Skip to main content
Newcomer
September 24, 2026
Solved

recording will not open

I am unable to open a recording made on my personal message room. Get the message can only be opened on computer where the recording was made. It was my computer I made a recording? What can I do

    Don.zAnswer
    Community Manager
    September 24, 2026

    Hello, ​@Alistair Beattie! Welcome to the Zoom Community! We’re glad to have you here!

    That message usually appears when Zoom is looking for the local recording files on the computer. Let’s first locate the recording, then check whether it needs to be converted.

    On the computer where you recorded it, try these steps:

    1. Open the Zoom desktop app and sign in.
    2. Go to Settings > Recording and look for Storage location. This shows the folder where Zoom saves local recordings. Click Open to open the folder in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac.

     

    If you find the recording but it won’t open, it may not have finished converting properly. You can try converting it manually.

    In the recording folder:

    • Look for files ending in .zoom.
    • You may see files such as double_click_to_convert_01.zoom or double_click_to_convert_02.zoom.
    • Double-click the .zoom file to start the conversion.

     

    Zoom should then convert the recording into playable files, such as MP4 or M4A.

    It’s also worth checking Zoom > Settings > Recording to make sure the storage location matches the folder you’re opening. This helps confirm you’re working with the original recording files.

    If you can see the .zoom files but the recording still won’t convert, let us know what files you see in the recording folder, and we’ll be happy to help with the next steps!

    3 replies

    Don.zAnswer
    Community Manager
    September 24, 2026

    Hello, ​@Alistair Beattie! Welcome to the Zoom Community! We’re glad to have you here!

    That message usually appears when Zoom is looking for the local recording files on the computer. Let’s first locate the recording, then check whether it needs to be converted.

    On the computer where you recorded it, try these steps:

    1. Open the Zoom desktop app and sign in.
    2. Go to Settings > Recording and look for Storage location. This shows the folder where Zoom saves local recordings. Click Open to open the folder in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac.

     

    If you find the recording but it won’t open, it may not have finished converting properly. You can try converting it manually.

    In the recording folder:

    • Look for files ending in .zoom.
    • You may see files such as double_click_to_convert_01.zoom or double_click_to_convert_02.zoom.
    • Double-click the .zoom file to start the conversion.

     

    Zoom should then convert the recording into playable files, such as MP4 or M4A.

    It’s also worth checking Zoom > Settings > Recording to make sure the storage location matches the folder you’re opening. This helps confirm you’re working with the original recording files.

    If you can see the .zoom files but the recording still won’t convert, let us know what files you see in the recording folder, and we’ll be happy to help with the next steps!

    Translate
    Community Manager
    September 29, 2026

    Hi, ​@Alistair Beattie! Just checking in to see if you’ve had a chance to review my response to your concern. I hope it helped point you in the right direction!

    If everything’s been sorted out, feel free to mark the response as the best answer. It can also make it easier for other community members to find a solution if they run into the same issue.

    And if you’re still stuck or have any questions, just let me know. Happy to help!

    Translate
    Community Manager
    October 5, 2026

    Hi, ​@Alistair Beattie! Just following up since we haven’t heard back from you in a while. I’ll go ahead and mark the response above as the accepted solution so it can hopefully help others who may have the same question.

    If you ever have any other Zoom-related questions, feel free to drop by and ask. We’re always happy to help! 

    Translate