Why you might want OBS on another drive

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a large program that records and streams video. By default, Windows installs it on your C: drive along with your operating system. If your C: drive is running low on space, or if you have a faster second drive where you want your recording files to live, you can install OBS on a different drive instead.

Moving OBS to another drive frees up room on your main Windows installation and can speed up recording if that second drive is faster. The process takes about 10 minutes and involves choosing a custom installation location when you first set up the program.

Key Takeaways

  • Download the OBS installer from obsproject.com and run it on your computer.
  • When the installer asks where to put OBS, click the folder icon and navigate to your second drive instead of accepting the default C: drive location.
  • Complete the installation normally — OBS will work exactly the same whether it lives on C: or another drive.
  • After installation, you can point OBS to save recordings on that same second drive to keep everything in one place.

Download OBS from the official source

Go to obsproject.com in your web browser. On the home page, you will see a large blue button labeled "Download OBS Studio". Click it.

The site will detect your operating system automatically. If you are on Windows, it will offer you the Windows installer. Click the download button and wait for the file to finish downloading — it is about 100 MB, so this usually takes less than a minute on a normal internet connection.

Once the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and look for a file named something like "OBS-Studio-30.0.2-Full-Installer-x64.exe" (the version number may be different). Double-click it to start the installer.

Choose your installation drive at the setup screen

The OBS installer will open and show you a welcome screen. Click "Next" to move forward. You will see a license agreement — read it if you want, then click "Next" again.

The next screen asks "Where should OBS Studio be installed?" and shows a folder path that starts with "C:\Program Files\obs-studio". This is the default location on your system drive. Do not click "Next" yet — instead, click the folder icon (it looks like a small folder) to the right of the path.

A window will open showing your drives. Look for your second drive — it might be labeled D:, E:, or another letter. Double-click it to open it. You can create a new folder here for OBS, or install it directly on the drive. If you want to create a folder first, right-click in the empty space, select "New", then "Folder", and name it something like "OBS". Double-click that folder to enter it, then click "Select Folder" at the bottom of the window.

You will return to the installer. The path should now show your second drive instead of C:. Click "Next" to continue with the installation.

Complete the installation

The installer will ask you to choose which components to install. The default selections are fine — just click "Install" and wait. This step takes a few minutes as the program copies files to your chosen drive.

When the installation finishes, you will see a screen saying "Installation Complete". You can check the box that says "Launch OBS Studio" if you want to open it right away, or leave it unchecked and open it later. Click "Finish".

Set your recording location to the same drive

When OBS opens for the first time, you should point it to save recordings on your second drive as well. This keeps all your OBS files in one place and avoids filling up your C: drive with video files.

In OBS, click "File" at the top, then "Settings". On the left side, click "Output". Under the "Recording" section, you will see a field labeled "Recording Path". Click the folder icon next to it and navigate to your second drive. You can create a folder called "OBS Recordings" or use any folder you prefer. Select it and click "Select Folder".

Click "Apply" at the bottom right, then "OK" to save your changes. OBS will now save all recordings to your second drive by default.

Verify OBS is running from the correct drive

To confirm OBS installed on your second drive, right-click the OBS shortcut on your desktop or in your Start menu and select "Open file location". A folder window will open showing where OBS is installed. The path at the top should show your second drive letter, not C:.

You can also check by opening OBS, clicking "Help" at the top, then "About OBS Studio". This window does not show the installation location directly, but you can verify it is working correctly by starting a test recording. The file should appear in the recording folder you set up on your second drive.

What to do if you need to move OBS later

If you installed OBS on your second drive and later want to move it to a different location, the easiest approach is to uninstall it and reinstall it in the new location. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, find "OBS Studio" in the list, click it, and select "Uninstall". Follow the prompts to remove it completely.

Then download the installer again from obsproject.com and repeat the installation steps, choosing your new drive location when prompted. Your settings and any scenes you created will be preserved in a separate folder that OBS stores in your user profile, so you will not lose your configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move OBS to a USB drive or external hard drive?

Technically yes, but it is not recommended. OBS needs to read and write files very quickly during recording, and external drives are usually too slow. You will likely experience dropped frames and choppy recordings. Use an internal second drive if possible.

What if I do not have a second drive?

You can still install OBS on your C: drive using the default location — it will work fine. If space is the issue, consider adding a second internal drive, or move your recordings to cloud storage or an external drive after you finish recording.

Will OBS work the same way on a different drive?

Yes, completely. The drive location does not affect how OBS runs or what features are available. The only difference is where the program files and recordings are stored on your computer.

Do I need to reinstall OBS if I get a new second drive?

If your new drive has a different letter (like going from D: to E:), you will need to reinstall OBS on the new drive. Uninstall the old version first, then install it again on the new drive using the same steps.

Can I install OBS on a network drive?

No. Network drives are too slow for OBS to record reliably. Always use a local drive — either your main C: drive or a second internal drive connected directly to your computer.