Fix Greyed Out Capture in Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11

You press Win + G, the Game Bar opens, and the record and screenshot buttons in the Capture widget are greyed out. Sometimes it worked yesterday and stopped without warning. It usually comes down to a short list of causes: you are not on a game window, the app is switched off or damaged, a registry value is wrong, or the graphics driver is out of date. The fixes below start with the quickest checks and move to the deeper ones. Test the Capture widget after each one.

Record a game window, not the desktop or File Explorer

Game Bar only records apps that Windows treats as games. If you try to capture the desktop or a File Explorer window, the capture buttons stay greyed out. Start with a real game window before you change anything else.

1. Start the game in windowed or full-screen windowed mode.
2. Press Win + G to open Game Bar.
3. If Windows asks whether this is a game, tick the box that says Yes, this is a game.
4. Close any apps you do not need, then try the Capture widget again.

Turn Game Bar on in Settings

If the switch is off, Windows does not load the tool properly and its features can stay unavailable.

1. Open Settings with Win + I and go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.
2. Turn the switch on. You can also tick the box that lets a game controller open it.
3. Press Win + G with a game in front to check that the bar opens.

Repair and then reset the Xbox Game Bar app

A damaged copy of the app is a common reason for greyed-out buttons, especially after upgrading to Windows 11. Try Repair first because it keeps your data. Reset puts the app back in the state it had when it was first installed, and it can clear the app's own data.

1. Open Settings and go to Apps > Installed apps. Windows 10 calls this page Apps > Apps & features.
2. Find Xbox Game Bar, open its three-dot menu and choose Advanced options.
3. Scroll down and select Repair. Open Game Bar again and test.
4. If the buttons are still greyed out, return to the same page and select Reset.

Set the GameDVR value in the registry

Windows keeps a switch for game capture in the registry. If it is off or missing, recording stays disabled. Back up the registry before you edit it, because a wrong change can cause other problems.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter.
2. Paste Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR into the address bar and press Enter.
3. Look for a value named AppCaptureEnabled. If it exists, double-click it and set Value data to 1, then select OK.
4. If it is missing, right-click blank space in the right pane, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it AppCaptureEnabled and set its value data to 1.
5. Close Registry Editor, restart the PC and test Game Bar again.

Update the graphics driver

An old or wrong display driver can stop Game Bar from using the hardware it needs to record, and it may show a message that gaming features are not available.

1. Right-click the Windows logo, then pick Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your graphics adapter and choose Update driver.
3. Select Search automatically for drivers and let Windows install what it finds.
4. Restart the PC, then open Game Bar and check the Capture widget.

Uninstall and reinstall Game Bar

If the buttons are still greyed out after a reset, remove the app and install a fresh copy.

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and find Xbox Game Bar.
2. Open the three-dot menu (or Advanced options) and choose Uninstall.
3. Restart the PC.
4. Open the Microsoft Store, search for Xbox Game Bar and install it again.

Allow Game Bar to use the microphone

When recording works but your voice is missing, the app may not have permission to use the microphone. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, make sure microphone access is on, and turn on Xbox Game Bar in the list of apps. Windows 10 uses Settings > Privacy > Microphone. A restart may be needed before the change applies. If other apps hear nothing either, the microphone fixes cover it.

Common questions