[Fixed] How to Troubleshoot Xbox Game Bar not Working on Windows 11/10

Xbox Game Bar debuted as a Windows 10 built-in gaming overlay for screen capture and sharing. It allows users to instantly access an array of widgets to control sounds, chat with friend, track your game's frame rates and real-time stats etc., during gameplay. Xbox Game Bar is not only a smart solution to capture game clips but also servers as a versatile screen recorder which can record apps, active windows and programs on Windows 10 and 11 with ease.

Unfortunately, Xbox Game Bar not working issues happen now and then making it troublesome to record gameplay and screen. In this article, we will list all possible methods to fix Xbox Game Bar won’t open/record/work problems. 

Read on to check the most common Xbox Game Bar issues and troubleshooting tips.

[Issue & Fixes] 1. Xbox Game Bar not Opening

It ought to launch Xbox Game Bar with no hassle, but reports indicate that several users are unable to open the inbuilt app, nowhere to see it, even in Task Manager. In this case, you’d better check Game Bar settings to check if the feature is disabled on your PC. 

Fix 1. Enable Xbox Game Bar in Settings

1. Press Windows Key + I or from Start menu to access Settings. 

2. Click on Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.

3. Check the feature "Enable Xbox Game Bar for things like game clips, chatting with friends, and receiving game invites."

4. Check “Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller: Xbox log”, to open Game Bar on PC using Xbox console.

Certainly, you can't open the Game Bar using the default shortcut Win + G if you have customized the hotkeys. 

Fix 2. Enable Xbox Game Bar via Registry Editor

1. Press Windows key + R to access the Run box. Type “regedit” > OK to open the Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR.

3. Check whether AppCaptureEnabled is presented in the right panel. 

4. If yes, double click it to activate it. If not, right click in the right panel and choose New > DWORD (32) bit value. Next, double click it to edit the value. Change the name as AppCaptureEnabled and set the value data to 1. Click OK. 

[Issue & Fixes] 2. Xbox Game Bar not Recording

Xbox Game Bar can easily record screen in Windows 10 and 11 with the Capture widget. But several not recording problems suddenly occurs, for example, the record button greyed out, Xbox Game Bar freezing/not responding and so on. If you have encountered Game Bar screen recording not working error, try the following methods.

Fix 1. Reset or Repair Xbox Game Bar

1. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & features. 

2. Search Xbox Game Bar from the the app list.

3. Click it and select Advanced options.

4. Now, you can repair or reset to make Xbox Game Bar work again. 

Notice: The data will be remained when you repair the app, such as recorded files and screenshots. But, all the data will be removed if you choose to reset the app. 

Fix 2. Free up Storage Space

Xbox Game Bar probably stops working if there are insufficient storage space to record clips on PC. Check available storage on your computer and delete needless temporary files, documents or apps to free up space.

1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.

2. Select one category to manage files, folders or apps. 

3. Take Temporary files as example. It will automatically scan and select files that you can remove. Also, you can manually choose files according to your needs. 

Fix 3. Uninstall and Reinstall Xbox Game Bar

The regular uninstallation process is fairly simple. Go to Settings > Apps > select an app > Uninstall. However, the Uninstall button for Xbox Game Bar is greyed out. Through PowerShell, you can remove the Windows 10 built-in screen recorder successfully. 

1. Access Windows PowerShell and right click it to Run as administrator. 

2. Type the following command line into the prompt box to uninstall Xbox Game Bar.

Get-AppxPackage xboxapp | Remove-AppxPackage

3. Restart your computer. Download and install Xbox Game Bar from Microsoft Store again.

Fix 4. Update Graphic Card Driver

Graphic cards can’t complete the assigned tasks well with an outdated drive. Once the hardware can’t perform with the system, Xbox Game Bar may crash or freeze when it starts recording. 

1. Right click This PC > Manage.

2. Select Device Manager > Display adapters

3. Right click the graphic card and select Update driver.

[Issue & Fixes] 3. Xbox Game Bar Shortcuts not Working

Shortcut is the most preferred method to run Xbox Game Bar. Keyboard shortcuts not working error is usually reported. How to troubleshoot the trouble? Check solutions. 

Fix 1. Update Windows to the Latest Version

Go to Settings > Update & Security on Windows 10/Windows Update on Windows 11. "You’re up to date" message is shown when you have the latest updates. If not, select Check for updates and update your Windows device. 

Fix 2. Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

A few PCs and accessories don’t support and built in Windows logo key. In this case, you’d better create a custom shortcut to use Game Bar.

Go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar. Move to Keyboard shortcuts. Enter your shortcuts to open Xbox Game Bar, start/stop recording, take screenshots or do other tasks. 

Fix 3. Install the Latest Version of Game Bar

Both preset and custom shortcuts might not work in some games which block keys. Try to update Xbox Game Bar to the latest version for using it with any game. 

Open Microsoft Store. Search Xbox Game Bar and select Get Updates to install the latest version. 

[Issue & Fixes] 4. Xbox Game Bar Mic Not Working 

Microphone plays an important role for both recording and party chat in Xbox Game Bar. The first thing users to is to check the mic when encountering audio problems. Actually, there are multiple reasons that result in Xbox Game Bar microphone not working error and we have explored available ways to fix it.

Fix 1. Use a Compatible Microphone

1. Connect your microphone and audio device to PC and make sure Xbox Game Bar recognizes it. 

2. Open Game Bar > Audio > Voice and look for your device in Input/Output selection. 

3. Click Xbox party chat and confirm that your device are supported.

Fix 2. Connect Mic with a Different USB Port on PC

Please make sure that your microphone is plugged into PC properly. When the connection goes to a failure, try plugging in your mic into another USB port. Additionally, it is highly suggested to unplug other audio accessories that you are not using to avoid diverted audio. 

Fix 3. Enable Xbox Game Bar to Access Your Microphone

You can’t capture the audio when Windows doesn’t allow you to access Microphone for an app. Check the privacy settings to make sure that your mic is accessible for Xbox Game Bar.

1. Go to Setting > Privacy > Microphone.

2. Find Xbox Game Bar in "Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your microphone" section.

3. Turn on the button.

Fix 4. Troubleshoot Audio Recording

1. Open Control Panel > View by Large icons > Troubleshooting.

2. Click Troubleshoot audio recording under Hardware and Sound.

3. Follow the instruction to fix mic not recording issue in Xbox Game Bar.

Fix 5. Update or Reinstall Microphone Driver

If your microphone driver is outdated or not properly installed, you may experience audio recording and playback issues. Update or reinstall the driver manually to check whether your microphone can work for Xbox Game Bar.

1. Type Device Manager in search box on taskbar. Open it.

2. Expand Audio inputs and outputs. 

3. Right click your microphone drive and select Update driver. 

4. To reinstall the drive, select Uninstall device. After the device is uninstalled, restart your computer and connect your microphone properly. The drive will be automatically reinstalled. 

[One-stop Fix] Troubleshoot All Xbox Game Bar not Working Issues

Moreover, not all recordings from Xbox Game Bar are flawless. It goes to blank clips if you try to record protected content in games or other apps. The best solution to fix Xbox Game Bar not working issue is to use an alternative, for example iTop Screen Recorder.

iTop Screen Recorder is a professional screen recording tool for Windows. It empowers users to capture everything on the screen, from mouse movements/keyboard input to streaming videos, playing games. It supports recording speaker, microphone and webcam so that you can record videos and games with system audio/your voice and yourself no hassle. It also features a free teleprompter and voice changer enabling you to create video tutorials easily without privacy leakage.

iTop Screen Recorder allows you to flexibly select recording area. You can record part of screen, an active window or full screen. Thanks to hardware acceleration, it captures HD/4K videos with no lagging or shuttering. With the most advanced technology, it can screen record protected videos and games without blank or black screen. Besides, it builds in several tools to edit/compress videos, reduce noise from audio and take screenshots at one stop.

How to Record Screen Using iTop Screen Recorder with no Error

Step 1. Download and install iTop Screen Recorder on your PC. It is fully compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7.

Step 2. Launch it and go to Record > Screen. Select recording area. 

• Turn on Speaker to record screen with system audio.
• Turn on Mic and Webcam to record screen with voice and yourself.
• You can also enable voice changer to disguise your voice during recording in real-time.

Step 3. Click REC button to start recording.

Step 4. Click Done button to stop recording. The recorded file will be automatically saved to Files, from where, you can play, edit, compress the video if needed. 

Conclusion

Xbox Game Bar not working error occurs unexpectedly. Users experience various problems in different occasions from not opening/recording to features not correctly performing. There is a list of possible solutions to fix "Xbox Game Bar won't work" problem. It is recommended to use a third-party screen recorder to get rid of all issues at one.

iTop Screen Recorder is a powerful screen recording software that enables you to record screen, audio, webcam or all as well as gameplay with ease. It offers rich features and great performance for screen recording. If you are bothered with Xbox Game Bar not recording on Windows for a long time, try the best alternative.