Bandicam V2.1.2.740 May 2026
Bandicam v2.1.2.740: A Look Back at a Stable, Feature-Rich Release
Bandicam has long been a go-to solution for high-quality screen capture, balancing performance with file size. Version 2.1.2.740, released in late 2013/early 2014, represents a mature build from that era. While outdated by modern standards, it is recognized among users for its stability and core feature set.
Registration:
- The free version will have a 10-minute recording limit and a watermark.
- If you have a lifetime license key from the v2 era, enter it under
Register. Note: Newer Bandicam v3+ keys will NOT work with v2.1.2.740.
Common Issues & Solutions
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix | |-------|--------------|-----| | No sound recorded | Audio source not selected or Windows “Stereo Mix” disabled. | Open Sound settings → Recording → enable Stereo Mix (or select the correct device in Bandicam). | | Choppy video | CPU overload or incorrect FPS setting. | Lower FPS to 30 fps, switch codec to Xvid, or enable hardware encoding. | | Black screen in Game mode | Game runs in exclusive fullscreen. | Switch the game to Windowed or Borderless Window mode, or use Screen Recording instead. | | File size too large | Using AVI with high bitrate. | Switch to MP4, reduce bitrate to 5–8 Mbps for 1080p. | | Bandicam crashes on startup | Corrupted DLL from older DirectX version. | Reinstall the latest DirectX End‑User Runtime (June 2010) and restart. | bandicam v2.1.2.740
Issue #1: "Failed to start recording. DirectX hook error."
Fix: This version predates Windows 10’s DirectX 12 wrapper. Run your game in Windows 7 compatibility mode and disable fullscreen optimizations. For DirectX 9 games, it works flawlessly. Bandicam v2
2. Key Features (Specific to v2.x Branch)
The 2.x branch of Bandicam was pivotal because it solidified the three distinct recording modes that are standard today: The free version will have a 10-minute recording
- Screen Recording Mode: Rectangle on a screen, fullscreen, or around the mouse.
- Game Recording Mode: This utilized DirectX/OpenGL hooking to record games with higher performance and less lag than screen capturing. In v2.1.2, this mode was the primary selling point for gamers playing titles like League of Legends, Minecraft, and World of Warcraft.
- Device Recording Mode: Recording external devices like webcams, capture cards (Blackmagic, Magewell), or smartphones via HDMI.
Technical Specs of this Build:
- H.264 Encoder: This version utilizes the H.264 codec (CPU-based) by default. It lacks the hardware acceleration (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD VCE) optimizations found in later versions (v3.x and v4.x). This means recording 1080p 60fps required a significantly powerful CPU (e.g., Intel Core i5/i7 3rd Gen or higher).
- Xvid/AVI: It relied heavily on the Xvid codec for AVI containers, which was the standard for high-quality, editable footage before MP4/H.264 became ubiquitous.
Issue #3: Audio out of sync after 10 minutes.
Fix: The original MP4 muxer in this build has a known PTS (presentation timestamp) bug. Always record to AVI container. Use VirtualDub or HandBrake to transcode to MP4 afterward.