Fix: NVIDIA GeForce Experience Performance Overlay Not Working

Nvidia Corporation is a popular technology company, especially known for manufacturing graphics processing units (GPUs). Apart from that, the Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay is a powerful tool useful for gamers, especially those who want to record or stream their gameplay. Accessing the Overlay tool in Nvidia GeForce Experience is pretty simple; press and hold the Alt and Z keys together on your keyboard. If the overlay isn’t working, you must access the GeForce Experience software in the background.

However, several users have complained that they cannot access the Overlay tool on their devices. This can be frustrating when trying to record or stream gameplay. Don’t worry, though; you’re not alone. This is a common issue faced by many users. You can easily fix the “Nvidia GeForce Experience Performance Overlay not working” issue by following our effective solutions. Below, we dive into why it might not work and how to troubleshoot the problem.

Why Does NVIDIA GeForce Experience Performance Overlay Stop Working?

The Nvidia GeForce Experience Performance Overlay feature helps users take screenshots, monitor performance, and capture the last 20 minutes of gameplay at 60 FPS. It also allows live broadcasting of gameplay to Twitch or YouTube. However, it can be frustrating when using these features and the Overlay fails to function.

By default, you can open the Nvidia Overlay by pressing and holding the Alt + Z keys. If this combination doesn’t open the overlay, there might be something wrong with the Nvidia Software. Some common reasons for the Nvidia Overlay malfunction include:

• Outdated or corrupted graphics driver
• Interference from third-party applications
• Problems with the Visual C++ Redistributable package
• GeForce In-Game Overlay being disabled
• Outdated system software
• Software conflicts and glitches

Now, let’s focus on troubleshooting strategies to address the Overlay malfunction.

How to Fix NVIDIA GeForce Experience Performance Overlay Not Working?

If you have an issue with Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay, try the below troubleshooting strategies to fix the issue. Make sure to pay attention to each and every single solution and check the problem after trying each solution.

Fix 1: Make Sure GeForce In-Game Overlay Is Enabled

Before troubleshooting the GeForce overlay issue, ensure that GeForce In-Game Overlay is enabled. Most of the time, the overlay tool’s settings are deactivated, which makes it impossible to use the feature while playing. Make sure to allow the In-game overlay tool inside GeForce Experience. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open GeForce Experience and click the Settings (gear icon) at the top.
2. In the left panel, choose GENERAL.
3. Click on the toggle next to IN-GAME OVERLAY to enable it.

Once you have turned on the In-game overlay tool inside GeForce Experience, run a game to check if your GeForce overlay shows up. If the issue persists, try the next method.

Fix 2: Restart Your Device

The next thing you have to do is restart your device. However, It is possible that you cannot access the In-game overlay tool due to bugs and software conflicts. Restarting the device is all we need to perform for such a case. Most users consider it one of the most workable methods of all time and worth considering fixing any issues.

Restating the device is pretty simple to do. If you use a Windows system, hold the power button for about 10 seconds, and the system will automatically shut down. Wait a few minutes and then press and hold the power button to turn it back on. Afterward, try to run a game and check if the issue has been resolved. If the issue persists, try the next solution.

Fix 3: Update the Graphics Driver

An outdated or corrupted graphics driver can interfere with system programs and the GeForce Experience Overlay, among other things. Make sure to update the graphics driver on your computer and check the results.

To update the graphics driver, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows key + X on the keyboard and choose Device Manager from the pop-up menu.
2. Expand the Display Adapters section by clicking the arrow on the left side.
3. Right-click on your dedicated Nvidia driver.
4. From the pop-up menu, choose the Update driver option.
5. Click on the Search automatically for drivers.
6. Now, your device will automatically search for available updates.
7. Download and install the update by following the screen instructions if available.

Once the graphics driver is completely downloaded on your system, reboot the device to apply changes. After that, run a game and check if the overlay is working. If the issue persists, try the next solution.

Fix 4: Run GeForce Experience as An Administrator

You must also run GeForce Experience as an administrator if you have an issue with Nvidia Overlay. To access the files on your system, GeForce Experience needs to run properly and you will need to have administrator permissions. This might help you to fix the GeForce Overlay not working issue. Here’s how to do it.

1. On your desktop, right-click on GeForce Experience and click on Properties.
2. Click on the Compatibility tab and check the box “Run this program as an administrator.”
3. Click on Apply and then OK to apply changes.

Launch a game and check if the GeForce overlay is functioning properly. If the issue persists, try the next solutions.

Fix 5: Enable the GeForce Experience Experimental Features

Enabling the experimental features in GeForce Experience allows you to download and install updates which able to show all the things. The updates also fix several issues, including your overlay issue as well. To enable the GeForce experience experimental features, follow these steps:

1. Open GeForce Experience and click on Settings (gear icon) at the top.
2. In the left side panel, choose GENERAL.
3. Under the ABOUT section, check the box next to “Enable experimental feature. A GeForce Experience update may be required.”

Once you have enabled this feature on your GeForce Experience, try running a game and check if the issue has been resolved. If the issue persists, try the next solution.

Fix 6: Perform a Clean Boot

Third-party applications can also interfere with GeForce Experience and cause issues with the overlay. In such a case, you should perform a clean boot. Therefore, if the GeForce overlay is not working, booting the system will surely fix the problem on your device. Here’s how to perform a clean boot on your Windows operating system.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “msconfig” in the dialog box and hit Enter.
3. Switch to the Services tab.
4. Checkmark Hide all Microsoft services > Disable all.
5. Now the system will start in a clean boot state on the next boot.

Once you are in a clean boot state, make sure to check if the problem has been fixed on your system. If it does, try to re-enable services until the issue re-appears. After that, whichever service you have enabled is the real culprit, and you will need to either re-install it or download the pending updates.

Fix 7: Repair the Visual C++ Redistributable Package

The Visual C++ Redistributable Package is a DLL file that enables to run applications by using the Microsoft Visual Studio. However, if there is any corruption in the installed package, it may cause several issues with the GeForce Experience including GeForce overlay. Therefore, try repairing the Visual C++ redistributable package by following the steps below:

1. Head over to Start Menu by pressing the Windows key.
2. Type Control Panel in the search bar and hit Enter.
3. Navigate to Programs > Uninstall a program.
4. Right-click on the installed Visual C++ Redistributable Package and select Change from the context menu.
5. Click on the Repair option.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.

Fix 8: Install the Media Feature Pack

Occasionally, the Nvidia overlay won’t work if the media feature pack isn’t properly installed on your device. In such a case, you will have to download and install the media feature pack properly in order to fix the problem. But before continuing, make sure that the graphics driver is running on the latest version.

To install the media feature pack on your device, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + I to open System Settings.
2. Choose Apps from the left-hand side.
3. Click on Option features.
4. Select View features next to Add an optional feature.
5. Select Media Feature Pack and click Next > Install.

Once the installation process is completed on your device, restart the system to apply changes. After that, check if the overlay is working by running a gameplay.

Fix 9: Check System Updates

An outdated system (Windows OS) version can cause several issues with the apps and Nvidia Overlay. Ensure to check Windows update on your computer as the newest version comes with several features and they can also fix the issues.

To check system updates on your device, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + I to open System Settings.
2. Click on Windows Update from the left-hand side.
3. Click on Check for updates.
4. Now your system will automatically search for available updates.
5. Download and install the latest Windows update by following the screen instructions if available.
6. Once the update is downloaded, restart your computer and that’s it.

Fix 10: Reinstall the Graphics Driver

If you have tried the above workarounds and it doesn’t work, the last resort is to uninstall and reinstall the graphics driver. As mostly, we can conclude that the Nvidia Overlay is not working because of the outdated or corrupted graphics driver on your device. Therefore, if you have updated the graphics driver and it doesn’t work, you should try uninstalling and reinstalling the graphics driver. Here’s what to do.

To uninstall the Nvidia graphics driver on your device, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + X on the keyboard and choose Device Manager from the pop-up menu.
2. Expand the Display adapters section by clicking on the arrow on the left-hand side.
3. Right-click on your dedicated Nvidia driver.
4. From the pop-up menu, choose the Uninstall device option.
5. Confirm the uninstallation process by clicking on the Uninstall button.

Once you have successfully uninstalled the graphics driver, you will need to download and install it back on your device. Head over to Nvidia official site and download the driver and install it on your computer. Once the download is finished, restart your system to apply changes.

Alternatively, simply restart your computer and it will automatically install the graphics driver. After that, try checking if the issue has been resolved by running a game on your device.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.