Windows 10: Disabled GameBar, GameMode, GameDVR in every way possible and yet ...

I complete removed all AppX packages using a custom WIM image made with MSMG Toolkit and then further removed a lot of bloatware by editing State (AppX) Repository SQL Database, which made it possible to remove provisioned AppX's and the "hard-coded" ones MS does not want anyone to remove. The only 2 AppX's left are the ones necessary for normal OS function:
1. Immersive Control Panel - self-explanatory - has important settings and options not present in classic Control Panel.
2. ShellExperienceHost - you need it for the Metro Start UI, which is not necessary, but without this AppX your Taskbar will act funny, especially in games.
3. (Optional) MS Edge - need it for Netflix playback at 1080p and unlike the Netflix App, it does not require Store, associated VCLibs, Frameworks, and other bloatware.

My "Program Files\WindowsApps" folder is empty, my "User\AppData\Local\Packages" contains only ActiveSync, Edge, Immersive CP, and ShellExperienceHost folders. The same applies to "ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository" directory and sub-directories where the only files, folders, and sub-folders present are for the 3 AppX's I mentioned.

My point is that even though my setup as bloatware free as common sense allows, I still cannot get rid of the damn Xbox Game features! Xbox Apps were not even installed and fully eradicated. I applied tweaks like:

- Disabled all Xbox-related services and drivers

- Set "Disable FullScreen Optimizations" for every game EXE in Properties-->Compatibility tab.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR]"AppCaptureEnabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\GameBar]"AllowAutoGameMode"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GameDVR]"AllowGameDVR"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore]"GameDVR_Enabled"=dword:00000000"GameDVR_FSEBehavior"=dword:00000002"GameDVR_FSEBehaviorMode"=dword: 00000002

[HKEY_USERS\MyUserNameSID\System\GameConfigStore]"GameDVR_Enabled"=dword:00000000"GameDVR_FSEBehavior"=dword:00000002"GameDVR_FSEBehaviorMode"=dword: 00000002

The GameDVR Policy setting alone is supposed to disable them all, except for Game Mode maybe, but other tweaks were necessary to prevent Broadcast and DVR services from appearing in Task Manager when games were launched.

Yet given all that, I still have "GameBarPresenceWriter.exe" from System32 folder showing up whenever I launch any game!!! The only way to get rid of it is to either rename it or to delete it or to move, but that results in Event Log errors for every launched Game.EXE and will get repaired with every "SFC ScanNow" run.

How do I make GameBarPresenceWrite stop starting up with games without deleting/renaming/moving it, without doing something that would neither be repaired with SFC ScanNow nor produce Event Log errors?

:)

 

Gamebar process problem

Yeah, Like many people here have commented I have disabled everything in relation to Windows Game mode, gamedvr and gamebar in the settings menu. When that failed to fix the issue, I disabled everything in the registry in relation to game mode, gamedvr and
gamebar. That stupid gamebar presence process was still there. Then I used powershell to remove the xbox app. Still there. It only started doing this today. Please get rid of this crap and give me back control over what runs on my own computer.

Thanks.

 

Game DVR - Access is Denied

I'd like to share my solution to this issue.

I was trying to get game DVR to work in the first place to disable it overriding usage of the guide button on the controller so I could use it properly in Steam.

Here is how I made GameDVR work:

1. Run the Xbox app

2. After clicking settings and GameDVR you should find your access denied message

3. Run a game through the Xbox application, I used Minecraft for this since it was offered as a free promotion when I first installed win10

4. The gamebar showed up (Win+G) and I was able to record footage using it

5. (optional) Using the settings menu on the gamebar itself after popping up I was able to disable the guide button, this isn't what most people are after but it's the setting I wanted.

6. After my 30 second Minecraft recording all the options suddenly became accessible for me.

 

I do not think that is possible, you want to break Windows functionality and not it to complain about it. *really
If you take ownership of the file & remove all users or deny access to all, it will prevent SFC scan from fixing it.
I have just tested it & it works, not sure about event log errors, I have event logging & event service disabled.

For the record, I share the feeling, I have disabled gamebar and this thing just kept running. Darn you MS. *Rolleyes

 

Sweet! Thanks! I did not know Event Log can be disabled and the 2 Network-related services that rely on it without breaking internet connection! Heh! More tweakage!

I made a backup of the GameBarPresenceWriter.exe and the other 5-6 Game-bla-bla files and deleted them without any ill effects!

What is funny is that Game Mode actually improved my benchmark results in terms of FPS, but there were so many stutters that are now gone for good!

 

I found out how to disable GameBarPresenceWriter without breaking the OS!

1. You need to rename (or delete) both KnownGameList.bin files to something else - rename the one in "Windows\BCastDVR" directory first and only then rename the one in "User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\GameDVR" directory using Unlocker (may require restart). If you do it the other way around, then risk the OS copying the KnownGameList.bin file from BCastDVR into the User directory.

Then you need to navigate to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore" registry directory, find Children and Parent keys and delete ALL "hex-encoded" sub-keys under them as those sub-keys were created when you launched any game on that KnownGameList. Now, this does break SFC ScanNow, but it will repair it too since another non-active KnownGameList.bin file is located in "Windows\WinSxS" directory.

 

That game mode and the "optimisations" that came with it is the most pointless and buggy windows update ive known since millenium edition *Biggrin . The "creators update" lit up the internet with issues. I had massive drops in gpu usage , black screens , issues with colour profiles , games crashing , wasted hours sorting it all out . It needs killing dead

 

I did this and GamePresenceWriter.exe still starts every time i start a game. Any other suggestions?

 

You can simply remove it.

Code: takeown /f "%WinDir%\System32\GameBarPresenceWriter.exe" /a icacls "%WinDir%\System32\GameBarPresenceWriter.exe" /grant:r Administrators:F /c taskkill /im GameBarPresenceWriter.exe /f del "%WinDir%\System32\GameBarPresenceWriter.exe" /s /f /q[/quote]

 

I dont't think that works *Sad





Dunno if this is of any help.

 

[/quote] Does not work.

 

hello boys, i found how to disable GameBarPresenceWriter.exe (This is a telemetry program that sends statistics of the behavior of the game with the included game bar)

Step 1:
Go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsRuntime\ActivatableClassId\Windows.Gaming.GameBar.Pres enceServer.Internal.PresenceWriter"

Step 2:
Set owner "Everyone" or "Administrators" or "Current User", and assign full permissions

Step 3:
set "ActivationType" to "0"

 

Hi, can you please explain how to do Step 2?

I am seeing this, I'm not sure how to get past it. I am the only user and owner of the PC.

 

Turn it on, let it update then disable it inside.