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Fix a problem·6 min read

Find and fix a problem

Start with what you see or hear. Follow a short set of steps, then find the detailed guide for your situation.

On this page

Start here

  1. If a recording or export is still finishing, let it finish. Save your project before changing settings or restarting.
  2. Read the message shown in Screenix. Note whether the problem happened before recording, during recording, in the editor, during export, or while sharing.
  3. Find the matching symptom below. Make one change at a time, then record a short sample before your next full lesson or demo.
  4. If it happens again, use the error message's Contact support button when available, the contact form, or [email protected].

The screen picker is missing or keeps asking

On Wayland, the screen or window picker appears after you press Start recording. This is your Linux desktop asking what Screenix may capture. Approve the screen or window each time your desktop asks.

  1. Look for an open sharing dialog behind another window and complete it. Cancelling the picker cancels the recording.
  2. If it does not appear or times out, restart Screenix once you have saved any work. Close another app that is actively sharing the screen and try again.
  3. Open Help in Screenix and review Linux setup for your desktop. Wayland needs PipeWire and the matching desktop portal, the service that shows this picker.
  4. After installing or repairing those components, save work in your other apps and log out of Linux, then log back in. See Linux setup and permissions.

The recording is black, frozen, or empty

  1. Keep the captured window visible. Open Display or Window and refresh its list on X11, or start again and choose a screen in the Wayland picker.
  2. Try a whole monitor instead of a window. Record a few seconds with visible movement, then stop and inspect the result.
  3. If permission was granted but the message says the shared screen produced no video, close other screen-sharing apps and select the screen again.
  4. If the message mentions a graphics capture device, send it to support. Screenix normally chooses the capture method for your desktop automatically.
  5. If the video plays outside Screenix but the editor is blank, follow the preview advice below. If the file is also black elsewhere, send the exact capture error to support.

There is no sound, the wrong sound, or an echo

  1. Open the microphone picker. Choose your actual microphone instead of Off, speak, and watch the level meter. Check the device's physical mute switch and your Linux sound settings.
  2. Open the system audio picker to capture computer sound. Choose the output device that is playing the sound, then play a sample and watch its meter.
  3. If you changed headphones or plugged in a USB device, use Refresh and select the new device. A saved profile can still refer to an old device.
  4. For echo, use headphones so the microphone does not pick up the same sound coming from your speakers. Turn off whichever audio source you do not need.
  5. Check both the preview's mute control and the exported file. Muting playback in the editor does not remove audio from the export. See Audio and camera and Audio and captions.

The camera is missing, black, or looks different

  1. Open Camera, use Refresh, select the device, and choose Preview. Check the lens cover and reconnect an external camera if needed.
  2. Close another app that may be using the camera exclusively, then try Preview again.
  3. For Studio footage, make sure the recording included a camera and its source file is still available. A finished MP4 alone does not preserve a separately editable camera recording.
  4. If the editor camera is hidden or unexpectedly large, review Camera and layout controls. Instant camera settings need to be chosen before recording.

The editor preview is blank or will not play

Try opening the recorded file in a video player. If it plays there, your capture may be fine and Screenix's preview decoder may need attention. This is different from an empty recording.

  • On Fedora, a missing H.264 decoder or codec-limited FFmpeg package can prevent preview playback. Open Help and its Fedora setup instructions, or see Linux setup.
  • If you moved a recording folder, reconnect its drive or return the source media to its previous location. A project file stores where the source lives. See Projects and imports.
  • After seeking in a long or demanding recording, allow the preview to catch up. If it remains stuck, save the project, reopen it, and report whether the original video plays elsewhere.
  • For the most reliable Studio workflow, record in MP4 and keep its original project and companion files. Choose WebM only at final export if that is the format you need.

Export fails, is slow, or looks different

  • Make sure the destination folder is writable, the drive is connected, and there is room for both the export and temporary files.
  • Try a lower export resolution or frame rate to reduce the work your computer has to do. If an encoder error repeats, send the exact message to support. The Automatic and Software choices in Recording settings affect new recordings, not an existing project's export.
  • For missing cursor motion or automatic zoom, check that the original Screenix project and tracking files are still available. A finished MP4 alone does not contain that editing data.
  • For a silent GIF, short loops without sound are expected. For dimensions and frame-rate limits, see Export and recovery.
  • For a watermark or an upgrade prompt, check the active trial or license. See Account and license.
  • If you cancel or retry an export, see Export and recovery before deleting temporary files or changing the source media.

Projects, screenshots, sharing, and sign-in

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