Bandicam

Guides & Troubleshooting

Step-by-step how-to guides and fixes for common Bandicam issues. Based on official Bandicam support. For more help: bandicam.com/support.

How to record gameplay

  1. Download and install Bandicam from the Download page.
  2. Open Bandicam and click the Game Recording icon (gamepad).
  3. Launch your game. A green FPS counter should appear in a corner (e.g. top-left).
  4. Press F12 (or click the Record button) to start recording. The FPS turns red while recording.
  5. Press F12 again to stop. Click the video icon in Bandicam to open the folder and play or edit your video.

Works with DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan games. For best quality, use hardware acceleration (NVENC, Quick Sync, or AMD VCE) in Bandicam settings. Official: Game Recording mode.

How to record your screen

  1. Open Bandicam and select Screen Recording mode.
  2. Choose to record full screen, a specific window, or a custom rectangle (e.g. around a YouTube video).
  3. Click Record or press the hotkey to start; press again to stop.
  4. Find your file in the folder shown in Bandicam (default: Documents → Bandicam).

Useful for tutorials, presentations, and streaming sites. Bandicam can auto-detect video areas (e.g. YouTube player). Official: Record my screen.

Webcam overlay (Picture-in-Picture)

  1. In Bandicam, enable the Webcam overlay or PIP option in settings for the recording mode you use (e.g. game or screen).
  2. Select your webcam device and choose the overlay position (e.g. corner) and size.
  3. Optional: choose overlay style (rectangle, rounded, chroma key) and adjust border or transparency.
  4. Start recording as usual. Your webcam will appear as a small overlay on the recorded video.

Official: Webcam overlay.

Upload to YouTube

  1. Record your gameplay or screen with Bandicam (MP4 with H.264 is recommended).
  2. After stopping, click the YouTube (upload) button in Bandicam, or open YouTube in your browser and upload the file from your Bandicam folder.
  3. Bandicam can upload directly without converting: choose the recorded file and sign in to YouTube when prompted.

MP4 H.264 is accepted by YouTube without conversion. You can also upload to Google Drive or Vimeo.

Scheduled recording

Scheduled recording is available in the registered (full) version only.

  1. Open Bandicam settings and go to the Scheduled Recording section.
  2. Enable scheduled recording and set the date, time, and duration (or daily/weekly repeat).
  3. Choose the recording mode (e.g. screen or game) and ensure the target window or game will be open at the set time.
  4. Leave Bandicam running (minimized is fine). Recording will start automatically at the scheduled time.

Official: Start recording at a specific time.

Lag or low FPS when recording

If your game or screen feels sluggish or FPS drops while Bandicam is recording, try these steps in order.

  1. Use hardware acceleration. In Bandicam settings, select H.264 (NVIDIA NVENC), H.264 (Intel Quick Sync), or H.264 (AMD VCE/VCN) instead of H.264 (CPU) if your system supports it.
  2. Lower resolution or play in windowed mode. Try half resolution, or run the game in windowed/borderless window mode.
  3. Reduce FPS and quality. Lower the recording FPS (e.g. from 30 to 15) and reduce quality in Bandicam.
  4. Set GPU to prefer maximum performance (NVIDIA). In NVIDIA Control Panel → Manage 3D settings, set "Power management mode" to "Prefer maximum performance" for Bandicam or the game.
  5. Windows 10/11 laptops. In Windows Settings → System → Display → Graphics, set Bandicam or the game to "High performance" so it uses the dedicated GPU.
  6. Reset Bandicam. Reset Bandicam to default settings and then enable only hardware acceleration and adjust resolution/FPS/quality as above.

Official: How to reduce lag when recording.

Bandicam won't start or crashes

If Bandicam does not open, freezes, or stops responding, try these steps.

  1. Check the system tray. Bandicam may be minimized to the system tray. Look for the Bandicam icon near the clock and click it to restore the window.
  2. Run in safe mode. Run "bdcam_safemode" from the Bandicam folder. If it runs in safe mode, the issue may be with normal settings or another program.
  3. Update or reinstall graphics drivers. Uninstall the current graphics driver (via Device Manager or vendor tool), restart, then install the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
  4. Add Bandicam to antivirus exclusions. See Antivirus exclusions below.
  5. If Bandicam crashes when you start recording: Reset Bandicam settings to default. Switch to the H.264 (CPU) codec. Uncheck "Record sound" or disable the microphone temporarily. Reinstall graphics drivers.

Official: I can't run Bandicam; it crashes/freezes/stops.

Black screen or no video in recording

If the recorded file plays but shows a black screen or no picture, try the following.

  1. Switch to H.264 (CPU) codec. In Bandicam video settings, select H.264 (CPU) and record again. If the video appears, the issue may be with the hardware encoder or drivers.
  2. Try a different recording mode. If you used Game Recording, try Screen Recording and select the game window or full screen.
  3. Update graphics drivers. Install the latest driver for your NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU. Restart the PC after installing.
  4. Disable overlays. Other overlay software (e.g. Discord, Steam) can sometimes cause black or corrupted regions. Temporarily disable them and test.
  5. Run the game in windowed or borderless window. Fullscreen exclusive mode can cause black output with some setups.

No sound or microphone not recording

If your recording has no audio or your microphone is missing, check the following.

  1. Enable "Record sound" in Bandicam. In Bandicam settings, ensure "Record sound" is checked for the recording mode you use.
  2. Select the correct devices in Bandicam. Choose the right primary sound device (speakers) and secondary sound device (microphone) in Bandicam's sound settings.
  3. Check Windows Sound settings. In Windows Settings → System → Sound, ensure the correct output and input devices are set as default and not muted.
  4. If "Failed to start audio capture" appears. Ensure at least one speaker and one microphone device are enabled in Windows. Restart Bandicam after changing Windows sound settings.

Official: How to record voice from microphone.

Codec errors or playback issues

If you get a codec-related error or the file won't play properly, try these steps.

  1. Use a standard codec. Record with H.264 (CPU) or H.264 (NVIDIA NVENC) and MP4 container for best compatibility with YouTube, VLC, and other players.
  2. HEVC / AMD VCE issues. If videos recorded with H.264 (AMD VCE/VCN) or HEVC play back slowly or not at all, update AMD drivers or switch to H.264 (CPU) or NVENC.
  3. Repair corrupted files. Bandicam includes BandiFix for repairing corrupted recordings. Use it if recording was interrupted (e.g. crash or power loss).
  4. Install K-Lite or system codecs (optional). If some players cannot play your file, installing a codec pack like K-Lite Standard may help playback on that PC; for sharing or upload, prefer H.264 + MP4.

Antivirus exclusions

Antivirus or security software can block or slow Bandicam. Bandicam is 100% safe with no adware or spyware. If your antivirus flags it:

  1. Add Bandicam's install folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\Bandicam) to your antivirus exclusion list.
  2. Add the Bandicam executable (e.g. bdcam.exe) to exclusions if your antivirus allows file-level exclusions.
  3. Temporarily disable other security or copy-protection software to test if Bandicam runs; re-enable after testing and keep Bandicam in exclusions.

See Is Bandicam safe? and Trust & Security.

← Back to home · FAQ · Download · Trust & Security