Steam Overlay is broken for me. Freezes, turns black.

[Mad]

TL;DR - Steam overlay chat and friends list either freezes, or turns into black panels every time I use it, often repeatedly. Issue began after Steam upgraded friends list layout, within the last year. Google search fixes haven't helped.

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Often when I'm in a game, and I'm shift+tabbing in and out of the game to send chat messages, the chat window will freeze - I can hear new messages coming in but nothing shows up. I can't type or send any messages. I have to close the chat window and the friends list, re-open them all, and then I can chat again.

If it's not that issue - then the chat window and friends list just turn into giant black panels. I have to close them (even though I can't see the x) and then re-open everything. This issue is more common than the first one I explained.

It's happening every single day, multiple times in a gaming session. I've become so used to it that I didn't even think to ask for help. I've reinstalled Steam at least 3 times. I've used Steam for 10+ years, and I've NEVER had issues like this, until this past year. The issues only started happening after they updated the friends list layout, when they added mini profiles etc.

It's really infuriating...

[Iceira]

Problem is its hard to say its DNS issue or steam webcache, and same time that old proxy issue with outdate content . and it dont make it better then it dont fit "I have to close the chat window and the friends list, re-open them all, and then I can chat again."
its like you effect by something that drag it down.

and yet it all fit with Graphic drivers issue or pc heat or dusty pc inside, and you start to see effect of this. ( or a unstable pc, and just because i said all this dont make it true. but now you have something to work with or check up on, dont suspect many helper here, this is a hard on untill someone nail the right thing that do it.

ps.
dont forget steam server has act odd in the last month, even that is possible. so reboot router and pc 3minuter after is also a good advice to clear all from own end connection if the problem is even that.

[Iceira]

And dont OC , also look like RAM mem issue ( mem leak ) again simple to many things can cause this. ( its not that simple )

[Mad]

All of my games run fine, at maximum settings. Overwatch, Dead by Daylight, Apex Legends. No lag issues, no freezing. It's not an issue with my PC, it's an issue with the Steam overlay. I've seen it repeated many times across the web, multiple Reddit threads etc. - but most answers come down to 're-install Steam.'

Rebooting the router and PC have nothing to do with this issue - it happens even after I've recently restarted the PC. And I don't see how what I explained would be related to my router...

Could a memory leak really affect solely the Steam overlay, without also affecting the Steam application?

[Iceira]

引用自 allMadhere：

All of my games run fine, at maximum settings. Overwatch, Dead by Daylight, Apex Legends. No lag issues, no freezing. It's not an issue with my PC, it's an issue with the Steam overlay. I've seen it repeated many times across the web, multiple Reddit threads etc. - but most answers come down to 're-install Steam.'

Rebooting the router and PC have nothing to do with this issue - it happens even after I've recently restarted the PC. And I don't see how what I explained would be related to my router...

Could a memory leak really affect solely the Steam overlay, without also affecting the Steam application?

no its possible steam and its settings, problem is , is it your steam or steam web cache and cookie,

dont forget you blaim Overlay, thats is a background task, and thats why i suggest check pc with diffrent system issue. ( most will agree on that, and aslong you are alone in this, it will be seen as your pc only. ) or you will had 100 of other steam user that will agree with you.

you need to see them as suggestion only, check pc is update and dont OC , check for addware , and so on, reset steam webcache and cookie , as i said you are alone atm. and thats not good. untill a helper have a idea and nail the issue.

[Iceira]

do you have other overlay running , plenty of them today, discord, nvidia, again its fishing suggestions. ( the more you tell us the better you help yourself. )

[Mad]

引用自 Iceira：

no its possible steam and its settings, problem is , is it your steam or steam web cache and cookie,

dont forget you blaim Overlay, thats is a background task, and thats why i suggest check pc with diffrent system issue. ( most will agree on that, and aslong you are alone in this, it will be seen as your pc only. ) or you will had 100 of other steam user that will agree with you.

you need to see them as suggestion only, check pc is update and dont OC , check for addware , and so on, reset steam webcache and cookie , as i said you are alone atm. and thats not good. untill a helper have a idea and nail the issue.

Do you really think I wouldn't have reset steam webcache? I already said how this issue is all over the web (as I tried looking for help there, first). I am most certainly NOT alone in this issue lol. You're telling me to make sure my PC is up to date? I'm surprised you didn't ask "did you try turning it off and on again?" (Although I guess you kind of did...) I don't overclock my PC, if that's what you meant by "don't OC." Like I explained - I have issues with literally nothing else on my PC at this time.

Regardless - if it were an issue with something I was doing, it would have happened at some point during the past 10 years that I've used Steam. It's a recent issue, that only happened after they made major changes to the friends list and social layout.

You can Google "Steam overlay freezes" or "Steam overlay chat goes black" and you'll see just how not-alone I am in this. I'll give you a few samples:

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/game-ready-drivers/13/300716/problem-black-windows-with-steam-overlay-integrati/

https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/topic/439104-anyone-ever-have-their-steam-overlay-turn-black/

https://windowsreport.com/steam-windows-going-black/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/96624o/friends_list_and_chat_windows_suddenly_all_black/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/dcwjhg/steam_overlay_browser_goes_black_all_the_time/

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/1681441347881408677/?ctp=5

Thanks for your reply, anyhow.

[Mad]

引用自 Iceira：

do you have other overlay running , plenty of them today, discord, nvidia, again its fishing suggestions. ( the more you tell us the better you help yourself. )

Thank you for trying to help. The bug occurs when Discord overlay is on, it also occurs when I'm not using Discord at all. I don't use any other overlays. I close other applications (like Origin) if I'm using Steam.

[Nx Machina]

Are you using the release or beta version of the Steam client?

[Mad]

引用自 Kusa：

Are you using the release or beta version of the Steam client?

In my settings, I am not participating in beta releases - so unless it happens some other way, I don't think I've ever used a Steam beta.

[Mad]

I should also mention - it's not the entire overlay that freezes or blacks out. It's just the chat windows and friends list. The overlay still works, I can click on discussions, guides, the web browser. It's only chat and friends windows.

[Nx Machina]

Switch to the beta version and test. I use the beta and do not have the issues you describe.

[Iceira]

turn off hardware accelration in discord and steam client settings both have such option and it use GPU , according to your own posted links, but then it goes down hill from there to beta client and vulkan drivers. and yet thread claim it solved.

[ReBoot]

Toggle the hardware acceleration setting. Turning it off helped me in a limilar case.

[Iceira]

引用自 ReBoot：

Toggle the hardware acceleration setting. Turning it off helped me in a limilar case.

thx Reboot, its simple one of them rare problem, depend on hardware or software, that dont fit all, everytime i check for that option its never that, atleast you had good experience with change it.

[Mad]

引用自 ReBoot：

Toggle the hardware acceleration setting. Turning it off helped me in a limilar case.

I've tried it for a little while now and it seems to have stopped the outright freezing and black-screening. It is still very laggy at times, having to slow down or wait after I type a sentence. But it seems better now.