Undoubtedly, the Windows gaming platform is here for the long haul. Windows has focused on developing the Xbox gaming platform as a core engine for running Windows games. The Gamebar.exe program launches on your Windows background whenever you run the Xbox Game Bar software. What is Gamebar.exe? Is it a Virus?
Several programs run concurrently on your Windows operating system background whenever you launch the Xbox Game Bar software on your PC. You may have come across the Gamebar.exe utility program when trying to investigate a spike in CPU usage on your PC.
The Gamebar.exe is one of the utility programs that run on your Windows background whenever you run the Xbox Game Bar software on your computer. The article below covers everything you need to know about the Gamebar.exe utility program. What is Gamebar.exe? Is it a Virus?
What is Gamebar.exe?
The Gamebar.exe is a utility program that forms part of the Xbox Game Bar software, Xbox.Apps. GamingOverlay, or Xbox gaming overlay software. You can get the Gamebar.exe program if you have the Xbox gaming platform on your Windows PC. The Xbox utility program has a [.exe] file extension name, thus dignifying it as a self-executing program that runs in the background whenever the Xbox Game Bar software is running in your Windows operating system.
The Gamebar.exe utility program supports the Xbox gaming services and the Xbox widget. The Xbox utility program is responsible for running the Xbox widget features such as the gallery, capture, Xbox social, Xbox achievements, Spotify, audio, Performance resources, and looking for groups.
Is Gamebar.exe a virus?
The Gamebar.exe program is not a virus because it is a legit utility program from Microsoft Inc. The Xbox utility program has a [.exe] file extension with a 15% dangerous technical security rating. You can get a corrupt version of the Gamebar.exe program from unethical websites that can cause your system to be unstable. It is rare to get the illegitimate version of the Gamebar.exe utility program because its file location is outside the sensitive System32 folder.
What is the file location of the Gamebar.exe?
You can locate the Gamebar.exe utility program if the Xbox Game Bar software is active on your Windows operating system. You can locate the Gamebar.exe utility program inside the [C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay_3.36.6003.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\] file path.
Is it safe to disable the Gamebar.exe program?
The Gamebar.exe utility program is not essential for running the Windows operating system. You can disable the Gamebar.exe utility program, but it will interfere with the Xbox gaming platform on your computer. Disabling the Xbox program might prevent you from communicating with your friends on the Xbox gaming platform, listening to music while playing Xbox games, or sharing your gaming moment with your online friends.
You can disable the program if you want to prevent your child from communicating with online strangers while playing Xbox games or if the program is causing your OS to lag due to consuming excess CPU resources or network resources.
Processes for removing the Gamebar.exe utility program
Several options exist for disabling/removing the Gamebar.exe utility program from your Windows OS. You can pick your preferred method depending on whether you want to remove the Gamebar.exe program or temporarily disable it.
Method 1: Disabling Gamebar.exe from Settings
You can follow the steps below to disable the Gamebar.exe utility program using the Settings feature on your Windows.
Step 1: Start by right-clicking on the Start Windows icon at the bottom left of your Taskbar.
Step 2: Locate the Gaming section before clicking on it.
Step 3: Locate the Xbox Game Bar section before clicking on the toggle switch OFF to disable the Gamebar.exe utility program.
Step 4: Clicking on the toggle switch will temporarily stop the Gamebar.exe utility program from running on your computer.
Method 2: Uninstalling the Gamebar.exe utility program
You can follow the steps below to uninstall the Gamebar.exe utility program from your PC.
Step 1: Press the CTRL + SHIFT + ESC buttons to launch the Task Manager console before clicking on the Details tab.
Step 2: Locate the Game bar utility program before right-clicking on it.
Step 3: Click on the End task option from the context menu to terminate the Xbox Game Bar program.
Step 4: Click on the Windows Start icon at the bottom left before locating the Xbox Game Bar program.
Step 5: Right-click on the Xbox Game Bar program before clicking on the More option. Locate the App settings option from the context menu before clicking on it.
Step 6: Scroll until you locate the Uninstall button on the Xbox Game Bar window. Click on the Uninstall button to complete uninstalling the Gamebar.exe utility program.
Method 3: Using the DISM Command
Follow the steps below to run the DISM Command on your PC to uninstall the Xbox Game bar package.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start Windows icon before clicking on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option to launch the PowerShell terminal with Administrator privileges.
Step 2: Type the [dism /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages | Select-String PackageName | Select-String xbox] Command before pressing the Enter Key.
Step 3: Type the [Get-ProvisionedAppxPackage -Online | `] Command before pressing the Enter key.
Step 4: Type the [Where-Object { $_.PackageName -match “xbox” } | `] Command before hitting the Enter key.
Step 5: Type the [ForEach-Object { Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage -Online -PackageName $_.PackageName }] Command before hitting the Enter key to complete the process.
Step 6: Ensure you are running the DISM Command using an Administrator User Account to prevent the Commands from executing due to lack of Administrator permission/privileges.
Conclusion
You can also access the Xbox Game Bar Settings section to fix problems with your Gamebar.exe utility program. Access the Xbox Game Bar Settings page before scrolling until you locate the Repair button. Clicking on the Repair button will ensure you fix a corrupt Gamebar.exe utility program.
You can delete any Gamebar.exe utility program running outside the default file path. You can delete a malicious Gamebar.exe program by locating it using the Task Manager before opening its file location. Delete the entire contents of the malicious Gamebar.exe program to prevent it from interfering with your Windows OS.
