Run Multiple instances of OBS

In windows for awhile, you could just double click the icon a few times for OBS and just launch additional instances on the same machine.  That changed during some recent updates in 2025, so this is how you do it now.

1. Download OBS, but download the ZIP file
   
   
   
2. Unzip it
   
   
   
   
3. Go into the unzipped folder and into BIN->64BIT 
4. right click on the file called " OBS64 " 
5. select "SEND TO -> Desktop (create shortcut)"
   
   
   
   
6. Rename that shortcut to identify it.  I renamed mine to end in " 1 "
   
   
   
   
7. Right click that short cut and select "PROPERTIES"
   
   
   
8. In the "TARGET" box you will see something like " 4-Windows-x64\bin\64bit\obs64.exe "
9. add " --portable " to the end.  It will look like this.
   
   
   
10. Apply those changes.
    
    
11. Repeat the unzip steps for the number of instances you need. 
    Unzip the same download, but to a separate folder
    
    In the example below I'm unzipping the file again, but this time to a folder that ends in -2
    
    
    
12. Repeat the same step with creating a short cut, renaming it to identify it (in my example I added a "2" to it as well.
    
    
    
    
13. Here I have two instances running.