Fix NVIDIA Overlay Not Working on Windows 10

Being a Gamer in this technological era needs you to have advanced devices for continuous streaming. One of the boons provided by the required Graphics Driver or the NVIDIA GPU is the In-game overlay. Imagine having the message that says NVIDIA overlay not working while you are trying to stream the most difficult level of the game to your audience. Though you have reached the final level of the game, you may not be able to stream the victory moment to your fans as the most trusted function fails. In other words, the In game overlay not working would hinder the showcase that you were planning to stream to your audience. To fix the issue on hand completely, there are various methods listed in this article. This article will explain the methods to resolve the GeForce experience overlay not working on your PC and you can easily use the overlay function of the NVIDIA Graphics card for the streaming purpose.

How to Fix NVIDIA Overlay Not Working on Windows 10

The list of causes for which the in-game overlay function of the NVIDIA GeForce Experience Client may not work is given in this section. So, if you are facing any issue in using the overlay function, you can use this section to have a good understanding of the reasons for the issue.

• Faulty NVIDIA Graphics driver- A corrupt or outdated NVIDIA Graphics driver on your PC may not allow the overlay function to work on the game.
• Outdated Windows on your PC- The overlay function may be disabled if the Windows is outdated on your PC.
• Not providing Administrator privileges- The Administrator privileges are necessary to use the overlay functions on the game apps. If you have not granted Administrative rights to the GeForce Experience Client, you may not be able to use the overlay function.
• Disabled Experimental settings in the GeForce Experience Client- The NVIDIA overlay not working issue may arise if the Experimental settings are disabled in the GeForce Experience Client.
• NVIDIA third-party services on your PC- The third-party services of the NVIDIA GeForce Experience Client may disturb the functioning of the PC and you may not be able to use the overlay function on any game app.
• Issues with the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package installed on your PC- The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package installed on your PC needs to be updated and in the working condition to allow you to use the PC for advanced processes like using the overlay function on the game apps.
• The Media Feature Pack not installed on Windows N PC- You may experience the issue of NVIDIA overlay not working on your Windows N PC if the Media Feature Pack is not installed on your PC.
• The NVFBC Capture on NVIDIA GPU setting is enabled on the Steam app- The NVFBC Capture on NVIDIA GPU setting, may have been enabled on your PC. Though it helps you in using the Capture function on the Steam app, you may not be able to use the overlay function of the GeForce Experience Client due to the interference.
• Hardware acceleration and Overlay settings are enabled in the Spotify app- The Spotify app also has additional functions, which are, Hardware acceleration and overlay. These would help in using the Spotify app with ease on the PC but would hinder using the regular functionalities of the NVIDIA Graphics card or the in-game overlay function.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Before attempting to solve the NVIDIA overlay not working issue using any advanced methods, you can try the basic fixes explained below to fix the issue on your PC.

1. Restart PC

The overlay function may have been disabled due to a glitch on the PC; you can restart your PC to fix the issue. Press the Windows key, click on the Power button on the START menu, and click on the Restart option to force restart your PC.

2. Update Windows

If you are using an outdated Windows, you may face the error on the PC. To fix the issue, try updating the Windows OS on your PC. Read the article on how to download and install Windows 10 latest Update.

3. Close GeForce Experience Client

If there are many instances of the GeForce Experience Client opened on your PC, you may not be able to use the overlay function. You can try closing all the instances of the app on the Task Manager and then re-enable the overlay on the app. Refer to the article on how to close the background app using the link here; select the GeForce Experience Client and click on the End Task button to solve the issue.

The following troubleshooting methods can fix the bugs due to certain functionalities on the PC. These methods will help clear the NVIDIA overlay not working issue and clear all the bugs on the PC.

4. Use Keyboard Combination of Overlay Function

Sometimes the overlay function may not work using the conventional practice of enabling it on the GeForce Experience Client. In such cases, try hitting the Ctrl+ Shift + Windows + B keys simultaneously and check if you can use the overlay function on the game.

5. Update NVIDIA Graphics Driver

Since the NVIDIA GeForce Experience Client requires a highly updated Graphics driver to use the game overlay function, the outdated drivers on your PC can disturb the function. Refer to the article on how to update the NVIDIA Graphics driver on your PC to fix this issue.

6. Repair the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package

The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package may be corrupt or outdated on your PC and may not allow you to use any of the functionality of the Graphics driver. If this is the case, you can use the article given here to repair the Microsoft C++ Redistributable Package to fix the issue with the game overlay.

Also Read: Fix Geforce Experience Error Code 0x0003

Method 2: Troubleshoot GeForce Experience Client

The basic troubleshooting methods described in this section will help you fix the NVIDIA overlay not working issue on the GeForce Experience Client app.

1. Enable Ingame Overlay

The first method to troubleshoot the issue with the in-game overlay function is to check if the function is enabled or not on your PC. Read the method on how to enable the in-game overlay function on the GeForce Experience Client using the link provided here.

2. Run GeForce Experience Client as an Administrator

The GeForce Experience Client requires permission from the Administrator to use the functions on the app. You can use the article to read the method to run the GeForce Experience Client as an Administrator to fix this issue on your PC. You can then, try enabling the in-game overlay function on the app after providing the administrative privileges.

3. Reinstall GeForce Experience Client

If you still cannot fix the issue with the in-game overlay, you can try the method to uninstall and reinstall the GeForce Experience Client on your PC. Read the method on how to uninstall and reinstall the GeForce Experience Client on your PC to fix this issue using the link given here.

Also Read: Fix Origin Overlay Not Working in Windows 10

Method 3: Enable Experimental Features

The experimental features on the GeForce Experience Client app provide the access to the updates and features that are not released to all users. The NVIDIA overlay not working issue may arise if the experimental features are not enabled on your PC.

1. Search for the GeForce Experience in the search bar and click on the app result to launch the app on your PC.

2. Click on the Settings button on the home screen of the GeForce Experience.

3. Click on the GENERAL tab on the left pane of the window and check the Allow experimental features option. A GeForce Experience update may be required in the ABOUT section of the window.

Also Read: How to Manually Add Game to GeForce Experience

Method 4: Disable NVIDIA Third-party Services

The third-party services of the NVIDIA Graphics card on your PC may cause the NVIDIA overlay not working issue. To fix this issue, you can try disabling all the third-party services on the PC using the steps given in this section.

1. Press the Windows key, type System Configuration, and click on Open.

2. Navigate to the Services tab, select the option Hide all Microsoft services, select all the NVIDIA services and click on the Apply and OK buttons.

3. Click on the Restart button to restart your PC to save the changes.

Note: You can exit the Services window without a restart by clicking on the Exit without Restart button.

Method 5: Disable NVFBC Capture on NVIDIA GPU (If Applicable)

The NVFBC Capture on NVIDIA GPU setting allows you to use the NVIDIA GPU for capturing the game played on the Steam app. However, you may face the NVIDIA overlay not working issue while this function is enabled on your PC, as the two functionalities interfere with each other.

1. Hit the Windows key, type Steam and click on Open.

2. Click on the Steam tab on the top of the home page and click on the Settings tab in the list displayed.

3. Click on the In-Home Streaming tab on the left pane of the window, select the setting Use NVFBC capture on NVIDIA GPU in the Advanced Host Options section, and click on the OK button.

4. Close the Steam app and check if the GeForce Experience Client works with the overlay option on your PC.

Also Read: Fix GeForce Experience Won’t Open in Windows 10

Method 6: Modify Spotify Settings

The Spotify app has additional settings enabled which help in using the Spotify app for streaming purposes. These additional settings may cause the NVIDIA overlay not working issue on the PC as the two settings get interfered with each other.

1. Hit the Windows key, type Spotify, and click on Open.

2. Click on the three horizontal dots at the top-left corner of the home page, move the cursor to the Edit tab on the list, and click on the Preferences tab on the adjacent menu.

3. In the Settings screen, toggle off the setting Show desktop overlay when using media keys in the Display section to turn off the Display overlay.

Note: After the Display overlay on the Spotify app is turned off, you will be able to use the in-game overlay of the NVIDIA GPU as the interference has been cleared.

4. Toggle off the option Enable hardware acceleration setting in the Compatibility section of the Settings screen.

Note: The hardware acceleration is an additional feature that helps in the streaming process of the playlists on the Spotify app.

Also Read: Fix Unable to Install Driver Update Through GeForce Experience

Method 7: Install Media Feature Pack (For Windows N)

The method to install the Windows Feature Pack is suited exclusively for Windows 10 N users. So, please check the System specifications on your PC before proceeding with this method. Installing the Windows Feature Pack on your Windows N PC can help clear the issue of NVIDIA overlay not working on the GeForce experience Client.

1. Press the Windows key, type Google Chrome and click on Open.

2. Open the official website of the Microsoft Media Pack download page.

3. In the Downloads section, click on the Select edition drop-down menu and click on the option Media Feature Pack – Version 1903 (May 2019) in the list displayed.

4. Click on the Confirm button on the section to confirm the selection of the Media Feature Pack.

5. Click on the 64-bit Download button on the screen to download the Media Feature Pack.

Note: If the PC has a specification of 32-bit, click on the 32-bit Download button to download the app.

6. Run the downloaded executable file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Media Feature Pack on your PC.

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The main purpose of the article is to elaborate on the methods to fix NVIDIA overlay not working issue on your Windows PC. If you are facing the GeForce experience overlay not working on your PC after repetitive trials, you can use the methods explained in this article to fix the issue on your PC. Try implementing all the methods on your PC to fix the issue of In game overlay not working on your PC on the GeForce Experience client app. Please let us know your suggestions on the NVIDIA overlay issue and feel free to raise your queries on the same in the comments section below.