You’re not alone if you’ve recently switched to Windows 11 and discovered that the Xbox Game Bar shortcut no longer works. When they try to use the Xbox Game Bar not working and feature for the first time in Windows 11, many new users are finding that it is no longer available.
As it turns out, there’s a potential that the process of updating to Windows 11 will disable this feature. If you have this problem, you won’t be able to use the shortcut or quick start icon to access the Xbox Game Bar not working unless you make the effort to re-enable this functionality in Windows 11.
How to fix Xbox game bar not working? If you used the Registry Editor to deactivate the Xbox Game Bar on an older version of Windows, the change will be carried over to the current operating system version.
After doing more research, it was found that this kind of problem on Windows 11 could be caused by a few different things:
It makes no difference if you had Xbox Game Bar enabled prior to upgrading to Windows 11. Many customers have reported that this function may be deactivated automatically during the upgrade process. In this instance, you may quickly resolve the problem by turning on the Xbox Game Bar option in the Settings app.
Corrupted Xbox Game Bar Component
A dependency corruption is another issue that will prevent the Xbox Game Bar from launching, even if you are expressly assured that it is enabled. Fortunately, Microsoft has a few mitigating options for this type of problem—in this situation, you may either repair or reset the entire Xbox Game Bar component to resolve the issue.
iframe Dynamic Link Library Error
As some users have noticed, this issue can also be caused by the Xbox Game Bar’s DLL requirement (ieframe.dll) on Windows 11. In this case, you might be able to fix the problem by running SFC to fix or replace the file.
The Xbox game bar not working and is turned off in the registry. As it turns out, if you have this component deactivated by a hard-coded registry setting, you may expect to observe this behaviour. When you update to Windows 11, the enforcement (carried by a DWORD value) will be carried over.
Windows 11 Upgrade Error (KB5004300)
Another probable explanation for this strange behaviour with the Xbox Game Bar is a partially incompatible update that causes the broadcasting component to malfunction. In this case, the problem should be fixed by rolling back the update and having WU (Windows Update) replace it with the hot-fixed version.
Credit has been used to deactivate the Xbox Game Bar. If you’re running Windows 11 PRO or your PC is part of a locally organised organisation, it’s likely that a Local Group Policy will keep the Xbox Game Bar feature disabled. You can use the Local Group Policy Editor to turn it back on if you have the right permissions.
Let’s have a look at a few confirmed workarounds that other affected customers have successfully used to address this problem now that you’ve been informed of every possible circumstance that might render the Xbox Game Bar unusable on Windows 11.
On Windows 11, enable the Xbox Game Bar.
When resolving this issue, the best place to start is under Windows 11’s Settings menu, where you can see if the Xbox Game Bar not working and is activated.
Keep in mind that during the upgrade process, this feature may be disabled automatically. If you’re having trouble using the Xbox Game Bar because the entire component is disabled in Windows 11, go to Settings > Gaming and you should be able to get it back up and running in no time.
See the instructions below for step-by-step instructions on how to turn on the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11:
How to fix the Xbox game bar not working?
To launch the Settings menu in Windows 11, press Windows key + I.
When you’re in the Settings menu, go to the left-hand vertical menu and select the Gaming option.
Note:
If this menu isn’t available by default, go to the top-left corner of the screen and click the three-dot icon (action button).
Then, go to the Gaming menu and choose Xbox Game Bar to get to all the options you need.
How to Use the Xbox Game Bar
- By pressing this button on a controller while in the Xbox Game Bar menu, you can turn on the switch for Open Xbox Game Bar.
- Activate the Xbox Game Bar.
- After that, restart your computer and wait for the next startup to finish.
- To access the Xbox Game Bar after Windows 11 has restarted, press the Windows key +
Note:
You may also access the Xbox Game Bar by hitting the Windows key and looking for “Xbox Game Bar” among the programmes in the list.
If you’ve previously checked that the Xbox Game Bar is turned on but still can’t get it to work, try the following step.
The Xbox Game Bar Component can be repaired or reset.
If the steps above don’t work for you, you should suspect that the Xbox Game Bar not working and the component is corrupted.
According to user complaints, this is a regular side effect when upgrading to Windows 11 from an older Windows version.
Microsoft, fortunately, provides two mitigating solutions for this type of problem. If the first method fails, you may use the Settings app to fix the whole component or completely reset the Xbox Game Bar.
If the Xbox Game Bar feature is still inoperable, we recommend starting with a simple repair method and working your way up to a reset.
To make things easier for you, we’ve put up a step-by-step guide (with images) that will walk you through both the repair and reset processes for the Xbox Game Bar component.
Follow the steps below to get started:
How to fix the Xbox game bar not working?
- On Windows 11, use the Windows key + I to bring up the Settings panel.
- Use the vertical menu on the left to reach the Apps tab while you’re in the Settings menu. When you first enter the Settings window, the vertical menu may be hidden. To reveal it, click the action symbol at the top.
- Getting to the Apps tab
- Access the Apps & Features menu from the Apps menu’s right-hand pane.
- Use the search feature under the App list to discover the ‘Xbox Search Bar’ after you’re within the Apps & Features menu.
- After you’ve found the Xbox Game Bar entry, click on the three-dot icon (action icon) next to it and select Advanced Options from the context menu that appears.
- The Advanced Options menu may be accessed by clicking on the Advanced Options button.
- When you’re in the Xbox Game Bar’s Advanced Menu, go down to the Reset tab and select Repair.
- Wait for the procedure to finish before activating the Xbox Game Bar (Windows key + G) to see if the issue has been resolved.
- The Xbox game bar component is being repaired.
- If you’re still having trouble opening the Xbox Game bar, go to the Advanced Options menu and choose Reset to attempt the second mitigation option.
How to Reset the Xbox Game Bar
Wait until the procedure is done, and then restart the Xbox Game Bar not working to see if the problem is fixed.
If you still can’t solve the problem, move on to the next possible solution.
If the problem is with your PC or laptop/notebook, use Restore Repair to search the repositories and repair any corrupt or missing files. This works in the vast majority of situations where the problem is caused by a system flaw. Restore may be downloaded by clicking here.
The ieframe.dll file should be repaired.
This kind of behaviour can also happen on Windows 11 because the Xbox Game Bar depends on a corrupted dependency (ieframe.dll).
Note:
Ieframe.dll is a Dynamic Link library requirement that several native Windows apps, like Xbox Game Bar, rely on. The most common reasons for corruption are a virus or malware infection or an upgrade or update that was interrupted.
Several customers who had the same problem said they were able to fix it and get the Xbox Game Bar not working and back by using an elevated Command Prompt to run a targeted SFC (System File Checker) scan to check and fix the ieframe.dll.
Follow the steps below for detailed advice on how to fix the ieframe.dll file:
How to fix the Xbox game bar not working? To launch the Run dialogue box, press the Windows key + R. To launch an elevated command prompt, put “cmd” into the Run text box, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Using elevated privileges to open a CMD prompt
When the User Account Control box appears, click Yes to allow admin access.
To fix the ieframe.dll file and check the rest of Xbox Game Bar’s dependencies, type and press Enter after each of the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt:
prompt
sfc/scanfile=c:windowssystem32ieframe.dll
sfc/verifyfile=c:windowssystem32ieframe.dll
assoc
SFC/scannow
Reboot your PC once each command has been successfully performed and processed, and check if the Xbox Game Bar not working and if functionality has been restored during the next startup.
If you still can’t get the Xbox Game Bar to open using the shortcut or the Windows Start bar, try the following technique down below.
Getting rid of Windows Update KB5004300
How to fix the Xbox game bar not working? As it turns out, this strange behaviour can also be caused by a faulty Windows Update (KB5004300), which has the ability to interfere with the Xbox Game Bar’s broadcasting component and cause it to malfunction.
Only particular dedicated graphics card drivers have been documented to cause this issue. Fortunately, a hot-fixed version of this update has already been provided by Microsoft.
If you think this describes your situation, you should be able to fix the problem by reverting this Windows Update (KB5004300) and forcing your operating system to install the updated version.
For step-by-step guidance on how to achieve this, see the instructions below:
To launch the Run dialogue box, press the Windows key + R. To launch the Programs and Features menu, type ‘appwiz.cpl’ into the Run prompt and hit Enter.
Activating the Programs and Features menu
Once you’re in Programs and Features, click View installed updates from the menu on the left side of the screen.
On Windows 11, you can see the updates that have been installed.
In the Installed Updates pane, right-click on the KB5004300 update and choose Uninstall from the menu that comes up.
Removing the troublesome update
After you’ve finished uninstalling, you’ll need to restart your computer so that your operating system can install the new update.
After your computer has restarted, press the Windows key + G to see if the Xbox Game Bar is working again.
If the problem persists, try the next technique listed below.
Using the Registry Editor, enable the Xbox Game Bar.
If the two techniques above didn’t work for you, the Xbox Game Bar component is most likely still disabled since this behaviour is hard-coded in your registry.
Keep in mind that if you removed the Xbox Game Bar using the Registry Editor in a prior Windows version, the adjustment will be carried over to Windows 11.
Fortunately, you can fix this problem by modifying the GameDVR setting in the Registry Editor to keep the Xbox Game Bar component turned on.
Follow the steps below for step-by-step guidance on how to accomplish it:
To launch the Run dialogue box, press the Windows key + R. To launch the Registry Editor with admin access, type “regedit” into the Run box that appears on the screen and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Activate the Registry Editor.
If the User Account Control prompts you, select Yes to allow admin access.
Once within the Registry Editor, browse to the following location using the left-hand pane:
ComputerSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionGameDVRHKEY_CURRENT_USER
You may go to this location either by manually navigating to it or by copying and pasting the address into the top navigation bar and clicking Enter.
Once you’ve found the relevant place, double-click on AppCaptureEnabled in the right-hand window.
If this key is missing, create it by right-clicking on an empty spot and selecting NEW > Dword (32-bit) Value, then naming it AppCaptureEnabled.
Finally, double-click on AppCaptureEnabled and make sure the Base is Hexadecimal and the Value data is 1. To save your changes, click OK.
Using the Registry Editor to enable Xbox Game Data:
Close the Registry Editor when you’re done making the change and restart your computer for the change to take effect.
Press Windows key + G when your Windows 11 PC has restarted to test if your Xbox Game Bar is now fully working.
If the problem keeps happening and you are using Windows 11 PRO, go to the last solution below.
Using the Local Group Policy Editor, enable the Xbox Game Bar (if applicable)
If you’re using Windows 11 PRO and have previously fooled around with your local policies, it’s conceivable that a Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting policy has forced the Xbox Game Bar capability to stay disabled.
Note: If you’re a member of a business or school network, your network administrator may have enacted a policy that requires every PC on the network to keep the Xbox Game Bar deactivated.
If this situation appears to be applicable, you may activate Xbox Game Bar by changing the state of the Enables or Disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting policy to Enabled in the Local Group Policy Editor.
Follow the steps below to figure out how to accomplish it:
Important: If you’re running Windows 11 Home, the Local Group Policy Editor (the application we’ll use below) won’t be available. You can install it on Windows 11 Home, though, if you follow the steps in this post.
To launch the Run dialogue box, press the Windows key + R. To open the Local Group Policy Editor, put ‘gpedit.msc’ into the Run prompt and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter. To allow admin access, click Yes in the User Account Control box.
Open the Editor for Local Group Policies.
Once you’re in the Local Group Policy Editor, use the menu on the left to go to the following place:
Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Local Computer Policy
When you’ve found the relevant place, double-click on Enables or Disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting in the right-hand window.
Switch the toggle to Enabled in the Enables or Disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting policy and press Apply to save the changes.
Allow the Xbox Game Bar policy to be enabled.
After you’ve changed the state of the Enables or Disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting policy, reboot your computer and check if the Xbox Game Bar is working after the next restart.
