Skip to main content

Blue Iris 6 – Troubleshooting

🔹 Overview

This page provides a structured approach to troubleshooting common Blue Iris issues.

The goal is to isolate problems quickly and avoid changing multiple variables at once.


🎯 Objective

  • Provide a repeatable troubleshooting method
  • Reduce guesswork
  • Identify root causes faster
  • Prevent unnecessary changes

🧠 Core Principle

Change one variable at a time and validate before moving forward.


🛠️ Troubleshooting Workflow

Step 1 — Define the Problem

  • What exactly is not working?
  • When did it start?
  • What changed before it happened?

Step 2 — Check the Basics

  • Camera online?
  • Stream loading?
  • Recording happening?
  • Storage available?

Step 3 — Isolate the Area

Determine which system is involved:

  • Camera / stream
  • Recording
  • Motion detection
  • AI confirmation
  • Alerts
  • Storage
  • Performance

Step 4 — Test in Isolation

  • Disable unrelated features
  • Simplify the setup
  • Confirm base behavior works

Step 5 — Reintroduce Features

  • Add back motion
  • Add AI
  • Add alerts

One step at a time


📊 Common Issue Categories

No Recording

  • Check recording mode
  • Confirm storage paths
  • Verify triggers

No Alerts

  • Check alert configuration
  • Confirm trigger + AI workflow
  • Verify notifications

High CPU / Lag

  • Check number of cameras
  • Review codec and FPS
  • Confirm hardware acceleration behavior

Missed Events

  • Check motion sensitivity
  • Check pre-trigger settings
  • Confirm AI timing

🧠 Real-World Notes

  • Most problems come from stacking too many features too quickly
  • Clean baseline systems are easier to troubleshoot
  • Over-tuning creates instability more often than it creates value

⚠️ Common Mistakes

  • Changing multiple settings at once
  • Assuming AI is the problem when motion is the issue
  • Ignoring storage or performance constraints
  • Tuning before confirming basic functionality


✅ Result

A structured troubleshooting approach that reduces time to resolution and improves system stability.