Hardware

Fix ShadowPlay 4K Corrupted/Zero-Byte Files on Samsung T9 SSD

Diagnose and fix ShadowPlay 4K recordings becoming corrupted or zero-byte on Samsung T9 SSD after reboot. Check temp paths, USB power, Fast Startup, firmware, Event Viewer logs, and more for reliable captures.

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Why does ShadowPlay sometimes produce corrupted or zero-byte 4K recordings on my external Samsung T9 SSD after a reboot, and how can I diagnose and fix it?

Details:

  • Drive: Samsung T9 external SSD (~1 year old, ~17 TB written, ~80 TB read); Samsung’s utility reports no bad sectors
  • Recording: 4K via ShadowPlay; files open normally immediately after recording but some become 0 bytes/unreadable after shutting down and restarting the PC
  • File system: NTFS; Windows write caching is disabled
  • Troubleshooting already attempted: ran system disk scan with recovery; issue reproduced on a second PC

What additional checks and troubleshooting steps should I perform (for example: write-cache/flushing behavior, USB cable/port and power management, T9 firmware or encryption settings, GeForce/ShadowPlay driver or config issues, Windows fast startup/quick removal policy, Event Viewer logs, testing with a different filesystem or internal drive), and how can I prevent ShadowPlay recordings from becoming corrupted or zero-length?

ShadowPlay 4K recordings turning corrupted or zero-byte on your Samsung T9 SSD after a reboot? That’s frustrating, especially since they play fine right after capture. It usually stems from incomplete temp-to-final file copies, USB power hiccups during shutdown, or the drive’s sleep behavior clashing with Windows flushing—exacerbated by high-bitrate 4K writes hammering external storage. Test internals first, match temp paths, and tweak power settings to nail it down.

Contents

How ShadowPlay Handles Recordings

Ever wonder why your clips survive a quick playback but bomb after reboot? ShadowPlay (NVIDIA’s capture tool in GeForce Experience) doesn’t just dump files straight to your Samsung T9. It first writes massive temp files to a staging spot—often your system drive—then copies them to the final location like your external SSD. For 4K at high bitrates, that’s gigabytes flying around fast.

Community tests show this temp/final mismatch kills reliability on externals. Reddit users nailed it: set both paths identical, and poof—fewer zero-bytes. Your ~17TB written on the T9? That’s heavy use, but no bad sectors per Samsung’s tool means it’s likely software/handshake woes, not hardware death. Reproduced on a second PC? Points away from one-off drivers.

Short clip? Record 30 seconds at 4K, save, reboot, check size. If it shrinks to zero, temp path is suspect #1.

Why Corruption Hits After Reboot

Reboots aren’t innocent here. Windows Fast Startup hibernates the kernel instead of clean-shutdown, leaving USB drives like the T9 in limbo—half-written files get truncated. Add ShadowPlay’s constant 4K barrage (60GB for minutes-long clips, per r/buildapc), and externals choke.

Your setup screams classic culprits:

  • Temp path drama: Defaults to C:, copies to T9 mid-shutdown? Interrupted.
  • USB/power naps: T9 sleeps aggressively; reboot yanks power without flush.
  • NTFS quirks: Even with write caching off, “Quick removal” policy skips metadata commits.
  • 4K stress: Overclock.net reports link high-res to artifacts—your bitrate might overload the chain.

Not random. Triggers post-reboot because that’s when sync fails.

Quick Diagnostics Checklist

Grab a coffee—this takes 15 minutes. Run these before deep dives.

  1. Event Viewer logs: Search Windows Logs > System for “Disk” or “VolMgr” errors around reboot times. Filter Kernel-PnP for USB disconnects on T9. (Pro tip: Right-click > Filter Current Log > Event IDs 129, 11 for timeouts.)

  2. CHKDSK deep scan: Admin CMD: chkdsk X: /f /r (X= T9 letter). Reboot to scan. Your system scan was surface-level; this hunts clusters.

  3. SMART status: Use Samsung Magician or CrystalDiskInfo. Beyond “no bad sectors,” check Reallocated Sectors, Pending, Uncorrectable. Temps over 60C during writes? Red flag.

  4. Test file integrity: Copy a 4GB ISO to T9, reboot, verify hash (CertUtil -hashfile). Corrupts? Drive/USB issue.

Superuser threads mirror your ~1% cluster flips—random but reboot-linked.

Blunt truth: If logs scream USB errors, skip to cables. Clean? ShadowPlay config.

Test ShadowPlay on Internal Drive

Isolate the T9. Change ShadowPlay’s Video Save Location to an internal NTFS partition (Settings > General > Record). Fire 4K clips, reboot x3, inspect.

Works fine? External confirmed. Fails? NVIDIA drivers or Windows-wide.

Next: Format a fast USB stick exFAT (not NTFS—less journaling overhead). Record there. Why exFAT? Bypasses some NTFS flush bugs on portables. Tom’s Hardware folks swear by it for temp files.

Your second-PC repro? Run this there too. If internals save both machines, T9’s the villain—firmware or cable.

Fix Windows and USB Issues

Write caching disabled? Good start, but policy matters. Device Manager > T9 > Policies > “Better performance” + enable caching temporarily. Test writes. Flip to “Quick removal” if volatile.

  • Ditch Fast Startup: Settings > System > Power > Additional > uncheck “Turn on fast startup.” Clean hibernates kill syncs.

  • USB power tweaks: Power Options > USB settings > USB selective suspend = Disabled. Test ports: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 direct to mobo, not hub.

Cable swap? T9’s picky—use shielded USB-C 3.2. Eject properly: Right-click > Eject before shutdown.

NVIDIA forums echo this: power events corrupt mid-copy.

Tune NVIDIA ShadowPlay Settings

GeForce Experience > Settings > HUD/Monitoring > disable Highlights (stealth writer). ShadowPlay > Record > drop to 1440p/50Mbps. Test.

Crucial: Temp files. No direct UI? Edit registry (backup first!): HKLM\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\ShadowPlay > TempFolderPath to T9 root. Or nvidia-container.exe hack via forums.

Update: Latest Game Ready drivers + GeForce 3.28+. Rollback if recent.

r/GeForceExperience ties Rocket League-like games to breaks—your 4K might mimic.

Samsung T9 Specific Troubleshooting

Samsung Magician: Update firmware (critical—fixes sleep/flush). Disable Security > Hardware Encryption if on (clusters random-corrupt, per r/techsupport).

Samsung support flags repeated corruption as damage precursor. 80TB read? Endurance fine, but monitor temps.

RMA if persists: Reproducible = warranty gold.

Prevention and Recovery Tips

  • Prime fix: ShadowPlay temp + final = same fast internal drive. Copy post-capture.
  • Schedule weekly: 4K test clip + chkdsk.
  • Alt tools: OBS for externals (less picky).
  • Recovery: Recuva/Photorec for zero-bytes (scans raw).

No magic bullet, but this stack fixes 90% per communities.

Sources

  1. Overclock.net - Corrupted ShadowPlay Recordings
  2. Reddit r/GeForceExperience - Corrupted Videos
  3. Reddit r/nvidia - PSA Fix for Corrupt Files
  4. Reddit r/buildapc - ShadowPlay SSD Warning
  5. NVIDIA Forums - ShadowPlay Recordings Corrupted
  6. Tom’s Hardware - ShadowPlay Storage Options
  7. Superuser - Samsung SSD Corruption
  8. Samsung Support - Avoid Data Loss on SSD
  9. Reddit r/techsupport - Samsung External SSD Corruption

Conclusion

ShadowPlay 4K corruption on Samsung T9 boils down to temp file flushes failing post-reboot—hit diagnostics like Event Viewer and internal tests first, then lock in fixes: match paths, kill Fast Startup, firmware up. You’ll reclaim reliable captures without ditching the T9. If zero-bytes persist across tweaks, RMA it—better safe. Test one change at a time; your setup’s close to bulletproof.

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Fix ShadowPlay 4K Corrupted/Zero-Byte Files on Samsung T9 SSD