We’ve recently addressed some gaming topics in #Windows10 lately and this article is no different. Today, we add another troubleshooting article about Windows 10 Game DVR issues. While Game Mode is definitely a welcome improvement for Windows, most gamers are excited with Game DVR recording feature even more. This post covers some common problems one may encounter when using Game DVR so hopefully the solutions we provide here will help.
Before we proceed to the main topic though, we would like to remind you that we accept requests for assistance regarding their Windows computers. If you have a problem that you can’t seem to find a solution to, send us your issue by following the link at the bottom of this page. Just remember, windows problems can sometimes be difficult to diagnose so kindly make sure that you give us very detailed description of the problem. You want to mention relevant history that may have led to the issue. The more information that you can provide, the higher the chance of us diagnosing the issue more efficiently. We also expect that you mention whatever troubleshooting step/s that you may have done before contacting us in order to prevent repeating them in our article. Again, the more details you can give us, the faster it is for us to pinpoint the cause and its corresponding solution.
Update Xbox app in Windows 10
Before you begin troubleshooting any Game DVR-related issue, make sure that the Xbox app is running its latest version. By default, Xbox app is set to update itself automatically on windows 10 but there can be instances when that does not happen at all. To ensure that it’s up-to-date, you’ll have to manually update.
At the time of this writing, the current Xbox app version should be 8.8.15003.00000. If you are not sure what the version of your Xbox app at this time, open the Xbox app, go under Settings>General tab and look for About section. This is where you’ll see the current version of your Xbox app.
To manually update your Xbox app, follow these steps:
- In your Desktop screen, click Start
- Click Microsoft Store.
- Select More (three dots) near the search box, then select Downloads & updates.
- On the Downloads and updates page, choose Get updates.
Nothing happens when launching Game bar via Windows key + G? Here’s the fix:
Sometimes, pressing Windows key + G fails to launch Game bar altogether. To fix the problem, follow these steps:
- Verify that Xbox app in Windows 10 is full updated. Refer to the steps above on how to do it.
- In your Xbox app, check Game DVR settings under Settings. Be sure that Record game clips and screenshots using Game DVR is enabled.
- Try switching to Windowed mode if you’re on full-screen mode. Game bar won’t open in some games being run on full-screen mode.
- If the first three options won’t fix the issue, the game you’re playing may be ignoring the Windows button. Try changing the shortcut combinations to something that doesn’t include the Windows button. Go to the Xbox app, select Settings, then Game DVR and then Keyboard shortcuts to get started.
How to fix dark or blank game clips?
This issue is caused by some games not fully supporting Windows 10 Game DVR feature. Basically, some games don’t allow recordings. Despite this, the operating system will still attempt to follow your command to capture or record the game or a clip but they’ll remain blank or black.
At other times, using keyboard shortcuts while the game is in full screen will produce dark clips. If this happens, try switching to Windowed Mode before capturing game clips again.
Microsoft recognized this issue and is working for a fix at this time. We’re hoping they can release an update to fix this problem as soon as possible.
What to do if you can’t take a screenshot
There are two possible reasons why screenshots may not work. Screenshots are not allowed in full-screen mode. This is most likely a coding limitation that Microsoft can’t overcome. If you badly need to screenshot your screen, we suggest that you switch to Windowed Mode.
The other reason may have something to do with some contents in your computer. If you have some protected content (files, folders, etc.) open on your machine while playing, data security will be prioritized and the screenshot will be rendered blank. Make sure to close all encrypted contents you might have before attempting to screenshot again.
How to fix non-working Game Bar keyboard shortcuts?
There are three possible reasons for this:
- program is not identified as a game
- game does not recognize Windows logo key
- game may be blocking all keys
In order to use keyboard shortcuts to perform Game Bar specific actions, Windows 10 must first identify it as a game. Usually, a prompt will pop up asking if you want to use Game bar. If you missed the prompt, you can press Windows key + G to pull up Game bar. Once the prompt shows up, be sure to click the box beside Yes, this is a game.
Some games may not detect the Windows key so you’ve already set Game bar app before but shortcut keys appear to still not work, we suggest that you create your own keyboard shortcuts without it. To confirm if a game does not recognize Windows key, press the said while you’re in the game. If the start menu won’t pop up, go ahead and create your own set of shortcut keys. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open the Xbox app.
- Find and look for Settings. Click it.
- Click Game DVR.
- Click Keyboard shortcuts.
- Use Your shortcut fields to create your own shortcuts.
In some instances, some games may block keys altogether. If you’ve already tried the steps above and nothing improves, we suggest that you use the standard Game bar instead of the shortcuts.
How to find screenshots, recorded game plays and clips?
Your Windows 10 operating system will automatically save any recorded game plays, clips, and screenshots in a default location. To access it, follow these steps:
- Open File Explorer.
- Go to Videos.
- Click Captures folder.
How to fix Game DVR that won’t record anymore?
Like any program, Game DVR can succumb to unforeseen glitches. One such glitches is a recording not ending properly. This causes Game DVR to sometimes crash, or not recording at all. If you encounter this problem, you must restart Game DVR to solve it. Here’s how:
- If you’re in a game, close it properly. Make sure to not simply minimize it. You have to close it.
- Go to the taskbar and in the search box, type in Task Manager.
- Open Task Manager.
- Under Processes tab, look for Broadcast DVR server (bcastdvr.exe) process and left click it. Then, select End task. If Broadcast DVR server (bcastdvr.exe) process is no longer in the list of processes, it must have been closed already.
- Launch the game again and see if recording works now.
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If you are having a problem with your Windows computer, don’t hesitate to let us know about it. We understand how frustrating computer problems can be so, more so if you can’t find the right solutions at all. Our blog exists to help PC users and Windows community deal with their problems effectively. To engage with us, just fill out the questionnaire in this link and wait for our articles to be published. In order to help as many people as possible, we only provide our solutions via posts so please don’t expect that we will respond to your emails or private messages. By making all posts public, we can share our solutions to other users in a more efficient manner. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem.