To have OBS begin streaming after a Windows restart, arrange for it to launch when your account signs in and pass it the documented --startstreaming parameter. This starts OBS’s streaming output; it does not guarantee that your destination platform restores the same live event or reconnects after every network failure.
First make the yoga nidra broadcast work by hand, including its audio, video and destination settings. Then save the setup, automate the launch, and test the result on the Windows account and destination you actually use.
Verify the yoga stream manually in OBS
Do not automate a setup you have not just checked. Open OBS in the Windows account that will run the broadcast and inspect the scene you intend to use. Confirm that the yoga video or image appears, that the intended audio source is present, and that neither source is muted or pointing to a file that has moved.
Listen to the audio rather than relying only on the mixer meter. A meter can show activity while the wrong source is selected, while a music track may play locally but not reach the stream’s audio track. Check that the voice, singing bowl, music or ambient bed is at the intended level, and that any pauses in a nidra recording are deliberate. If the programme is a long prerecorded session, a short manual check of the beginning and a point later in the file can catch a missing track or an unexpected transition.
Review the stream destination and credentials in OBS, but do not paste a stream key into notes, screenshots or a task name. Use the destination you plan to keep. Start streaming manually and confirm that OBS reports the output as active. Then check the destination’s own live controls or viewer-facing page: an active OBS output is not by itself proof that the intended audience can see the intended event.
Keep a simple written record of what you verified: scene name, media file location, audio source, destination and the date you last checked the credentials. This is useful when the stream fails later, because it separates a newly changed setting from a problem that existed before automation. For a broader example of a recorded programme on a Windows PC, see how to stream a recorded church service on YouTube using a Windows PC in India.
Save the profile and scene collection
OBS separates profiles from scene collections. A profile holds output-related settings such as the streaming service and encoder configuration; a scene collection holds the scenes and their sources. Save both after the manual test, and give each a name that makes sense to you, such as “Yoga Nidra YouTube” rather than “Profile 2”. The exact settings available depend on your installed OBS version and the destination you configure.
Saving is not the same as backing up. If a source refers to a file on a removable drive, a user-specific folder or a temporary location, OBS may open but be unable to play that source after restart. Keep the media in a stable local folder, and check that the Windows account used at logon can read it. If the yoga session is a playlist or a long loop, test its transitions and playback order manually before you make that collection the automatic one.
When OBS opens, make sure it is selecting the saved profile and collection you tested. The OBS Project documents optional launch arguments such as --profile, --collection and --scene for choosing saved settings at launch. Use these only when you need to be explicit; the names must match the saved names in OBS. The OBS launch-parameters documentation explains the available arguments, including automatic streaming.
It is worth checking the scene collection after any edit to the video or audio. A renamed file, changed Windows user or newly added source can leave the saved scene looking intact while a source is unavailable at run time. For a nonstop nature-sounds stream, the same basic discipline applies to source paths and audio choice; the guide to choosing audio formats for a nonstop nature sounds YouTube stream covers why those choices matter to continuous playback.
Add OBS to Windows startup
There are two practical ways to launch OBS at sign-in. A shortcut in the Windows Startup folder is straightforward: it runs when that user signs in, but offers relatively little control over timing or network conditions. Task Scheduler is more configurable. It can use a user-logon trigger, a delay, and an optional condition that waits for Windows to report a network connection.
| Approach | What it gives you | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Startup-folder shortcut | A simple launch at that user’s sign-in | Fewer controls for timing or network availability |
| Task Scheduler logon task | A user-specific trigger, optional delay and network-availability condition | The action, user account and working directory must be correct |
| Pre-logon or system-start task | A chance to start before a user signs in | OBS may not appear in the desktop session as you expect; verify the operating mode first |
For an operator who wants to see OBS and intervene from the normal desktop, a task triggered when that account logs on is a sensible starting point. Microsoft describes a logon trigger as one that starts a task when a user logs on, and its documentation covers a delay for that trigger. A task that runs before sign-in may not give you the visible OBS window you expect in the later session, so do not choose a pre-logon setup just because it sounds earlier.
To create the task, use Windows Task Scheduler and select a trigger for logon of the account that runs OBS. Set the action to start obs64.exe with the argument described below. If Windows startup is busy or the network equipment takes a moment to become available, you can test a short delay. There is no universal delay to recommend: select one for your PC and verify it rather than assuming it will suit every restart.
Microsoft also documents a network-availability condition for tasks. It means Windows sees a network connection; it does not verify that your router can reach the streaming destination, that the destination is accepting a broadcast, or that your credentials are valid. It is a gate on task startup, not a streaming health check or a retry mechanism. See Microsoft’s LogonTrigger documentation for the trigger and delay details.
Use the --startstreaming launch parameter
OBS’s documented --startstreaming argument tells OBS to start streaming when it launches. On Windows, you can add it to a shortcut’s Target field after the quoted path to obs64.exe. For a typical installation, the command looks like this:
"C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe" --startstreaming
Use the path that exists on your PC, not the example blindly. To find the executable, locate your OBS installation and check the bin\64bit folder. Keep the executable path inside quotation marks if it contains spaces, and put a space between the closing quote and --startstreaming. A misplaced quote or an argument typed into the wrong field can make the shortcut fail or open OBS without starting the output.
For a Task Scheduler action, set the program to the full path of obs64.exe and put --startstreaming in the arguments field. If you choose to identify a particular profile or collection, add the documented argument and exact saved name as well. Do not add options you have not checked in the official documentation for your OBS version.
For scheduled or otherwise automated launches, OBS says the working directory (the “Start in” folder) should be the folder containing obs64.exe. With the example installation above, that is C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit; confirm it on the target PC. In Task Scheduler, set this in the action’s “Start in” field without wrapping it as an argument. The OBS launch-parameters page documents this working-directory requirement along with the launch options.
Before using the shortcut or task unattended, double-click the shortcut once while you are signed in. Confirm that OBS opens the correct profile and collection and that streaming starts. This quick check can expose a bad path or argument without having to diagnose it after an overnight broadcast has already missed its start.
Test behaviour after a Windows restart
A successful shortcut test is not yet a restart test. Sign out and back in, or perform a planned Windows restart when it is acceptable for the broadcast to run unattended. Use the same Windows account, OBS installation and network arrangement you intend to rely on. If the PC is shared, confirm that the task is attached to the right account rather than simply to whichever person last edited it.
After signing in, give Windows the delay you configured, if any, and observe what happens. Does OBS open? Does it show the intended scene? Does the yoga video play and can you hear the audio? Does OBS report that it is streaming? Finally, check the destination itself. Record what you observed and correct one issue at a time, then repeat the test.
Do not test the first time just before you leave for the night. If OBS stops at a recovery or safe-mode prompt after an abnormal shutdown, the task may not continue into the normal interface or streaming output. Resolve why OBS is presenting the prompt and retest on the installed release. Do not rely on undocumented command-line switches to dismiss prompts.
If power interruptions are part of your concern, distinguish a Windows restart from a power restoration. A PC can boot before a router or modem is ready. A delay may help with an ordinary startup order, but no fixed delay guarantees the network will be ready after every outage. If you need to check behaviour after router or modem restarts, perform a separate, planned test with the actual equipment and observe whether OBS connects without intervention.
A local livestream can also be affected by the media itself. For instance, a long ambience video may have an audio track that ends before its image or an unintended transition at the loop point. The 24/7 rain-on-a-tent stream guide is a useful comparison for thinking about the programme as well as the launch setting. Automatic startup cannot repair a source that is missing or does not play as intended.
Check the stream and destination after logon
Treat a restart as two checks, not one. First check the PC and OBS: the expected profile and collection loaded, sources are present, audio is moving through the expected path, and OBS indicates an active stream. Then check the destination’s own live controls or public view to see whether the intended broadcast is actually available. Keep the destination platform in mind: its event settings and reconnect behaviour are separate from OBS’s launch argument.
If OBS opens but does not stream, review the command or task action first. Check the executable path, exact argument, working directory, account, profile and scene collection. Then check whether media paths still work, audio is routed to the stream, credentials remain valid, and destination controls allow the intended live event to start. Change one thing and test again; changing the shortcut, audio and platform configuration together makes the cause harder to identify.
If OBS reports streaming but the destination does not show the expected event, do not infer that the video is reaching the audience correctly. Check the destination account and event controls, and consult the platform’s current help for the behaviour that applies to your setup. This article focuses on OBS and Windows; the platform is not specified, so there is no single event-recovery instruction that applies to every destination.
If these checks become a repeated overnight burden, consider whether keeping a particular home PC ready is the right operating approach. StreamNeo is for the specific case where you want a file to continue as a YouTube broadcast without leaving your own computer running, rather than troubleshooting Windows logon and local playback each time. It is YouTube-only, so it does not remove the need to confirm your channel and live setup.
Know what automatic startup does not recover
--startstreaming starts OBS’s streaming output when OBS launches. It is not a monitor that continually reopens OBS after a later crash, and it does not establish that the destination restores the same live event. Whether a platform reconnects to an existing broadcast, expects a scheduled event, or permits automatic starting depends on that platform’s current rules and configuration. Check the official help for your destination and test with the account and event you will use.
The Task Scheduler network condition is similarly limited. It can wait until Windows reports a network connection before starting the task, but it does not test the endpoint, confirm DNS or authentication, or retry a stream that fails after launch. If OBS starts while a service or router is still unavailable, the condition alone does not promise a later recovery. More elaborate retry automation would need its own careful design and testing; do not treat a logon task as if it already provides that behaviour.
Automatic startup also depends on a normal user session, a usable saved OBS configuration and available source files. A recovery prompt, a changed Windows password, an expired or replaced credential, or a file moved to another folder can interrupt the sequence. Keep the PC’s sign-in arrangements, media paths and OBS settings under review, and repeat the restart test after meaningful changes to Windows, OBS, the stream destination or the yoga programme.
A UPS can sometimes keep equipment powered through a brief interruption, but it does not relaunch OBS after Windows restarts or ensure that a destination resumes the same event. Likewise, a task configured to run before sign-in may be useful for a deliberately tested setup, but it can behave differently from an OBS window you can see and control in the normal desktop. Choose based on the failure you are actually trying to address, then test that exact failure mode.
For a more general comparison of ways to run an always-on YouTube channel, read how to choose a cloud service for a 24/7 YouTube stream in India. A cloud-based workflow and a local OBS setup solve different operating problems; the relevant question is whether you want to manage a Windows PC, or avoid keeping that PC on for the broadcast.
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
How do I restart OBS and streaming automatically after a system restart?
Set OBS to launch at your Windows account’s logon, and add --startstreaming to the shortcut or Task Scheduler action. Save and test the intended profile, collection and sources first. Then confirm both that OBS reports streaming and that your destination shows the expected broadcast.
Is there a way to automatically restart OBS and stream after a PC restart?
Yes: a logon-triggered task can launch OBS with its documented --startstreaming parameter. This automates OBS’s launch and streaming output, but it does not promise to recover from every failure or restore the same live event. Test the exact destination and account you use.
Should I use the Startup folder or Task Scheduler?
A Startup-folder shortcut is simpler when launching at sign-in is enough. Task Scheduler adds a user-specific trigger, an optional delay and a network-availability condition, but each setting needs checking. Neither choice verifies that the streaming destination is reachable or that credentials work.
Why does OBS open after logon but not go live?
Check that the launch argument is in the right place, the executable path and working directory are correct, and OBS loaded the saved profile and scene collection. Then verify source files, audio routing, credentials and destination event controls. A task can start OBS successfully even when one of those other parts is not ready.