Home Screen Recorder Tips Why Is My Screen Recording Not Working And How to Fix [2023]

Why Is My Screen Recording Not Working And How to Fix [2023]

This post shows solutions for the screen recording not working issue.
author
VashLast Updated: February 24, 2024
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Nowadays, most computers and phones have screen recording functions integrated. Screen recording is a convenient function for users to share interesting stuff or keep important data as local files. It would be very frustrating if the screen recording not working when you need it.

Why is my screen recording not working? Whether you are using the built-in screen recorder or any third-party screen recorder app, there could be various reasons for this issue. Here we will show some valid solutions and a tip about using alternative software.

Solutions for Screen Recording Not Working on Windows

Windows systems have a built-in screen recorder called Xbox Game Bar. This software is often used to record gameplay on Windows, and it’s also a handy tool for usual screen recording.

If you wonder why is my screen recording not working Windows 10 or Windows 11. Something might go wrong with Xbox Game Bar.

#1. Enable Xbox Game Bar

When you find that you can’t record the screen, go check if you have turned on the Xbox Game Bar or not.

Step 1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.

Step 2. Select the Gaming option and go to the Xbox Game Bar tab on the left.

Gaming settings
Gaming settings

Step 3. Make sure the enable Xbox Game Bar option is toggled on.

Enable Xbox Game Bar
Enable Xbox Game Bar

#2. Update Graphics Driver

The graphics driver affects if the screen recording function can work normally or not, and screen recording usually requires the latest driver. You may try to update the graphics driver to solve the screen recording not working issue.

Step 1. Open the Start menu and input Device Manager in the search box and open it.

Device Manager
Device Manager

Step 2. Unfold the Display adapters, right-click your graphics driver, and choose Update driver.

Update driver
Update driver

Step 3. Choose Search automatically for drivers and the system will finish the rest.

#3. Check Task Manager

If your PC is running at a heavy CPU and Memory usage situation, then the screen recording function would be unable to do its job since there are few spaces for it to run.

To solve this problem, you can shut down some unnecessary programs by task manager.

Step 1. Right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager. Or you can use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to call it out.

Step 2. Select the Processes tab, and locate the programs that take too much CPU and memory.

Step 3. Right-click on those programs and choose the End task option to shut them down.

#4. Restart Your PC

This is a rather simple way, but it’s still quite useful for some occasions when the screen recording function not working.

All you need to do is click the Windows logo on your desktop and choose Power > Restart.

Solutions for Screen Recording Not Working on Mac

Like the Xbox Game Bar on Windows, Mac also got a built-in recording software QuickTime Player. This software has a long history of over 20 years and it’s still the best screen recorder on Mac.

If you want to know why is my screen recording not working on Mac, here are several solutions.

#1. Check the shortcuts for screen recording

The default shortcut for screen recording on Mac is Command + Shift + 5, if this doesn’t work for you, then you should check the shortcut settings.

Step 1. Press Command + Spacebar to open the Spotlight Search interface, and search for System Settings.

Step 2. Find and click the Keyboard option, then click the Keyboard Shortcuts button.

Step 3. Click Screenshots, and ensure the checkbox of Screenshot and recording options is enabled.

Step 4. Click Done to apply the changes.

#2. Allow Apps to Screen Record

Without permission from the system, no software can record your screen. You can change the permissions in the privacy settings.

Step 1. Open the Spotlight Search interface and search for System Settings.

Step 2. Click the Privacy & Security option and find the Screen Recording option.

Step 3. Toggle on the screen recording permission for the screen recorder you want to use.

#3. Update Mac to the Latest Version

The version of the built-in screen recorder is decided by the MacOS version. So updating the system might solve the screen recording not working issue.

Step 1. Open the Spotlight Search interface and search for System Settings. And click General.

Step 2. Choose Software Update and install the available updates.

#4. Use Disk Utility to Repair

This method focuses on the storage issue of screen recordings. If you can record but can’t save the recordings, using the disk utility to repair storage may fix the problem.

Step 1. Press Command + Spacebar to open the Spotlight Search interface, and search for Disk Utility.

Step 2. Click the First Aid option on the top toolbar.

Step 3. Confirm the operation and the system will complete it automatically.

Tip: Fix the issue with alternative software

If you have tried all the listed solutions yet the screen record not working issue still exists, then we recommend you try alternative software to replace the built-in screen recorders. FineShare FineCam could be a good choice for you.

Free Download For Windows 8 or later
Free Download For macOS 11 or later

FineCam is an AI-powered webcam software integrated with a screen recording function. It’s free to use and easy to handle, and for people who need to record screens often, it can be used as a powerful screen recorder that supports recording resolutions up to 4K. You can set various things as background, like the app window, PPT slides, webpages, or YouTube videos, and record them with just one click.

FineCam
FineCam

Conclusion

Unable to use such a convenient tool as screen recording would cause bad results, especially affecting your work efficiency. The sooner you fix the problem, the sooner you can get things finished, hope the methods listed above can help you.

This article is originally published on April 6, 2023, and updated on February 24, 2024
Author

Vash

Vash is an experienced content writer. He enjoys video games, music, and movies.

HomeScreen Recorder Tips Why Is My Screen Recording Not Working And How to Fix [2023]

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