%PDF-1.4 %âãÏÓ 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Count 3 /Kids [5 0 R 7 0 R 9 0 R] >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica >> endobj 4 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold >> endobj 5 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 6 0 R >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Length 5942 >> stream BT /F2 22 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Why Does Discord Error 3004 Keep Happening) Tj ET BT /F2 22 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 762.89 Tm (During Streams?) Tj ET BT /F2 11 Tf 0.72 0.14 0.18 rg 1 0 0 1 46 725.89 Tm (TechRounder PDF Edition) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 709.89 Tm (Live article: https://www.techrounder.com/how-to/why-does-discord-error-3004-keep-happening-during-streams/) Tj ET q 0.82 0.85 0.9 RG 1 w 46 691.39 m 549.28 691.39 l S Q BT /F1 10 Tf 0.24 0.27 0.32 rg 1 0 0 1 46 679.39 Tm (By Vipin PG | Published July 4, 2026 | Updated July 4, 2026 | Format: Guide | 5 min read) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.72 0.14 0.18 rg 1 0 0 1 46 656.39 Tm (Quick answer) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 636.39 Tm (Discord error 3004 keeps coming back because it isn't caused by one single bug - it happens) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 621.39 Tm (whenever Discord loses access to your screen or video source, which can be triggered by blocked) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 606.39 Tm (permissions, hardware acceleration conflicts, outdated GPU drivers, a corrupted cache, or low) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 591.39 Tm (system resources. Because several of these can be true at once, fixing only one usually makes it) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 576.39 Tm (disappear temporarily and return later.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 551.39 Tm (Error 3004 shows up when Discord tries to start capturing your screen or camera and the request) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 536.39 Tm (gets rejected somewhere along the way. Think of it as a handshake between Discord and your) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 521.39 Tm (operating system - Discord asks for permission to grab a video feed, and your OS, your GPU driver,) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 506.39 Tm (or the app you're sharing has to agree. That handshake can fail at several different points: a) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 491.39 Tm (permission that was never granted, a driver that's out of sync, a setting inside Discord itself, a) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 476.39 Tm (corrupted local file, or even the app you're trying to share actively blocking capture. None of these) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 461.39 Tm (causes are related to each other, which is exactly why the error is so persistent - fixing your GPU) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 446.39 Tm (driver won't help if the real problem is a permission setting, and clearing your cache won't help if) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 431.39 Tm (the app you're sharing has built-in screen recording protection.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 409.39 Tm (The steps below go from the quickest checks to the more involved ones. Most people find their answer) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 394.39 Tm (in the first three or four.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 366.39 Tm (Step 1: Fully Close Discord and Restart Your Computer) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 342.39 Tm (When Discord crashes mid-stream or gets force-closed while it's still mid-capture, it can leave) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 327.39 Tm (behind a stuck "capture lock" in your system's memory - even after you reopen the app, that old lock) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 312.39 Tm (can still be sitting there blocking a fresh attempt. Minimizing Discord doesn't fix this, because the app) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 297.39 Tm (\(and its video pipeline\) is still running in the background exactly as it was. To actually clear it, open) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 282.39 Tm (Task Manager on Windows or hit Force Quit on Mac and end the Discord process completely, then) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 267.39 Tm (restart your computer rather than just the app. A full restart also resets any GPU or capture-related) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 252.39 Tm (background services that might be stuck, which a simple app relaunch won't touch. Reopen Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 237.39 Tm (and try streaming again before moving on.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 209.39 Tm (Step 2: Update Your Graphics Driver) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 185.39 Tm (Discord's screen capture hooks directly into your GPU's rendering pipeline to grab frames) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 170.39 Tm (efficiently. If your graphics driver is outdated, or was updated separately from a recent Windows or) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 155.39 Tm (macOS update, there can be a version mismatch between what Discord expects and what your driver) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 140.39 Tm (actually supports - and that mismatch tends to surface specifically during GPU-heavy tasks like) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 125.39 Tm (streaming games or rendered apps. Open your graphics card manufacturer's control software \(or) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 110.39 Tm (check their official site directly\), install the latest stable driver - not a beta - and restart your PC) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 95.39 Tm (before testing again. This one fix alone resolves the issue for a large share of people who see 3004) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 80.39 Tm (specifically while gaming.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder | Page 1 of 3) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/blog/why-does-discord-error-3004-keep-happening-during-streams.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj 7 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 8 0 R >> endobj 8 0 obj << /Length 6494 >> stream BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Step 3: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration in Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 765.89 Tm (Separately from your graphics driver, Discord has its own hardware acceleration setting that uses) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 750.89 Tm (your GPU to render Discord's interface and help encode your stream. The problem is that this can) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 735.89 Tm (compete for the same GPU resources the game or app you're sharing is already using heavily, and) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 720.89 Tm (when both are fighting for the same hardware, the capture request can fail outright. Go to Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 705.89 Tm (Settings -> Advanced and switch "Hardware Acceleration" off, then fully restart Discord. This forces) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 690.89 Tm (Discord to fall back on your CPU instead of the GPU - you'll use slightly more processing power, but it) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 675.89 Tm (removes the resource conflict that was likely causing the error.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 647.89 Tm (Step 4: Give Discord the Right System Permissions) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 623.89 Tm (Both Windows and macOS deliberately gate screen capture behind explicit permission grants - this is a) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 608.89 Tm (security feature, not a Discord limitation. If Discord hasn't been given full access, especially when) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 593.89 Tm (you're trying to share something running with elevated privileges \(many games run as administrator\)) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 578.89 Tm (or a protected window, the OS silently denies the capture request and Discord reports it as error) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 563.89 Tm (3004. On Windows, right-click the Discord shortcut and choose "Run as Administrator" so Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 548.89 Tm (matches the privilege level of whatever you're sharing. On Mac, go to System Settings -> Privacy &) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 533.89 Tm (Security -> Screen Recording and make sure Discord's toggle is switched on - macOS often requires a) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 518.89 Tm (full restart of Discord \(sometimes the whole system\) after you change this before it takes effect.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 490.89 Tm (Step 5: Clear Discord's Cache Files) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 466.89 Tm (Discord stores temporary session and rendering data locally so it can start up faster. If one of those) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 451.89 Tm (files becomes corrupted - which commonly happens after a crash or a forced shutdown - Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 436.89 Tm (can end up reading a broken capture configuration and repeatedly trying \(and failing\) to start the same) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 421.89 Tm (broken session every time. Clearing the cache doesn't touch your login, servers, or settings; it just) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 406.89 Tm (forces Discord to rebuild those temporary files from scratch. Close Discord completely first. On) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 391.89 Tm (Windows, press Win + R, type `%appdata%`, open the Discord folder, and delete the Cache folder) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 376.89 Tm (inside it. On Mac, navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/discord and delete the Cache folder there.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 361.89 Tm (Reopen Discord and test again.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 333.89 Tm (Step 6: Free Up RAM and Storage Space) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 309.89 Tm (Encoding and buffering a live stream in real time requires your system to set aside a meaningful) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 294.89 Tm (chunk of free memory and disk space on the fly. If either is running low, Discord may simply not be) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 279.89 Tm (able to allocate what it needs to even start the capture process - this is a particularly common trigger) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 264.89 Tm (for 3004 on Mac, where the error has been directly tied to low available storage. Before streaming,) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 249.89 Tm (close unused apps and browser tabs, and make sure you have at least a few gigabytes of free disk) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 234.89 Tm (space. It's a simple check, but it's easy to overlook when you're focused on the app you're trying to) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 219.89 Tm (share rather than what else is running in the background.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 191.89 Tm (Step 7: Test With a Different App or Window) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 167.89 Tm (Not every instance of error 3004 is actually Discord's fault. Some apps - DRM-protected video) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 152.89 Tm (players, certain banking apps, and games with anti-cheat software - deliberately block any form of) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 137.89 Tm (screen capture at the operating system level, and no amount of troubleshooting on Discord's end will) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 122.89 Tm (get around that. Before assuming Discord is broken, try sharing your entire desktop or a completely) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 107.89 Tm (different, simple app. If that works without issue, you've confirmed the problem is specific to the app) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 92.89 Tm (you were originally trying to share, not Discord itself - and the fix is choosing a different window to) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 77.89 Tm (capture, not chasing a Discord setting that was never broken.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder | Page 2 of 3) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/blog/why-does-discord-error-3004-keep-happening-during-streams.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 10 0 R >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Length 2289 >> stream BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Step 8: Update or Reinstall Discord) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 765.89 Tm (If you've worked through everything above and 3004 is still showing up, there's a good chance a file) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 750.89 Tm (involved in Discord's capture pipeline is missing or partially broken from an earlier update. Download) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 735.89 Tm (the latest installer directly from Discord's official site, uninstall your current version completely, and) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 720.89 Tm (install a fresh copy. This guarantees every file matches the version you're running, with no) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 705.89 Tm (half-updated leftovers from a previous install - it's the most reliable fix when nothing else has) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 690.89 Tm (worked, which is why it's worth doing last rather than first.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 662.89 Tm (The Real Reason It Keeps Happening) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 638.89 Tm (Error 3004 keeps returning because it's rarely one problem - it's whichever of these independent) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 623.89 Tm (causes happens to be true on your device at that moment. A driver update, a Windows or macOS) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 608.89 Tm (system update, or even installing a new app can quietly reintroduce a cause you'd already fixed, which) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 593.89 Tm (is why the error can resurface weeks after you thought it was gone. Working through the steps above) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 578.89 Tm (in order, and giving your permissions and drivers a quick recheck after any major system update, is) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 563.89 Tm (what actually keeps it from coming back for good.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder | Page 3 of 3) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/blog/why-does-discord-error-3004-keep-happening-during-streams.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj xref 0 11 0000000000 65535 f 0000000015 00000 n 0000000064 00000 n 0000000133 00000 n 0000000203 00000 n 0000000278 00000 n 0000000420 00000 n 0000006413 00000 n 0000006555 00000 n 0000013100 00000 n 0000013243 00000 n trailer << /Size 11 /Root 1 0 R >> startxref 15584 %%EOF