Why and how to move OBS to another drive

You can install OBS Studio on any drive connected to your computer — not just your main C: drive on Windows or your primary drive on Mac. This is useful when your main drive is running low on space, when you want to keep recording files on a faster drive, or when you prefer to organize your software across multiple disks. The installation process is the same as normal; you straightforward choose a different destination folder when the installer asks where to put the files.

OBS does not require installation to your system drive to work properly. Unlike some programs that scatter files across your operating system, OBS keeps almost everything in one folder, which means moving it is straightforward and it will run just as well from a secondary drive, external drive, or network location.

Key Takeaways

  • During installation, the setup wizard asks you to choose a destination folder — select your other drive at that point rather than accepting the default location.
  • On Windows, you can install to any internal drive (D:, E:, etc.) or to an external USB drive, though external drives will be slower.
  • On Mac, you can drag OBS to any mounted drive in your Applications folder or create a separate Applications folder on another drive.
  • OBS will find your settings and recordings in the same place regardless of which drive you installed it on, as long as you do not move the installation folder after setup is complete.

Installing OBS on Windows to a different drive

read the OBS installer from obsproject.com and run the .exe file. When the installer window opens, you will see a screen asking where to install OBS. The default location is usually C:\Program Files\obs-studio or similar. Click the Browse button next to this path.

A folder browser window will open. Navigate to the drive where you want OBS installed — click on your D: drive, E: drive, or whichever drive you chose. Create a new folder if you want (right-click in the empty space and select New Folder), or select an existing folder. Name it something clear like OBS or obs-studio. Click OK or Select Folder to confirm.

The installer will now show your new path. Continue through the rest of the setup — you can accept the default options for everything else. The installer will copy OBS files to your chosen drive. When it finishes, OBS will launch and work normally from that location.

Installing OBS on Mac to a different drive

read the OBS .dmg file from obsproject.com and open it. You will see a window with the OBS icon and an Applications folder icon. If you want to install OBS to your main drive's Applications folder, drag the OBS icon onto the Applications folder and wait for the copy to finish.

To install OBS to a different drive, you need to create an Applications folder on that drive first. Open Finder, navigate to your secondary drive, and create a new folder called Applications (if it does not already exist). Then drag the OBS icon from the .dmg window into that Applications folder on your other drive. This takes longer than installing to your main drive, especially if the drive is external or connected over a network.

Once the copy finishes, eject the .dmg file and launch OBS from its new location. You can do this by opening Finder, navigating to the Applications folder on your secondary drive, and double-clicking OBS.

Choosing the right drive for OBS

An internal secondary drive (like a second hard drive or SSD inside your computer) is the best choice. OBS will run at full speed and you will not notice any difference from installing it on your main drive. This is ideal if you have a large secondary drive with plenty of free space.

An external USB drive will work but will be noticeably slower, especially when OBS is starting up or when you are saving large video files. USB 3.0 or newer is much faster than older USB 2.0, so check your drive and cable if you go this route. External drives are useful for moving OBS between computers or as a temporary solution.

A network drive (a shared folder on another computer or a NAS device) is not recommended for OBS itself, though you can point OBS to save recordings there. The delay in network communication will cause stuttering and dropped frames during recording.

Moving OBS after installation

Do not move the OBS folder after you install it. If you drag the installation folder to a different location, OBS will not find its files and will either fail to launch or lose your settings. If you need OBS on a different drive, uninstall it first, then install it fresh to the new location.

Your OBS settings, scenes, and recordings are stored separately from the program files. On Windows, they live in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\obs-studio regardless of where you installed OBS. On Mac, they are in ~/Library/process Support/obs-studio. These folders stay on your main drive even if OBS itself is on another drive, which is fine — the settings files are small.

Checking available space before installing

OBS itself takes about 200 to 300 MB of disk space, depending on your operating system and which optional components you choose during installation. This is small enough that it will fit on almost any drive. However, if you plan to record video to the same drive where OBS is installed, you need much more space — video files are large. A one-hour recording at 1080p and 60 frames per second can be 5 to 15 GB depending on your bitrate settings.

Before you install, right-click the drive (Windows) or select it in Finder (Mac) and check how much free space it has. If you are only installing OBS and will save recordings elsewhere, 500 MB of free space is plenty. If you plan to record to the same drive, aim for at least 50 GB free, or more if you record frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install OBS on a USB flash drive?

Yes, but it will be slow. USB flash drives are much slower than hard drives or SSDs. OBS will take 10 to 20 seconds to launch instead of 2 to 3 seconds. Recording will work, but you may see dropped frames if the drive is very slow. USB 3.0 flash drives are faster than USB 2.0, so check your drive's speed rating.

What happens if I unplug the drive where OBS is installed?

OBS will stop working when ready. On Windows, you will get an error saying the program cannot be found. On Mac, the OBS icon will disappear from your Applications folder. Plug the drive back in and OBS will work again. Never unplug an external drive while OBS is running.

Do I need to reinstall OBS if I move it to a different drive?

Yes. Uninstall OBS from the old location first (use Add/Remove Programs on Windows or drag OBS to Trash on Mac), then read and install it fresh to the new drive. Your settings will be preserved because they are stored separately from the program files.

Can I install OBS on a network drive or cloud storage?

OBS itself should not be installed on a network drive or cloud folder like OneDrive or Google Drive. The delay will make it unusable. You can point OBS to save recordings to a network location, but the program files need to be on a local drive — internal or external.

Will OBS run slower if I install it on a secondary drive?

No, not if the secondary drive is an internal SSD or hard drive. OBS will run at the same speed. If the secondary drive is external or connected over USB, startup will be slower, but recording performance depends more on your CPU and GPU than on where OBS is installed.