Keep OBS Playing Video Playlist After Windows Updates & Restarts

This guide shows you how to configure OBS Studio so your video playlist keeps playing automatically after a Windows update forces a restart, or after any manual reboot. You’ll set up a startup scene, enable auto-start for OBS, and use a playlist source that resumes where it left off. No scripting or third-party plugins are required.

What You’ll Need

OBS Studio installed (version 28 or later recommended)
Windows 10 or 11 with administrator access
Your video files in a folder on your PC

Step-by-Step

Organize your playlist folder. Place all videos you want in the playlist in a single folder. Name files clearly (e.g., 01_intro.mp4, 02_main.mp4) so the order is obvious.
Open OBS and create a new scene for the playlist. In the Scenes panel (bottom left), click the + icon, name it “Playlist Loop” or similar, and press Enter.
Add a Media Source to the scene. In the Sources panel, click the + icon, choose “Media Source”. Name it “Video Playlist” and click OK.
Configure the media source for looping. In the properties window:
- Uncheck “Local File” if you want to use a remote URL, but for a local playlist, check it and click Browse to select the first video in your folder.
- Check “Loop” to repeat the playlist indefinitely.
- Check “Restart playback when source becomes active” – this ensures the playlist starts when the scene becomes active.
- Check “Use hardware decoding” if your GPU supports it (recommended for performance).
- Click OK.
Enable the playlist source to cycle through files. In the same properties window, check the box that says “Playlist” (or “Use playlist” depending on version). A list will appear. Click the + icon to add each video file from your folder. You can reorder them with drag-and-drop. Set “Loop” to “Loop all” (or check the loop box) so the entire playlist repeats.
Make this scene the startup scene. Go to OBS Settings (File > Settings or the Settings button). Under General, in the “Scene Collection” section, set “Scene” to the scene you just created (e.g., “Playlist Loop”). This ensures OBS starts with that scene active.
Enable OBS to start automatically with Windows. In OBS Settings, go to General and check “Automatically record when streaming” if you want that, but more importantly, check “Start OBS when system starts” (or similar wording). If you don’t see that option, you can add OBS to startup manually: press Win + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. Copy a shortcut to OBS.exe (right-click OBS shortcut > Copy, then paste in that folder).
Prevent Windows from closing OBS during updates. Windows may still close OBS before a restart. To minimize this, set OBS to run as administrator: right-click the OBS shortcut, select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and check “Run this program as an administrator”. This helps OBS survive some update processes.
Configure Windows to auto-login (optional but recommended). If your PC requires a password, OBS won’t start until you log in. To auto-login: press Win + R, type netplwiz, press Enter. Uncheck “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” (Windows 10) or for Windows 11, click the user, then uncheck that box (if missing, you may need to enable auto-login via registry – search for “Windows 11 auto-login”). Enter your password twice. This is a security trade-off; only do this on a trusted, private machine.
Set OBS to start minimized to tray. In OBS Settings > General, check “Minimize to system tray when starting” (or similar). This keeps the taskbar clean and prevents accidental closing.
Test the setup. Reboot your PC. After login, OBS should start, load the scene, and begin playing the playlist from the first video. If it doesn’t, check the troubleshooting section below.

Common Mistakes

Not using a playlist source. If you just add a single media source, it will only play one video. The playlist feature is essential.
Forgetting to set the startup scene. Even if OBS starts, it may open the last scene you used, not your playlist scene. Double-check the scene selection in Settings.
Ignoring Windows auto-login. If your PC locks at the login screen, OBS won’t start until you log in, so the playlist won’t play automatically.
Not running as administrator. Windows may block OBS from starting or from accessing files during updates if it doesn’t have admin rights.
Using a relative file path. If you move your video folder, the playlist will break. Use absolute paths (like C:\Videos\playlist) and avoid moving files.

Tips

Use a dedicated folder. Keep your playlist videos in a separate folder so you don’t accidentally delete or move them.
Name files with numbers. Prefix filenames with 01_, 02_, etc., to make ordering obvious and easy to change.
Set OBS to start in Studio Mode? Not necessary, but you can set a hotkey to switch to the playlist scene quickly.
Consider using a batch file to start OBS with a delay. If OBS starts too early before network drives are ready, create a .bat file with timeout /t 10 /nobreak then start "" "C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe" and put that in the startup folder.
Use a separate scene collection for the playlist. This avoids clutter and makes it easier to switch between different setups.

Troubleshooting

OBS doesn’t start after reboot. Check if OBS is in the startup folder (shell:startup). If it’s there, try running it manually to see if it opens. If not, add it again. Also check Task Manager > Startup tab to see if OBS is enabled.
OBS starts but the playlist doesn’t play. Open OBS and check the scene. If the media source is not active, click on it and ensure the “Restart playback when source becomes active” is checked. Also verify the playlist files still exist at the specified paths.
The playlist plays but starts from the middle, not the beginning. This can happen if OBS remembers the last position. To reset, right-click the media source, select Properties, and uncheck “Restart playback when source becomes active” then re-check it. Or, delete the media source and re-add it.
Windows update restarts the PC but OBS doesn’t auto-start. Some updates may disable startup apps. Go to Settings > Apps > Startup and ensure OBS is enabled. If it’s not there, re-add the shortcut to the startup folder.
OBS starts but is not minimized. Check OBS Settings > General > “Minimize to system tray when starting” and ensure it’s checked. If not, it will open in the foreground.
Playlist stutters or lags. This may be due to hardware decoding issues. In the media source properties, uncheck “Use hardware decoding” and try again. Also make sure your video files are not corrupt and are in a supported format (MP4, MKV, etc.).

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this work if Windows updates force a restart while OBS is running?

Yes, if OBS is set to start with Windows and the startup scene is configured, it will relaunch and start the playlist after the restart. However, Windows may close OBS before the restart; that’s why auto-start is essential.

Can I use a remote URL instead of local files?

Yes, you can add a remote URL in the media source properties, but the playlist feature only works with local files. For remote playlists, you’d need a different approach (like a browser source).

Do I need to keep OBS open in the foreground?

No, OBS can run minimized to the tray. The playlist will continue playing as long as OBS is running.

How do I stop the playlist after it starts?

Simply close OBS or switch to another scene. The playlist will stop when the scene is deactivated or OBS exits.

Can I set a specific video to start from a certain point?

OBS doesn’t have a built-in way to start from a specific timestamp in a playlist. You can use the “Seek” option in the media source properties, but it applies to the first video only.

Will this work if I have multiple monitors?

Yes, OBS will start on your primary monitor by default. You can change the monitor in OBS Settings > General > “Monitor” if needed.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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