Xbox Game Bar Not Working: How to Troubleshoot and Fix
Easy solutions to a rather tricky problem
- If the Xbox Game Bar is not opening on your PC, it might be because you are running games in fullscreen mode.
- You can fix this issue easily by editing the Registry or tweaking some of the tool's settings.
- Another quick and effective solution is double-checking if the Game Bar is activated.
Xbox is one of Windows 10’s default apps. This app integrates the Xbox with Windows and includes a handy Game Bar, but some can’t open it on Windows 10.
This Game Bar is a built-in tool you can use to take snapshots. It is also one of the best screen recording tools to use on your Windows PC. To open the Game Bar, you only need to press the Windows key + G with a window selected. So, let’s find out all about it.
Why won’t Xbox game bar open?
If the Game Bar is not opening on Windows 10 and Windows + G is not working, it might be because you altered the shortcut that opens the tool.
Also, the issue might be down to the Game Bar settings on your PC. Lastly, some registry settings can make the tool fail to work on your PC.
Moreover, some of them may be applied even when facing the following issues:
- Xbox Game Bar shortcut not working – Windows + G not opening Game Bar: If pressing the Windows key + G makes no difference, it’s time to check your Xbox Game Bar settings.
- Xbox Game Bar keeps turning off – Xbox Game Bar turns itself off: Chances are you need to use Game Mode, but the Game Bar repeatedly turns off. If so, edit the registry and change AllowGameDVR to 1.
- Game DVR not working Windows 10: This is just a variation of the original issue, but if you encounter it, you should be able to solve it with the solutions from this article.
- Can’t enable/open Xbox Game Bar – Xbox Game Bar not loading: Users reported that they can’t allow Game Bar on their PC. However, you can fix the issue by changing the Game bar settings.
- Game bar not opening up on Steam, appearing: If you have issues with Game Bar and Steam, you might want to try changing the Game bar’s configuration. If that doesn’t work, you should try reinstalling the Xbox app.
- Windows Game Bar nothing to record: Sometimes, you might get a message saying There’s nothing to record. We covered this issue in great detail in one of our older articles, so check it out for more solutions.
- Xbox Game Bar not working in Windows 11, 10: The solutions below are applicable for both OSs, so make sure to follow them.
- Xbox Game Bar not opening with controller – Try to uninstall, then reinstall the controller driver in order to fix this. This has worked for most users.
- Xbox Game Bar not working properly – Not running the games in Full-Screen mode, proved to be one of the most effective solutions.
- Xbox Game Bar not recording – Xbox Game Bar record button greyed out – Try to reinstall the feature through Powershell as we have shown in the 6th solution below.
- Enable Xbox Game Bar not working – Check the feature’s Hotkey settings.
- Xbox Game Bar party chat not working – If you create a new user profile, you might be able to get access to all the features included.
- Xbox Game Bar not showing friends – Simply update your OS, then reboot it in order to bring everything up-to-date.
The Game Bar is usually enabled by default on your PC. But you can still follow the steps above to check if it is active.
How do I fix my Xbox game bar when it’s not working?
- Why won't Xbox game bar open?
- How do I fix my Xbox game bar when it’s not working?
- 1. Check the Game bar’s Settings
- 2. Edit the Registry
- 3. Don’t Run the Games in Full-Screen Mode
- 4. Check the Xbox app’s Hotkey Settings
- 5. Install the Windows Media Feature Pack
- 6. Reinstall the Xbox Game Bar through Powershell
- 7. Turn the Game Bar off and on
- 8. Create a new user account
- 9. Use third-party solutions
- What can I do if Xbox Game Bar is not opening on Windows 11?
- Xbox Game Bar stops recording when switching Windows
1. Check the Game bar’s Settings
- Search for Xbox in the Cortana search box and click the app.
- Next, sign in to the Xbox app. Note that a Microsoft Account is required to sign in to the Xbox app.
- Click the Settings icon in the bottom left corner.
- Select Game DVR.
- Now, you can select Record game clips and screenshots using Game DVR option. If that option is off, click it to switch it back on.
- Close the Xbox app and then restart Windows.
- Press the Windows key + G again to open the Game bar.
It might be the case that the Game Bar Record game clips and screenshots setting is switched off in Windows 10.
Then the Game Bar isn’t going to open when you press its hotkey. So, you can check that option as described above.
2. Edit the Registry
- Press the Windows key + R, type regedit, and click OK.
- Next, browse to the path below:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/GameDVR - Then, right-click the AppCaptureEnabled DWORD and select Modify.
- If the DWORD’s value is 0, enter 1 in the Value data text box.
- Now, navigate to GameConfigStore.
- Right-click the GameDVR_Enabled DWORD and select Modify from the context menu to open the window below.
- Enter 1 in the Value data text box if its current value is 0.
- Restart Windows and press the Game bar hotkey.
You can also switch the Game Bar via the registry.
3. Don’t Run the Games in Full-Screen Mode
Is it the case that the Game Bar is not opening when you’re running a game on full screen? The Game Bar doesn’t open in full-screen modes because most games don’t recognize the Windows key + G hotkey.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use the Game Bar’s options in full-screen mode, but the overlay UI isn’t going to open. You can still record a game with the Windows + Alt + R hotkey or take a snapshot by pressing Windows + Alt + PrtScr.
Run the game in window mode and press the Windows key + G to open the Game Bar UI.
4. Check the Xbox app’s Hotkey Settings
- Press the Windows + I keys.
- Select the Gaming option.
- Check under the Keyboard shortcuts for the Game Bar hotkeys.
- To alter the hotkeys, fill in the field before Your shortcut with your desired shortcut.
- Click the Save button.
Check the Game Bar hotkeys haven’t been reconfigured in any way. The Xbox app enables users to customize the hotkeys so that somebody might have tinkered with the keyboard shortcut settings.
You can check the Game Bar hotkeys as described above.
5. Install the Windows Media Feature Pack
- Open this Windows Media Feature Pack page.
- Scroll down and click Download the Media Feature Pack update package now to save the installer.
- Open the folder to which you saved the Windows Media Feature Pack and run through its installer to add it to Windows.
Windows 10 N and KN versions don’t include all the media technologies and apps in more standard editions.
So if your platform is a Windows 10 N edition, that might be why the Game Bar isn’t opening for you.
Several apps need Windows Media files not included in Windows 10 KN or N.
However, you can install the media-related technologies otherwise lacking in Windows 10 N with the Windows Media Feature Pack.
6. Reinstall the Xbox Game Bar through Powershell
- Press Windows key + S and enter powershell.
- Right-click Windows PowerShell from the list of results and then choose Run as administrator.
- When PowerShell starts, run the following command to remove Xbox Game Bar:
Get-AppxPackage xboxapp | Remove-AppxPackage
- Once done, restart the computer.
- Now, open Microsoft Store, and then download Xbox Game bar and other applications all over again.
If you were wondering how do I reinstall Xbox game bar, deleting the app via PowerShell and then downloading it from the Microsoft Store is the easiest way to go.
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The Game Bar is a feature closely related to the Xbox app, and if you have any issues with it, you might be able to fix them simply by reinstalling the Xbox app.
Reinstalling a core Windows application is a slightly advanced process that involves PowerShell, but you should be able to reinstall the Xbox app without issues by following the above procedure.
After running this command, the Xbox app will be removed from your PC. You must open the Microsoft Store app and download the Xbox app again.
Once you download it, the problem with the Game bar should be entirely resolved.
7. Turn the Game Bar off and on
- If you wonder How do I enable the Game Bar on Windows 10?, press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select the Gaming option.
- Toggle the switch under the Xbox Game Bar backward to disable it. Now, wait for a few moments and turn it back on again.
If you are wondering how do I fix my Xbox game bar not popping up, simply turning the Game bar off and on or updating the OS should work. This is a temporary workaround, but it might help you with this issue.
After that, the Game Bar should start working again. Remember that this is just a temporary workaround, and if you encounter issues with the Game Bar, you’ll need to repeat this solution.
8. Create a new user account
- Open the Settings app and navigate to the Accounts section.
- From the menu on the left, pick Family & other people.
- In the right pane, click the Add someone else to this PC icon.
- Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
- Choose to Add a user without a Microsoft account.
- Enter the desired user name and click on Next.
According to users, problems with the Game Bar can occur if your user profile is damaged or corrupted. However, you might be able to fix the problem simply by creating a new user account.
To do that, you need to follow these simple steps from above. After creating a new user account, switch to it, and check if that solves your problem.
If the problem doesn’t appear on the new account, you need to move all your files to the new account and use it instead of your old account.
9. Use third-party solutions
If you can’t fix the problem with the Game Bar, you might want to consider using third-party software.
Although the Game Bar comes preinstalled with Windows 10, it has certain limitations, and if you can’t get it to work correctly, you might want to try some other Windows 10 screen recording software.
If you’re looking for a different application to record your screen and gameplay sessions, we strongly recommend trying Icecream Screen Recorder.
This tool is straightforward and offers certain features that the Game Bar lacks, so feel free to try it out.
Speaking about recording issues, one particular topic caught our attention, and we would like to share it quickly with you.
What can I do if Xbox Game Bar is not opening on Windows 11?
If the Game Bar is not opening on Windows 11, it might be because you have not enabled it from the settings. You can follow the steps in this guide to activate the tool.
Also, it might be down to some glitches with the tool. Disabling and enabling the tool after some minutes should solve this. Lastly, you can apply any fixes in this guide to solve the problem.
Xbox Game Bar stops recording when switching Windows
While many users struggle with the Xbox Game Bar not recording, others only encounter this issue when switching between apps or using the Alt + Tab key combination in the browser. You can fix this by updating the tool by following the steps below:
- To do that, open the Windows Update settings from the Start menu.
- Next, press the Check for updates button. Thus, you will activate the search and, consequently, the installation of these files.
- Finally, restart your PC and check if the issue is still there.
There you have it: Everything you need to fix the Game Bar not opening issue.
Good luck with the troubleshooting, and don’t be shy to let us know if any of these solutions helped you solve the Xbox Game Bar not working issues.
