio is already running. You can face another related issue, which is “OBS Studio is already running please close it first before installing a new version“.
You will find solutions for this problem, many times is some mistake is done, but you can have a deeper problem than that. Firstly, let’s be clear why this error come up.
Why am I getting this message?
This message mostly appears when you already launched the OBS Studio. That covers for the program start or the installation start too. But for the first start, it’s may not be running properly, then it not appears on your screen, but in the background. It may have something to do with the program, your PC, the operating system, or some corrupted file.
You can’t do anything, but start again the program, and that’s why the notification appears in the first place.
You maybe want to install OBS, but get the following message.
So what’s the next thing to do, in this scenario?
1. Task manager – End task
The first thing is to open the task manager, by pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL or right-click on the up icon (show hidden icons) in the bottom right corner, then choosing task manager.
Then in the Task Manager, Process tab, search for OBS. Firstly, you may need to click on “More details” inside the program.
You may not find it at the first sight, but keep searching for OBS or anything similar.
The OBS Studio installer will appear as a 32-bit version, but after opening the list, you will see the setup.
The next step is to go to the Details tab and search for obs64.exe, or obs32.exe running processes. Some extension, Python transitions, or anything like Discord can use the OBS if you give them permission for some reason. Mostly is all about an integrated solution.
You should end them all, and start the OBS Studio, or the installer again.
2. Restart the computer
The restarting of your computer solves mostly all of the problems. It stops all running processes and ends all the tasks. Keep in mind before doing that, to save all your opened document or the opened game.
After a full reboot, all of your programs will stop running, and if you’re accidentally start the OBS or the installer it will stop as well. Also, it may use some addons or scripts which is running in the background.
Then start again the starting or the installing process of the program. In case you can’t begin, then hop onto the next step.
3. Search in Apps
If you’re removing only the files of a program, but not removing them in the Apps inside Windows Settings, then basically stays on your computer. While the files are no longer available, the route, the scripts, and the registry files are still there.
Go ahead, and check the OBS Studio, in the Settings, Apps & features window.
Delete it, do a reboot, and try the process again.
4. Delete Preference Settings – AppData files
OBS Studio saves all your preferences, scenes, profiles, and sources into one place. That’s inside the AppData folder. That’s not findable, because it’s hidden from the general. But you can reach it directly. There’s where many programs stores the preferences, caches, and some main files too.
Press Windows + R, then enter %appdata% . Or you can right-click on the windows bar and choose the Run option.
Click on OK, or hit enter. Then an explorer pops up, with many folders. Search through and find obs-studio.
Delete the whole folder, and start again the OBS Studio.
Keep in mind: That it will erase all of your preferences including your scenes and profiles.
5. Third-party remover tool
In some cases, the program can stuck in your registry, and nothing will help. For that cases, many people will recommend a new os installation, but you can give a try to a third-party remover tool. It deletes the program all files, that includes, cache, registry, and preferences, so anything.
6. Last, after anything tried
You shouldn’t need to reach this step, because if you’re tried everything, but nothing helped, then something happened with your computer. So the last step is a whole new os installation. That means a half-day off, but again. This step is for people, who tried everything, but OBS Studio still not doing anything.
If you have some progress like you can start the program, but after initiation, it’s disappeared, you should check other articles on HelpTechYou.
The Solution
I hope this guide gives you the solution, if not, please let me know in the comment section. Mostly a 24h reply is given. And it helps anyone to find the solution for the specific problem.
