ShareX Recording Region Is the Wrong Size: How to Fix It

You select a precise recording area in ShareX, but the finished video is too large, too small, shifted, cropped, or filled with screen content you never intended to capture. This usually points to one of four causes: the wrong region was selected, Windows scaling changed how screen coordinates were interpreted, the target window moved or resized, or the file being reviewed is not the output from the latest test. The troubleshooting steps below focus specifically on screen recording regions, not still-image region capture.

1. Confirm the Symptom and Reproduce It With a Simple Test

Before changing ShareX or Windows settings, identify exactly how the recorded frame differs from the region you selected. A controlled test can distinguish a coordinate problem from an application-window or playback problem.

1.1 Run a visible region test

Open a static window such as Notepad and place it away from monitor edges. Start ShareX screen recording, select a rectangular area that includes part of the window and some visible desktop, and avoid moving or resizing anything while recording. Move the pointer around the four corners of the selected area for several seconds, then stop the recording.

Open the newly created video from ShareX history or its destination folder. Check whether all four expected corners appear and whether unexpected content exists outside them.

• If the video matches the rectangle, basic region recording works. The original problem is probably tied to a moving window, a particular monitor, or a changed display layout.
• If the entire frame is consistently shifted, investigate Windows scaling, monitor coordinates, and display changes.
• If one edge is cropped or extra screen area appears, check fixed-size selection, output dimensions, and whether the selected region crossed a monitor boundary.
• If the video has the right content but looks larger or smaller during playback, inspect the file resolution before changing capture settings.

Success means the recorded frame contains the exact static area you selected. Once that happens, stop changing global settings and recreate the original workflow one element at a time.

1.2 Verify that you opened the newest output

A recording problem can appear to persist when an older video is opened from a familiar folder, browser download list, media-player history, or uploaded URL. Use ShareX task history to locate the latest recording and compare its timestamp with the time of your test.

If your workflow uploads the recording, also open the local file before reviewing the uploaded copy. Uploading does not normally redefine the recording region, but a stale destination, cached page, or older URL can make it look as though a new test failed.

1.3 Check the actual output resolution

In File Explorer, right-click the video, open Properties, and review the video dimensions on the Details tab when available. A media player that displays codec information can also report the frame width and height.

Compare those dimensions with the approximate width and height of the selected region. A minor encoder-related adjustment of a pixel or two is different from a major coordinate error. For example, a 1280 by 720 file displayed in a small player window has not necessarily been recorded at a smaller resolution. Playback size and encoded frame size are separate things.

Success means the file dimensions and visible boundaries agree with the intended recording area. If they do, investigate the player, editor, browser, or upload preview rather than ShareX region selection.

2. Check the ShareX Settings Directly Related to This Problem

ShareX offers multiple capture workflows, so confirm that the command being triggered is the intended screen-recording action. A hotkey assigned to another task or a reused fixed region can produce a convincing but incorrect result.

2.1 Start a fresh region recording

Launch a new screen recording from the ShareX capture menu rather than relying on a custom hotkey for the first test. Select a new rectangle instead of reusing the last region. This removes uncertainty about hotkey assignments, remembered coordinates, and custom after-capture actions.

Watch the selection rectangle carefully before confirming it. Avoid beginning the drag on a second monitor and finishing on the primary monitor during this test. If ShareX presents a region-selection overlay or magnifier, use it to align the boundaries with visible edges.

Success means a newly selected region records correctly when started from the main ShareX interface. If it does, the screen recorder itself is working, and the next step is to inspect the original hotkey or automation workflow.

2.2 Review fixed-size region behavior

A fixed-size region is useful when every video must have the same dimensions, but it can be confusing if the fixed rectangle remains active when you expect free selection. The rectangle may be anchored or positioned differently than anticipated, especially near a monitor edge.

During troubleshooting, disable or avoid any fixed-size region mode and draw a free region manually. If you need a fixed-size recording, first test the desired dimensions near the center of one monitor. Then move the rectangle into position without allowing it to cross another display.

When restoring a fixed-size workflow, confirm both parts of the setup:

• The width and height are the intended recording dimensions.
• The rectangle's top-left position is on the expected monitor.
• The entire rectangle fits within that monitor's usable desktop area.
• The target application will remain inside the rectangle for the full recording.

Success means the fixed-size rectangle and the output file have matching dimensions and boundaries. Stop adjusting the size once this is true. Reposition the application instead of repeatedly changing the recording configuration.

2.3 Check custom hotkeys and task overrides

ShareX hotkeys can be associated with task-specific settings. If recording works from the main menu but fails from a hotkey, open the hotkey configuration and verify that the shortcut launches screen recording with the expected region-selection workflow.

Temporarily assign an unused shortcut to a straightforward screen-recording task without custom actions. Do not include an automatic editor, conversion step, upload action, or script in this test. If the simple shortcut works, compare it with the original assignment rather than reinstalling ShareX.

Success means both the main-menu command and the simplified hotkey create the same frame. At that point, restore workflow actions individually until the conflicting override is identified.

3. Check Windows and Display Factors That Change Region Coordinates

Windows display layout is a common source of recording-region mismatches, particularly on systems with multiple monitors using different scaling percentages. The selection overlay and recording source must agree about the monitor's position, scale, and effective coordinates.

3.1 Test Windows scaling and mixed-DPI monitors

In Windows Display settings, note the Scale value for every connected monitor. A laptop at 150 percent next to an external display at 100 percent is a mixed-DPI setup. Such layouts are valid, but they make coordinate troubleshooting more important.

Move ShareX and the target application completely onto one monitor. Start a fresh recording and keep the selected rectangle within that display. Repeat the same test separately on each monitor.

• If one-monitor tests work but a cross-monitor region fails, avoid spanning monitors for that workflow.
• If only one monitor fails, compare its scaling, resolution, orientation, and position in Windows Display settings.
• If failures begin after changing scaling, sign out and back in when Windows requests it, then restart ShareX.
• If possible for diagnosis, temporarily set both monitors to the same scaling percentage and retest.

Do not permanently reduce scaling merely to make ShareX work unless that setting is comfortable and appropriate for the display. The goal is to identify whether mixed DPI is involved, not to make text unreadably small.

Success means the selected and recorded areas match when confined to one monitor. If that resolves the issue, continue using one-monitor regions or standardize the displays' scaling when practical.

3.2 Reselect the region after display changes

Saved or remembered coordinates can become invalid after connecting a dock, disconnecting a monitor, changing resolution, rotating a display, changing scaling, switching the primary monitor, or rearranging monitors in Windows settings. Sleep, remote desktop sessions, and projector connections can also alter the active desktop layout.

After any display change, close and reopen ShareX, then select the recording region again. Do not assume that a previously saved top-left position still refers to the same physical point on the same monitor.

In Windows Display settings, use Identify and confirm that the on-screen monitor arrangement matches the physical arrangement. If a monitor is shown to the left in Windows but physically sits on the right, drag it into the correct position and apply the change.

Success means a freshly selected region works under the current display arrangement. Once confirmed, replace old fixed-region presets or workflow coordinates rather than continuing to reuse them.

3.3 Keep a recorded window stationary

A manually selected ShareX region is a screen rectangle. It does not necessarily follow an application window after recording begins. If the window moves, resizes, becomes maximized, leaves full-screen mode, or changes its own layout, the recording rectangle can capture desktop space or cut off part of the window.

Position and size the target window before selecting the recording region. After recording starts, do not drag the title bar, snap the window to another side, maximize it, or move it to another monitor. Also watch for applications that resize themselves when a toolbar, sidebar, developer panel, or full-screen mode is toggled.

If a presentation or browser must change visual states, select a stable region large enough to contain every expected state. Alternatively, record a fixed monitor area and crop the video later.

Success means the application remains inside the initial rectangle throughout the recording. If it does, no ShareX setting change is needed.

3.4 Separate browser zoom from display scaling

Browser zoom changes the size of webpage content inside the browser. It does not directly change the physical screen rectangle selected by ShareX. Windows display scaling, browser zoom, and webpage responsive layout are related visually but are not the same setting.

Set browser zoom to 100 percent for a controlled test, position the browser, and select the region again. If changing zoom causes the page to reflow, resize menus, or move the content you intended to capture, create a new region after the zoom change.

High-DPI displays may still use Windows scaling above 100 percent, which is normal. Do not assume browser zoom is the cause of a frame-coordinate mismatch simply because the webpage looks enlarged.

Success means the browser content and recording boundaries remain stable at the chosen zoom level. Stop changing zoom after confirming the layout fits inside the selected region.

4. Run a Clean Temporary Test With Minimal ShareX Settings

A minimal test determines whether the problem belongs to the core recording path or to a customized workflow. It should create a local recording without editing, uploading, copying a URL, moving the file, or invoking an external tool.

1. Restart ShareX and close unnecessary screen-capture or overlay utilities.
2. Use a single monitor for the test.
3. Place a static Notepad window near the center of the screen.
4. Start screen recording from the ShareX menu.
5. Draw a new free region entirely within the monitor.
6. Record for several seconds without moving or resizing the window.
7. Stop the recording and open the local output directly from task history.
8. Check the visible boundaries and file resolution.

If this test succeeds, ShareX is not generally broken. Reintroduce the original conditions one at a time: the preferred monitor, fixed-size region, target browser, custom hotkey, upload action, or automated destination. Test after each change.

If the test fails, restart Windows and repeat it before modifying more settings. Also test without other applications that draw overlays, alter desktop layout, create virtual displays, or manage windows. Change only one factor per attempt so the result remains useful.

Audio settings and network connectivity generally do not determine the size or coordinates of a locally recorded region. Investigate them only if recording fails to start, has missing audio, or cannot upload. Similarly, destination permissions can prevent a file from being saved, but they do not normally explain why a successfully saved frame is shifted.

5. Check Task History, Logs, and Recent Workflow Output

ShareX task history helps establish which file was produced, where it was stored, and whether later workflow actions succeeded. Use it before assuming every symptom comes from the capture stage.

5.1 Trace the newest recording

Find the latest task and confirm its timestamp, filename, local path, and thumbnail when available. Open the local file and compare it with any uploaded or edited result.

If the local recording is correct but a later result is cropped or resized, inspect the conversion, video-editing, upload, or website-preview stage. Some services display a fitted preview without changing the original video, while an editing or transcoding step may create a genuinely different file.

If task history points to a different folder than expected, correct the destination workflow or use the history entry to open the actual file. Success means you can trace one test from region selection to the exact local and remote outputs.

5.2 Use error messages for recording failures

If ShareX reports an error, preserve the exact message instead of summarizing it as “ShareX not working.” Recording initialization, encoder availability, file access, and upload failures require different fixes.

Review ShareX logs when the recording does not start, ends immediately, or produces no usable output. A coordinate mismatch without an error is more likely to involve display layout, scaling, region reuse, or window movement. An explicit recording or encoder error should be handled according to the message before region dimensions are investigated.

When requesting help, include the ShareX version shown by the application, Windows version, monitor resolutions, scaling percentages, display arrangement, output dimensions, and whether the problem occurs on one monitor or all monitors. Avoid posting logs publicly without checking them for local paths, account names, URLs, or other sensitive information.

6. Quick Fix Checklist

• Start recording from the ShareX menu to rule out a misconfigured hotkey.
• Select a fresh free region instead of reusing saved coordinates.
• Keep the test rectangle entirely on one monitor.
• Check each monitor's Windows scaling percentage and native resolution.
• Restart ShareX after changing display layout, scaling, orientation, or monitor connections.
• Reselect fixed regions after docking, undocking, or changing the primary display.
• Position the application before recording and do not move or resize it afterward.
• Set browser zoom before selecting a browser recording region.
• Inspect the finished video's actual resolution, not only its playback-window size.
• Open the newest local output from ShareX task history.
• Temporarily remove upload, editing, conversion, and automation steps.
• Stop changing settings as soon as a controlled test produces the correct boundaries.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

7.1 Why is my ShareX recording larger than the region I selected?

The most likely causes are stale region coordinates after a display change, mixed-DPI monitor scaling, a fixed-size rectangle positioned differently than expected, or reviewing the wrong output file. Test a newly drawn region on one monitor and inspect the resulting file dimensions. If that works, rebuild the original region under the current display layout.

7.2 Why is the ShareX recording shifted to one side?

A consistent shift usually indicates a coordinate or display-layout issue. Check how Windows arranges the monitors, compare their scaling percentages, restart ShareX, and reselect the region. Avoid selecting a rectangle that crosses displays during diagnosis.

7.3 Can ShareX follow a window when it moves?

A manually selected recording region should be treated as a fixed area of the desktop. If the application window moves or resizes, it can leave that area. Arrange the window before recording and keep it stationary, or select a larger stable region that accommodates the application's expected layout changes.

7.4 Does browser zoom change the ShareX recording resolution?

Browser zoom changes webpage content and layout, not the physical dimensions of the ShareX screen rectangle. However, zooming can cause the page to reflow or move important content outside the selected area. Set the desired zoom first, then select the region.

7.5 Should I reinstall ShareX if the recording region is wrong?

Usually not. First test a fresh region on one monitor, check Windows scaling, reselect the region after display changes, and verify the latest local output. Reinstallation is unlikely to fix a window that moves, stale coordinates, or an inconsistent multi-monitor layout.

7.6 When should I stop troubleshooting ShareX settings?

Stop changing ShareX settings when a static, newly selected region on one monitor produces the correct frame and resolution. From that point, restore the original workflow one condition at a time. The first change that recreates the problem identifies the area that needs attention, such as a monitor, fixed region, hotkey, moving window, browser layout, or post-recording action.