Launch OBS Studio as Admin with a Batch File

Running OBS Studio with administrative privileges is crucial for capturing high-performance games and avoiding screen capture issues. This guide provides a straightforward method to create and configure a custom Windows batch (.bat) file that automatically launches OBS Studio with an administrative token, ensuring it always runs with the necessary permissions.

Step 1: Locate the OBS Studio Executable Path

By default, the 64-bit version of OBS Studio is installed in the following directory: C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe

If you installed OBS Studio in a custom directory, make note of that file path, as you will need it for the script.

Step 2: Create the Batch File

  1. Right-click on your desktop or in a folder, hover over New, and select Text Document.
  2. Open the new text document with Notepad.
  3. Copy and paste the following script into the document:
@echo off
:: Change directory to the OBS Studio installation folder
cd /d "C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit"

:: Launch OBS Studio with administrative privileges
powershell -Command "Start-Process 'obs64.exe' -Verb RunAs"

Note: If your OBS Studio is installed in a different location, replace the path in the double quotes with your custom path.

Step 3: Save the Script

  1. In Notepad, click File > Save As….
  2. Choose your preferred save location (such as your Desktop for easy access).
  3. Change the Save as type dropdown to All Files (.).
  4. Name the file Launch_OBS_Admin.bat (ensure the .bat extension is at the end, not .txt).
  5. Click Save.

Step 4: Run the Script

Double-click the newly created Launch_OBS_Admin.bat file. A User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear asking for permission to run the app as an administrator. Once you click Yes, OBS Studio will launch automatically with an administrative token, allowing it to capture your gameplay and system resources without restriction.