Xbox 360 Controller: Steam thinks guide button is held down only for one game (its steam, not the game) and bind has stuck itself

[shanie]

I'm having a frustrating issue that there is seemingly no fix for.

I play Grand Theft Auto IV Steam Edition with a Xbox 360 Controller on Windows 10. I had my controller setup in Steam so that the Desktop had a "disabled" profile, stopping all useless interference from the controller with my desktop, and in the Guide Button Chord configuration, I disabled EVERYTHING except for the right bumper to take a screenshot.

For many weeks this worked perfect: I held down the guide button, which maintained the current input to GTA IV - if I was holding right trigger, then held the guide button down, then released the right trigger, the game would still detect the right trigger as being held down, and if i pressed the right bumper, it would ONLY take a screenshot in Steam, and not send the right bumper input to GTA IVwhich is GOOD because it doesnt interfere with the game.

However, literally overnight, with ZERO changes to my entire PC, i played GTA IV today, and then suddenly, just pressing the right bumper alone takes screenshots. I thought my guide button was physically stuck, so I tried out some guide chords on the Desktop, but it worked fine. Only when I go into GTA IV, Steam (ONLY) thinks the guide button is held down.

I tried many things to fix it, all of which sort of "worked":

- Disabling Xbox controller configuration support in Steam Controller Settings
- Disabling Steam input in the controller section of the properties of GTA IV in steam
- Unbinding the screenshot shortcut from the guide button chord.

However, with each option, the result is the same: the original guide button chord works, as described above, however it NO LONGER maintains the current input to GTA IV, instead, it doesnt block itself from GTA IV.

So, it takes a screenshot, but also sends a right bumper input to GTA IV, which for example pulls the handbrake on a car while im driving. the skid marks then show in the screenshot.

Also, this screenshot shortcut seems to have hardcoded it into steam and disabling it does NOTHING, even after restarting PC, re-plugging controller, starting steam with controller plugged/unplugged. Even if i have everything unbound and disabled, the shortcut still works as above, but in that glitched way.

I have tried everything and searched online for hours. I tried shutting down steam, unplugging my controller, deleting ALL steam vdf files for controller i could find, restarting PC, re-configging from scratch, but the issue always comes back and the only fixes available always result in the same issue where it sends input to GTA IV.

I am talking about GTA IV because this is the only game on my PC I have that supports a controller. I assume this will apply to all other games that support a controller as it is clearly an issue with Steam's shockingly user unfriendly controller options.

[agentlouisiana1]

just don't play GTA 4 with a controller bruh

[shanie]

Archive: https://archive.ph/C3yaE & https://web.archive.org/web/20210206235734/https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/3119273879028091754/

This bug has been fixed by Steam in the 5 February 2021 Update:

- Steam.exe file version: 6.35.27.55
- Steam.exe application version: 01.00.00.01
- Steam API: v020
- Steam package versions: 1612493737
- Built: Feb 4 2021, at 18:26:13

To get the proper behaviour described in this post from ANY setup:
(Holding the Guide Button maintains the current input to game, then you press right trigger to take a Steam screenshot, but the right trigger input isn't sent to the game, then releasing the Guide Button returns controls to normal - and any inputs to the controller while on the desktop have no effect)

1. Click Steam menu icon in the top left of Steam.
2. Click Settings
3. Click General Controller Settings
4. Make sure "Xbox Configuration Support" is ticked and "Guide Button Focuses Steam" is unticked
5. Close the window"
6. Click "Desktop Configuration
7. Click "Browse Configs"
8. Select "Recommended" on the left
9. Select "Disabled"
10. Click OK if warned
11. Click Done
12. Click "Guide Button Chord Configuration"
13. Select the Right Trigger and click the camera icon in the top left of the virtual keyboard. Optionally you can disable everything else. Here's my setup: https://i.imgur.com/IewBwzB.png
14. Click Done
15. Click OK
16. Right click on GTA IV in your Steam library and hit properties.
17. Click Controller on the left.
18. On the "Override" dropdown, select "Use Default Settings"
19. Close the window
20. Right click on GTA IV in your Steam library, hover over "Manage", then click "Controller Configuration"
21. Click "Browse Configs"
22. Select "Recommended" on the left
23. Select "Grand Theft Auto IV (Default)" by Rockstar North
24. Click OK if warned
25. Click Done

If you have questions or something isnt working for you on this solution please just ask, I try my best to be as responsive as I can.