Xbox Game Bar is one of the most useful built-in tools in Windows 11 for gameplay capture, screen recording, audio recording, and system performance monitoring. However, many users face issues such as Game Bar not recording, recording button greyed out, Game Bar not opening, or recordings not saving. This guide provides a complete solution with clear steps to repair Xbox Game Bar, enable it correctly, adjust recording settings, run PowerShell repairs, and check your Capture folder to ensure everything works perfectly.
1) Repair Xbox Game Bar (Step-by-Step)
If Xbox Game Bar is corrupted, repairing or resetting it can instantly fix recording issues.
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Open Settings (Windows + I). Go to Apps.
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Select Installed Apps. scroll down open System Components
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Search for Xbox Game Bar.
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Click Advanced Options.
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Scroll down and click Repair.
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If the issue still continues, click Reset.
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Restart your PC and try opening Game Bar again.
This step resolves most cases where Game Bar refuses to record or crashes on startup.
2) Turn On Game Bar in System Settings (Step-by-Step)
Many recording issues occur simply because Game Bar is disabled
Open Settings.
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Go to Gaming.
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Select Xbox Game Bar.
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Turn On “Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller” (and ensure Game Bar is enabled).
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Press Windows + G to confirm it opens.
If Game Bar does not open after this, restart your system once.
3) Enable Background Recording in Game Bar Settings (Step-by-Step)
If Game Bar opens but does not record, the background recording option may be disabled.
Press Windows + G to open Xbox Game Bar.
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Click the Settings icon at the top.
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Go to More Settings.
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Select Widgets.
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Look for the option:
“Record in the background while I am playing a game.” -
Toggle it ON.
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Close Game Bar and try pressing Windows + Alt + R to test recording.
This setting must be enabled for smooth, uninterrupted gameplay recording.
4) Repair Recording Services Using PowerShell (Step-by-Step)
Windows components required for recording may be broken. PowerShell can repair them.
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Click Start, type PowerShell.
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Right-click Windows PowerShell → Run as Administrator.
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Enter this command and press Enter:
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After it finishes, restart your PC.
This command reinstalls/repairs the Game Bar overlay responsible for recording.
5) Check Your Capture Folder (Step-by-Step)
Sometimes recordings fail because the default capture folder is missing, corrupt, or moved.
Open File Explorer. Go to This PC → Videos → Captures.
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Make sure the Captures folder exists.
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If missing, create a new folder named Captures (exact spelling).
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Open Settings → Gaming → Captures and verify the folder path.
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Ensure you have enough free space in the drive.
If the folder path is broken, Game Bar recording will silently fail.
Final Words
By following these five essential methods—repairing Game Bar, enabling it in system settings, turning on background recording, repairing it through PowerShell, and checking the capture folder—you can completely fix Xbox Game Bar not recording, not working, or not saving recordings issues in Windows 11. These steps ensure the Game Bar works smoothly for gameplay capture, tutorials, or productivity screen recording.
