Xbox is well-integrated with Windows and no doubt it has some amazing gaming-related features such as screenshots, recording screens, and so on. However, there is a quite long thread on forums like Reddit where users have complained about the Xbox Game Bar not opening/not working issue. Turns out a lot could go south and based on what’s wrong, you can fix it using the troubleshooting methods listed below. Check these methods and let us know which one did the trick for you.
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Method #1: Toggle Game Bar
Toggling options causing the issue in the first place helps in any case and toggling the game bar is no different. Although it is a temporary workaround it works in many cases if not all.
This is a simple method that you can follow with ease.
Step 01: Press Windows + I on your keyboard and go for Settings.
Step 02: Next, open the Gaming section listed in-between Time & Language and Ease of Access.
Step 03: Toggle OFF a listed option that says “Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar”.
Step 04: Wait for a few seconds only to turn it ON again.
Method #2: Check out the hotkeys
You usually tap on Windows G to launch Game Bar, however, either it doesn’t work or it stopped working just recently. The latter means there’s something wrong such as someone altered the settings and so on. Here’s how to retreat to the original settings.
Step 01: First, open the Xbox app on your PC.
Step 02: Go to Settings >> Game DVR.
Step 03: Under “Record game clips and screenshots using Game DVR”, check the option is turned ON or not. If yes, check out the Game Bar hotkeys.
Step 04: Set it if there’s no customized hotkey setup yet or change if someone altered the settings for any XYZ reasons.
Step 05: Save the settings and you will be able to launch Game Bar using the newly set hotkey.
Method #3: Repair Xbox Game Bar
This is a non-invasive easy to follow method that shouldn’t take more than a minute to complete but is efficient enough to fix Xbox Game Bar not opening/not working issue as well. Here’s how to do it.
Step 01: Go to Windows search or tap on Windows key and enter “Xbox Game Bar”.
Step 02: Upon getting the listing, right-click on it and visit “App Settings”.
Step 03: Scroll down the page to find “Terminate” which is essentially forcing the app from running both in foreground and background mode.
Step 04: Now, there’s a “Repair” button just under the previous option. Tap on it and wait for a checkmark to turn up against the button. This denotes that the system has successfully repaired the app.
Step 05: Open Xbox Game Bar and check if this method worked or not.
Method #4: AllowGameDVR via Registry
Here’s a next method that many have found useful so if the previous method didn’t work, check this out.
Step 01: Open registry on your Windows. Press Windows Key + R and enter “regedit” in the Run command box.
Step 02: You need to open the said file using the path given below “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Application Manager\ AllowGameDVR.
Step 03: Right-click on the right side of the screen and select “New >> DWORD (32-bit) Value” and set the name as “Value” where its default value will be 0.
Step 04: Double click on “Value” and set the “Value Data” as “1”, set the base as “Hexadecimal” and press “OK”.
Step 05: Restart the computer for all the changes to take place and that should do the trick.
Method #5: Reset Xbox Game Bar
The Xbox Game Bar not opening issue is not rare and since you are facing trouble fixing it, here’s how you can reset the app on your Windows PC. Note that once you reset the app, you are essentially deleting all data and app settings with it so beware and decide wisely. Follow the instructions below.
Step 01: Go to Windows search and type “Xbox Game Bar” to find a listing.
Step 02: Right-click on the listing and select “App Settings”.
Step 03: Scroll to find an option to “Reset” the app so tap on it.
Step 04: The system will prompt whether to proceed or not so select “Reset”.
Step 05: The system may prompt you to restart it for all the changes to settle in. If yes, restart the PC.
Step 06: Check if the whole resetting Xbox Game Bar app worked or not. Follow the next method if it doesn’t.
Method #6: Reinstall Xbox Game Bar using PowerShell
Since repairing or resetting Xbox Game Bar didn’t work unless you have skipped the previous methods, you need to reinstall the app and check if this one worked in your favor or not.
Step 01: Search for Windows PowerShell.
Step 02: Right-click on the listing and select “Run as administrator”.
Step 03: A command prompt will appear on the screen where you need to enter the sai command –
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.XboxApp | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} as it is mentioned here and hit Enter.
Step 04: You will have to restart the PC for all the changes to settle in.
Method #7: Create a New Account
There could be something wrong with the old account on your PC so why not create a new account and see if that makes any difference. Here’s how you can do it.
Step 01: Go to Settings >> Accounts.
Step 02: Proceed to “Family & other people”.
Step 03: Tap on “Add someone else to this PC” and select “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information”.
Step 04: Select “Add a user without a Microsoft account”.
Step 05: Enter the username you desire and hit “Next”.
Turns out Game Bar could stop opening or face not working issues with corrupted or damaged user profiles. Since you’ve created a new profile altogether, you must be able to access Xbox Game Bar as usual without any hassle.
Method #8: Install Windows Media Feature Pack
This method works for those PCs that don’t have Windows Media Feature Pack installed in the first place. Turns out some Windows 10 N or KN PCs don’t have this feature and some apps have a prerequisite for it. Thus, installing it should fix Xbox game bar not opening/not working issue for you. Here’s how to do it.
- Open the Windows Media Feature Pack web page from here.
- Download the latest Media Feature Pack package available on the website.
- Run the installer and install the same on your PC.
- Run the Xbox Game Bar and check if this works or not.
Closing Phrases
Xbox Game Bar does a lot on your PC and thus, it is one of the most indispensable features. This goes without saying, any problem with the Xbox Game Bar such as the app is not opening or it is not working can take a toll on some users. Hope this troubleshooting guide on how to fix such issues gives you avenues to fix them right away.