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You can’t keep OBS streaming after you sign out of Windows: signing out closes the Windows session and its open applications, including OBS. If you only need to secure the screen, press Windows key + L to lock the PC instead—but locking does not guarantee OBS will keep rendering. For a genuinely unattended YouTube loop, use a cloud service such as StreamNeo rather than relying on a signed-out Windows session.
What happens when you sign out, lock, or switch users?
| Windows action | What happens to the session | What to expect from OBS |
|---|---|---|
| Sign out | Windows ends your user session and closes open applications. | OBS closes, so its active stream stops. Microsoft says open applications are closed when you sign out (Microsoft Support). |
| Lock | The session and open applications stay in the background while the screen is secured. | OBS remains open, but continued video rendering is not guaranteed on every setup. |
| Switch user | Windows moves to another account without closing applications in the original session. | OBS may remain open, but output can stop if the session loses access to the GPU. |
The distinction matters: keeping an application open is not the same as guaranteeing it can continue rendering video. An OBS forum response dated March 25, 2021, reports that Windows may remove GPU access when a session is locked or switched away, preventing OBS from producing output. That is a community report, not a current Microsoft guarantee; behavior may vary with Windows, OBS, graphics drivers, and the sources in your scene (OBS Project Forums).
If you only need to step away, lock Windows
- Leave OBS open and confirm the stream is active.
- Press Windows key + L. Windows locks the screen while keeping your applications open in the background, according to Microsoft Support.
- Before relying on this for a broadcast, test the exact setup: use a private or unlisted YouTube broadcast, lock the PC, then check whether the picture and audio continue. Test the actual scenes, sources, graphics hardware, and Windows and driver versions you plan to use.
Locking is the right choice when the goal is simply to keep someone from using your desktop while you are away. It is not a dependable unattended-streaming strategy unless your own test confirms that OBS keeps producing output while locked.
Why the YouTube stream key cannot keep OBS alive
A YouTube stream key tells an encoder where to send its feed and lets YouTube accept it; it does not run the encoder. OBS must still be open and sending video. OBS also connects directly from your computer to YouTube rather than sending the stream through OBS servers (YouTube Help; OBS Project Help).
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OBS’s own active-output warning says: “OBS is still currently active. All streams/recordings will be shut down.” Closing OBS therefore shuts down its active outputs (OBS Project interface text). A stream key, YouTube auto-start or auto-stop settings, Windows startup settings, or a scheduled launch cannot keep an already-running OBS process alive after its Windows session ends.
If OBS output stops while the screen is locked or another user is active
- Check whether OBS is still open. If you signed out, OBS has closed; sign back in and reopen it. If you only locked or switched users, return to the original session and inspect OBS.
- Check the broadcast in YouTube Live Control Room. Confirm whether YouTube is receiving a feed and whether the broadcast is still live. A missing encoder is different from an invalid stream key.
- Review OBS output and logs. Look for output errors or signs that video production stopped. A stable network and suitable bitrate can help with network-related dropped frames, but they cannot preserve a Windows session after sign-out.
- Repeat a controlled test. Use a private or unlisted broadcast and the same OBS sources and graphics setup. If output stops only when the session is locked or switched away, do not count on that configuration for an unattended stream.
For an unattended 24/7 YouTube feed
If you need a stream to continue without leaving your desktop session active, that is a different setup from signing out of Windows. Running OBS in a continuously active, dedicated streaming environment is one possible architecture, but it needs its own testing and operational monitoring. The Windows sign-out action itself cannot provide this.
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