VLC Recording Not Working? Here Are 10 Fixes!

When VLC recording is not functioning as expected, it can manifest in several ways: no record button, no response when you press the record button, save the recording incorrectly, or even fail to capture any video at all. Identifying the root cause is crucial for troubleshooting.

Problem: The record button might be missing from the interface, or VLC might not be saving recordings to the correct location.

Solution:

• Open VLC and navigate to "Tools" > "Customize Interface".

• In the "Toolbar Elements" section, find the "Record" button from the list of available options and drag it to the line representing your VLC toolbar.

• Go to "View", and enable "Advanced Controls".

• To set the recording save directory, go to "Tools" > "Preferences" > "Input / Codecs".

• Scroll down to "Files" and set your preferred directory under "Record directory or filename".

• Click "Save" and restart VLC for changes to take effect.

Problem: Older versions of VLC might contain bugs or lack features necessary for recording.

Solution: VLC developers continuously improve the program and fix bugs in new releases. Updating to the latest version can resolve many recording errors.

• On Windows, open VLC and go to Tools > Check for Updates. Install any available updates.

• On Mac, go to VLC menu > Check for Updates. Follow prompts to update VLC.

• Alternatively, you can manually download the newest version of VLC from the official website. Install the update, following on-screen instructions. Restart VLC and attempt recording again.

Problem: Hardware acceleration can interfere with VLC's recording function.

Solution:

• In VLC, go to "Tools" > "Preferences".

• Under "Input / Codecs", find "Hardware-accelerated decoding", set it to "Disable" or choose another option.

• Save the changes and restart VLC to test the recording feature.

Problem: VLC might lack necessary permissions to save recordings in the desired directory.

Solution:

• Locate the folder where you're trying to save recordings.

• Right-click the folder, select "Properties", then navigate to the "Security" tab.

• Click "Edit" to change permissions, ensuring that your user account has "Write" permissions.

• Apply the changes and try recording again.

Problem: Insufficient hard drive space prevents VLC from saving recordings. CPU and RAM bottlenecks can also stop VLC recording.

Solution:

• Go to "This PC/My Computer" and check storage usage details.

• Delete unused files, empty Recycle Bin to recover wasted space.

• Close other heavy applications when recording to free up system resources.

• Add more RAM if your system has under 8GB while recording resource-heavy games.

• As a last resort, move recordings to an external drive if internal storage remains full.

Problem: VLC recording doesn't work smoothly, especially for high-definition videos or streams over slow networks.

Solution:

• Open VLC and go to "Tools" > "Preferences".

• At the bottom left corner of the Preferences window, select All under "Show settings" to switch to advanced preferences.

• In the left pane, scroll down and expand the "Input / Codecs" section.

• Look for caching options such as File caching (ms) for local files, Network caching (ms) for network streams, or Live capture caching (ms) for live captures.

• Click Save and restart VLC for the changes to take effect.

Problem: Some third-party overlays and in-game overlays can conflict with VLC recording. Temporarily disabling them may help.

Solution:

• Open Game Bar by pressing Windows + G and disable it.

• Similarly, disable Nvidia GeForce Experience overlay if applicable.

• For Steam games, disable the FPS counter, chat and other overlays.

• Disable Discord, MSI Afterburner and other overlays before recording with VLC.

Problem: Outdated, broken or incompatible graphics drivers can prevent VLC from recording screen correctly.

Solution:

• Open Device Manager on Windows.

• Expand Display adapters and right-click your GPU.

• Select Update driver and let Windows install the latest driver.

• Alternatively, download and install the newest graphics driver from Nvidia or AMD website.

• Updated GPU drivers can resolve codec errors that disrupt VLC screen recordings.

Problem: Aggressive antivirus programs can sometimes detect VLC's screen capturing ability as suspicious and block it.

Solution:

• Open your antivirus software settings.

• Look for exceptions, exclusions or whitelist feature.

• Add "VLC media player" to the exception list.

• This will stop the antivirus from interfering with VLC recordings.

If above solutions don't work, try uninstalling your VLC completely and reinstall it from scratch.

• On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Navigate to VLC media player, and click "Uninstall", then wait for it to finish.

• On Mac, simply drag and drop VLC from Applications to Trash. Then download a fresh copy from official website and install.

If you are still facing issues with VLC video recording failures, WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro incorporates an easy-to-use screen recorder tool that helps record smooth and clear footage without dropped frames or corrupt files. Follow these simple steps:

• Install and runInstall and run the application, open "Recorder".

• Choose your desired recording mode - Custom Area, Full Screen, Game Recording or Audio Only.

• Adjust settings as needed, such as output format, quality, frame rate, and GPU acceleration.

• Select the microphone, system audio inputs.

• Specify a save location. Click the Record button. The recording will start after a 5-second countdown.

• Press "Ctrl + F1" to stop the recording. The video file will be automatically saved.

• Add it to "Converter" module for further editing or converting if required.

With its optimized encoder engine and flexible options, WonderFox Recorder provides a reliable way to fix any video recording failures you may encounter. The easy workflow allows capturing smooth footage for games, screen tutorials, lectures and more.

In this article, we explored the potential causes for VLC not recording and provided step-by-step solutions to troubleshoot each one. Following the fixes systematically should resolve the issue and get your VLC recorder functioning properly again. Do let me know if you need any other assistance with VLC screen capturing functionality. I hope these tips help you take high-quality recordings using VLC without a hitch.