Fix: NVIDIA Overlay Not Working On Windows

Nvidia released the GeForce experience with many features that gamers can take advantage of. A part of the GeForce Experience is the Nvidia Overlay, which allows gamers to view their framerates, take screenshots and even record their screens. These features can elevate the gaming experience on a PC for any user, but having the Nvidia Overlay not always working on Windows deteriorates the overall experience for some GeForce-experienced users.

If you are one of those users whose Nvidia overlay is not working properly on Windows, then this article will be helpful to you. For some reason, you could have faulty drivers or third-party applications blocking Nvidia overlay. There are several reasons behind the Nvidia overlay malfunctioning or not working at all, and we will look at solutions for each one. Surely one of the solutions below will iron out your issue with Nvidia Overlay. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

How to fix NVIDIA Overlay Not Working on Windows?

Some users notice the NVIDIA Overlay not working on their system right after installing the Geforce Experience. At the same time, others develop this issue later on following a Geforce experience or Windows update. Whatever may be the case for you, one of the solutions mentioned below will work for your issue.

Update the drivers:

The NVIDIA drivers receive certain updates from time to time to enhance the overall experience of the users. Some of these updates are very necessary as they help maintain a bug-free experience too. Some users have even reported that simply updating the NVIDIA graphics to the latest version was enough to get the Nvidia overlay up and running again.

• Press Windows Key + X, and from the list that shows up, click on Device Manager.
• In the device manager window, double click on the Display adapters section to open it up. Here, you will see your NVIDIA graphics processor in the list under-display adapters.
• Please right-click on the NVIDIA graphics driver and choose the option to Uninstall it.
• Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.
• Now go to the NVIDIA driver download website by clicking on this link, and, depending upon the graphics processor on your system and the OS installed on it, download the latest graphics drivers.
• After the download is complete, install it like any other software and then restart the entire computer.

Now you have the updated graphics drivers on your computer, so give the NVIDIA overlay a try and see if it works well. Suppose it does not then move on to the next potential solution.

Also Read: Fix: NVIDIA High Definition Audio Not Plugged In Error

Boot without third-party services:

Sometimes it’s not the program that is at fault. Sometimes, a third-party application or service running in the background blocks out NIVIDA overlay from functioning as it should. So you should try stopping all the third-party services while booting up and see if NVIDIA overlay works well after that. If it does, selectively enable these services one after the other and see which service is the culprit.

• Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “MSConfig” and press Enter or click on Ok.
• This will open up the System Configuration window.
• Click on the Services tab. Check the box next to Hide all Microsoft services.
• Now click on the Disable all option to disable all the third-party services. But after that, enable the NVIDIA services, or you won’t be able to open the NVIDIA overlay at all.
• Click on Ok and then close the window. Then restart the computer.
• Now open Geforce experience and see if NVIDIA overlay works well now. If it does, then open the System Configuration Window and enable the third-party services again, one after the other, until you find the problematic third-party service.

If you could not get the NVIDIA overlay to work even after terminating other third-party services, then move on to the next solution mentioned below.

Repair or Reinstall C++ Redistributable Package:

Most users who suffer from the NVIDIA overlay issues were able to fix it by repairing or reinstalling the C++ Redistribution package. It does not matter what you decide to do because both will bring the same results, but reinstallation will mean that you will have to uninstall the package and install it again. However, reinstallation will take a lot longer. So here we will only mention how you can repair it.

• Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “control.exe” and press Enter or click on Ok.
• This will open up the Control Panel window.
• Click on the small drop-down menu at the top right corner and choose the option Category.
• Then under programs, click on Uninstall a program.
• Then a list of installed programs will show up. Here look for C++ Redistributable package and once you find it, click on it.
• Then click on the Change option present in the bar at the top.
• Then a setup will initiate. Here, choose the options Repair and from there on complete the setup by following the on-screen instructions.

You should be able to use the NVIDIA overlay after this if you did everything the right way. If, due to some reason, you are still unable to use the NVIDIA overlay, then move on to the next potential solution mentioned below.

Reinstall GeForce Experience:

This is a basic fix that might work with your problem if there were some issues with installing the program itself. You have to try reinstalling the GeForce experience program all over again, and that will clear out any possible inconsistencies in the program’s initial installation.

• Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “control.exe” and press Enter or click on Ok.
• This will open up the Control Panel window.
• Click on the small drop-down menu at the top right corner and choose the option Category.
• Then under programs, click on Uninstall a program.
• Then a list of installed programs will show up. Here look for GeForce Experience and once you find it, click on it.
• Then click on the Uninstall option that pops up in the bar at the top.
• Then follow the on-screen instructions to remove the program from your system completely.
• Now open up your web browser and click on this link. Here download the GeForce experience and install it in your system again.

If the reinstallation did not do you any good, then move on to the next potential fix.

Disable NVFBC Capture:

The Steam application has some built streaming configurations, and you need to edit these settings to make sure it does not interfere with the NVIDIA overlay.

• Open up Steam by double-clicking the desktop icon or opening the app directly by searching for it in Windows search and opening it from there.
• Click on the Steam button at the top right corner of the Steam window and choose Settings.
• Click on the In-Home Streaming tab, and under the Advanced Host Options section, uncheck the box next to Use NVFBC capture on NVIDIA GPU.
• Then exit Steam completely and even clear it out from the taskbar.
• Now open GeForce Experience and check if the NVIDIA Overlay is working fine or not.

If it does not work and you face the same problem again, try the next possible solution.

Manage Spotify Settings

Spotify’s overlay sometimes acts as a blockage for the NVIDIA overlay, and due to that reason, you might not be able to use NVIDIA overlay probably. This is not a speculated fix at all, as many users could fix their issue with a few Spotify tweakings. So you can give this a try too.

• Open the Spotify application by double-clicking the desktop icon or opening the app directly by searching for it in Windows search and opening it from there.
• Click the Edit Entry in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
• Scroll down inside Settings until you reach the Display Options section. Locate the Show desktop overlay when using the media keys option and set the slider next to it to Off.
• Scroll down again till you will see the Show Advanced Settings. Click on it and open the advanced settings. Then scroll down further bottom until you see the compatibility section and set the toggle off for Enable hardware acceleration.
• Now open GeForce Experience and check if the NVIDIA Overlay is working fine or not.

If you are still stuck on issues with the NVIDIA overlay, continue with the other solutions mentioned everywhere.

Run GeForce Experience as an Administrator

Sometimes all you need to do is grant administrative permissions. By giving away administrator permissions to the GeForce Experience, we can get rid of most of the NVIDIA related issues.

• Open up your system and navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\NVIDIA GeForce Experience.
• Here, locate the main executable file for GeForce Experience and then right-click on it.
• Then choose properties and navigate to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the Settings and make sure the checkbox next to the Run this program as an administrator option is checked, and then click on Ok.
• Now open up the NVIDIA overlay, and you should not encounter any issues here again.

So that is all about fixing NVIDIA overlay not working on Windows. If you have any questions or queries about this guide, then comment down below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more useful information.