If your store promotion playlist stopped playing after a Windows update, check the source, its media files and OBS startup behaviour before changing settings. An update is a reason to investigate, not proof that Windows deleted OBS settings or caused the failure.
Work through the checks in order: establish what stopped, confirm the source is configured to repeat, verify every file path, then test OBS and YouTube separately. That makes it easier to identify the actual fault and avoid changing a working part of the setup.
Identify what stopped playing after the update
First separate the symptoms. Is OBS failing to open, opening the wrong scene, showing a black or frozen source, playing one clip and then stopping, or sending no live picture to YouTube? Those point to different parts of the setup. A playlist that plays correctly in OBS but is absent on YouTube is not the same problem as a source that cannot find its files.
If you can, check the local preview before changing anything. Open OBS, select the scene used for the promotion, and watch the source for long enough to see what happens when a clip ends. Note whether the media appears, whether it advances to the next item, and whether it repeats. If OBS itself will not open, record the exact message and do not start by rebuilding the playlist.
Also ask what changed besides Windows. Did OBS Studio itself update, was VLC installed or removed, did the promotional files get moved as part of a cleanup, or did security software show a warning? The OBS Project Help Portal says OBS updates should leave settings intact, while noting that other system software may interfere with an update. That guidance is about OBS updates; it does not establish that a Windows update routinely removes OBS settings. The OBS Help Portal is a useful reference when distinguishing those possibilities.
Treat this as a recovery checklist rather than a hunt for a single universal fix. If the setup uses a plugin to provide the playlist source, check that plugin's compatibility with the installed OBS version. Built-in Media Source and VLC Video have their own settings, which are not necessarily the settings used by a plugin.
Check the OBS source loop setting
A single local promotion clip and a list of clips are different jobs in OBS. For one video file, use a Media Source and check its Loop setting in the source properties. Loop means the file starts again after it reaches the end. If Loop is off, a correctly loaded video can play once and then appear to have stopped, even though OBS and the file are both functioning.
For several local clips, OBS documents the VLC Video source. Add the desired files to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist if the sequence should start again after the last item. Shuffle Playlist changes the order by randomising playback, so leave it off if promotions must run in a fixed sequence. VLC must be installed for this source to be available; OBS's guide specifies matching the application architecture, so 64-bit OBS calls for 64-bit VLC. See the OBS Media Sources guide for the current source controls.
| Requirement | Source to check | Relevant behaviour | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| One promotion video repeats | Media Source | Enable Loop | Simple setup, but it is for a single file |
| Several clips repeat in order | VLC Video | Add files and enable Loop Playlist | Requires VLC to be installed and correctly matched to OBS |
| Several clips play in a changing order | VLC Video | Enable Shuffle Playlist if that is intended | Viewers may not see promotions in a predictable sequence |
Do not confuse looping with restarting when a source becomes visible. Media Source has a Restart playback when source becomes active option. OBS describes this as restarting the file when the source is in the current scene and visible. It is useful if you want a promotion to begin from the start whenever viewers are switched back to that scene, but it is not what makes a clip repeat at its end.
VLC Video also has Visibility Behaviour. Its documented default is to stop when the source is not visible and restart when it becomes visible. This controls what happens as the source is hidden and shown; Loop Playlist controls what happens at the end of the list. Decide how scene changes should behave, then test them deliberately. A channel that changes scenes overnight may need different behaviour from a single-scene shop display.
If you have already checked the loop setting, avoid toggling several source options at once. Change one setting, test a complete playback cycle, and note the result. That way, if the behaviour changes, you can identify which control mattered.
Verify playlist entries and media paths
OBS can only play files it can find and read. Inspect the source properties and confirm that each entry points to the intended promotion file. For a VLC playlist, check the full list, not only the first item: one missing path can make a later transition fail even when the opening clip plays correctly.
Look at the location of the media on the computer. If the files were moved, renamed, placed on a disconnected drive, or removed during housekeeping, update the source to point to their current location. This is a practical check, not an assumption that Windows updates normally move or delete media. For a stable always-on setup, keeping the promotion files in a known local folder and avoiding casual renaming reduces the chance of a broken reference.
Test each item by itself if the list is long. Open the source properties, select an entry, and check whether that clip appears in the preview. If a file fails, confirm it still exists and can be opened outside OBS. A file that is missing or unreadable needs attention before playlist loop behaviour can be meaningfully tested.
If the files are on removable storage or a network location, make sure that location is available when OBS starts. A drive letter can differ between sessions, and a network folder may not be ready at the same moment as the application. For a promotion intended to run unattended, local media in a consistent folder is usually simpler to diagnose than a path dependent on another device or a manual sign-in.
Once the paths are correct, save the scene collection and make a note of the working file locations. If you also maintain a backup, keep it separate from the active media folder so that a restore does not quietly point OBS to an older copy. Readers building a broader channel workflow may find the always-on music channel setup guide useful for thinking through content and repeat behaviour beyond one promotion source.
Confirm OBS opens and the intended scene loads
If the computer rebooted during an update, verify that OBS opens after the restart and loads the scene collection and profile you expect. A desktop shortcut or a scheduled task can launch OBS, but opening the programme alone does not guarantee the promotion source is visible or looping. Check the scene list and confirm the intended scene is active.
OBS documents launch parameters for selecting items such as a scene, profile or scene collection. Its launch guidance also notes that a scheduled task should use the folder containing obs64.exe as its Start in working directory. If you use task scheduling, inspect that field along with the executable path, account and trigger. The OBS Launch Parameters page explains the available options. Do not assume that a launch parameter starts a media playlist: configure looping within the source itself.
After opening OBS manually, test the same route that should work after a reboot. Close the application normally, restart the computer when convenient, and observe whether OBS opens and loads the right scene. If it does not, the issue may be in startup configuration rather than in the playlist. Correct one launch detail at a time, then repeat the test.
A channel that is meant to run continuously needs a clear recovery path if the computer restarts. Write down which account opens OBS, where the media folder lives and how the programme is launched. Keep that note somewhere accessible to the person who may need to restore the promotion. A short record is more useful than relying on memory after a late-night restart.
For a schedule that relies on a specific scene, verify the scene name and source visibility after launch rather than relying on a screenshot from before the update. A scene can load while the relevant source is hidden, muted or positioned behind another source. These checks are separate from whether Windows or OBS preserved the configuration.
Check for security-software interference
If OBS will not open, or behaves differently after an OBS Studio update, check whether security software has quarantined or blocked an OBS executable. The OBS Project Help Portal identifies security products as a possible source of interference and advises users to whitelist the OBS folder or refresh executable allowlist entries if changed executables are treated as new. Follow the instructions for the security product you actually use; do not switch protection off as a general troubleshooting step.
Look for a specific alert or blocked-app record before changing an allowlist. If there is one, confirm that the executable and folder are the genuine OBS installation you intended to use, then use the product's own controls to permit it if appropriate. If you are unsure, consult the security vendor's documentation or support. A clean OBS launch after an update does not, by itself, mean antivirus was responsible for a playlist failure.
Keep this diagnosis distinct from advice about Windows updates. OBS's statement about settings remaining intact refers to OBS updates, and its suggestion to inspect security software is a possible explanation for interference, not a claim that every Windows update affects OBS. If the application opens and the source is visible but cannot find media, return to the file-path checks instead of changing security settings.
If the promotion workflow depends on a third-party OBS plugin, check the plugin separately. OBS has documented changes to legacy plugin locations and release-specific plugin loading fixes. The legacy plugin locations guidance can help you assess whether a plugin's location is relevant. Do not make plugin compatibility the main suspect when the playlist uses built-in Media Source or VLC Video.
Test playback and YouTube preview
Once the local source plays as intended, test the complete sequence in OBS. For one clip, let it reach the end and confirm that it begins again. For a multi-file list, confirm that each item plays and that the sequence loops at the end. If visibility settings matter, switch away from the scene and back, then check whether the source resumes or restarts in the way you chose.
Next, check the YouTube side of the broadcast. Start or use a controlled test stream if that is appropriate for your channel, and inspect YouTube Studio's live preview for the picture and sound viewers receive. OBS's local preview can be correct while the outgoing stream is not, so do not treat one as proof of the other. Check the current YouTube Help guidance for live streaming and preview controls rather than relying on a remembered interface layout.
Confirm that the promotion remains legible at the outgoing stream's size and that any audio is present at a reasonable level. If the picture is absent in YouTube but appears in OBS, investigate the broadcast connection and output separately from the media playlist. If a clip is silent in both places, inspect the file and OBS audio routing. For further audio troubleshooting, the guide to live-stream audio loss on YouTube covers a related symptom without assuming every audio problem has the same cause.
Avoid changing stream settings while testing a source problem unless evidence points there. Keep a short record of the observed result: which scene was active, which clip played, whether it repeated, and whether YouTube's preview matched OBS. This gives you a useful comparison if the issue returns after another restart.
A promotion also needs to be suitable for the channel, not just technically playable. If the stream repeats the same material for long periods, review YouTube's current policies and your rights to the footage, music and other content. A technical loop setting does not determine whether content is eligible under platform rules; the article on looping videos and reused content discusses that separate question.
Monitor after restoring the promotion
After the playlist passes its test, observe it through a normal transition: let a clip finish, watch the next item start, and check at least one scene change if your layout uses them. If the channel runs overnight, confirm the setup before the unattended period and arrange a practical way for someone to notice a stopped broadcast. Monitoring is not a guarantee that a stream will never fail; it helps you learn whether this particular configuration stays in the expected state.
Keep notes of the working source type, loop and visibility settings, media folder and startup method. If a future change coincides with a failure, compare the current configuration with that known-good record before rebuilding it. Preserve a copy of the promotional files and scene collection where you can restore them, and change one thing at a time during diagnosis.
For a shop, the promotion itself may need a scheduled change, but do not confuse a new file with a new scene or playlist configuration. Before replacing content, verify the new file opens and then update the relevant source entry. If another person manages the channel, leave them a concise checklist covering how to open OBS, which scene to select, where files are stored and how to confirm the live preview.
If your requirement is simply to keep an uploaded video broadcasting while your own computer is off, a different operating arrangement may remove the need to keep desktop OBS open. StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream, so that specific computer-on and restart burden is removed; it is YouTube-only and does not replace diagnosing a local OBS setup when OBS is the workflow you want to keep.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Did the Windows update delete my OBS settings?
You cannot conclude that from the timing alone. The OBS Project Help Portal says settings should remain intact after OBS updates and notes that system software may interfere; that is not evidence that Windows updates routinely delete OBS settings. Check the scene, source, paths and any security alerts before rebuilding the setup.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video for promotions?
Use Media Source for one local clip and enable Loop if it should repeat. Use VLC Video for multiple files, where Loop Playlist repeats the list and shuffle is available if you want a changing order; VLC must be installed with a compatible architecture for OBS.
Why does a clip restart when I return to its scene?
That can be caused by the source's visibility or activation behaviour, rather than its loop setting. Media Source can restart playback when it becomes active, while VLC Video has a visibility behaviour control. Test a scene change and adjust the relevant option only if its current behaviour is not what you want.
What should I check if OBS opens but the promotion is missing?
Confirm that the intended scene is active, the source is visible, and the playlist entries still point to files that exist and can be opened. Then check whether the source is configured to loop or whether VLC Video's playlist behaviour is correct. Test the local preview before investigating YouTube output.