Unable to open Steam overlay and take screenshots

[Michael-san OP]

I think the title describes my issue... I used to be able to do this, but then all of a sudden it just all stopped working for me...

[xarvn]

Go to Settings -> "In Game" and make sure that:

• Steam Overlay is enabled
  
• The Overlay shortcut key is correctly set
  
• The "Take a screenshot" key is correct

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by xarvn:

Go to Settings -> "In Game" and make sure that:

• Steam Overlay is enabled
  
• The Overlay shortcut key is correctly set
  
• The "Take a screenshot" key is correct

All of those really are enabled and set, and it's still not working for me...

[ReBoot]

Is it for one specific game? How many & which games have you tried?

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Is it for one specific game? How many & which games have you tried?

It appears to be all of my games...

[xarvn]

Are you running another program such as FRAPS or MSI Afterburner which can interfere with the Steam Overlay?

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by xarvn:

Are you running another program such as FRAPS or MSI Afterburner which can interfere with the Steam Overlay?

MSI Afterburner sounds familiar, where do I find it in my files?

[xarvn]

I am inclined to believe that you are not running MSI Afterburner as you would most likely know if you were running the program.

Don't know if this will work but it is easy enough to try:

1. Start a program such as TF2 and then type Shift-Tab once in an attempt to bring up the Overlay.
   
2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then select the Task Manager in the list in the blue screen.
   
3. In Task Manager, look for the background process called gameoverlayui.exe and end it.
   
4. Now alt-tab back to TF2 and Press Shirt-Tab.
   
5. Does the overlay work?

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by xarvn:

I am inclined to believe that you are not running MSI Afterburner as you would most likely know if you were running the program.

Don't know if this will work but it is easy enough to try:

1. Start a program such as TF2 and then type Shift-Tab once in an attempt to bring up the Overlay.
   
2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then select the Task Manager in the list in the blue screen.
   
3. In Task Manager, look for the background process called gameoverlayui.exe and end it.
   
4. Now alt-tab back to TF2 and Press Shirt-Tab.
   
5. Does the overlay work?

Oddly, I'm able to open overlay and take screenshots in TF2, but not other games... Also, sorry for the late response, I just spent a few day not playing my Steam games.

[xarvn]

No problem. Sorry if the method does not work in other games. Try the beta interface. Try disabling "GPU acceleration" in Settings -> Interface. I can't think of anything else ATM.

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by xarvn:

No problem. Sorry if the method does not work in other games. Try the beta interface. Try disabling "GPU acceleration" in Settings -> Interface. I can't think of anything else ATM.

And unfortunately that didn't work either... But because this works for me for TF2, could there be something about Bethesda games with this?

[xarvn]

I tested some Elder Scrolls games. It seems the overlay does not work for Arena, Daggerfall, and Skyrim. Arena and Daggerfall are DOS based so that is as expected. I don't remember ever using the overlay for Skyrim but did notice the absence at startup of the "Access Steam features from the overlay while playing" popup. It may be that the overlay was never supported for this game, or possibly, that it is no longer supported given that the original version has been removed from the Steam Store. The overlay works okay for Skyrim "Special Edition" which is now sold in its place and is free for owners of the original. Morrowind and Oblivion also support the overlay.

[Michael-san OP]

Originally posted by xarvn:

I tested some Elder Scrolls games. It seems the overlay does not work for Arena, Daggerfall, and Skyrim. Arena and Daggerfall are DOS based so that is as expected. I don't remember ever using the overlay for Skyrim but did notice the absence at startup of the "Access Steam features from the overlay while playing" popup. It may be that the overlay was never supported for this game, or possibly, that it is no longer supported given that the original version has been removed from the Steam Store. The overlay works okay for Skyrim "Special Edition" which is now sold in its place and is free for owners of the original. Morrowind and Oblivion also support the overlay.

Well Morrowind is the one I've been playing the most lately, and I'm no longer able to use overlay or take screenshots... If you look at my screenshots, you could tell that taking screenshots matters to me, and I'd love to still be able to take screenshots of these games. Fallout 4 I haven't played yet, and I'm worried the overlay and screenshots might not work for it now..

[RPG Gamer Man]

Try a steam config flush. This may reset the issue you are having.

[Michael-san OP]

Just an update, I played Oblivion today on my abhorrently slow and useless computer just to take some screenshots. I appreciate all your advices, and I've tried all of them on my laptop, and unfortunately they didn't work... I was able to open overlay in Fallout New Vegas, and hopefully the rest of the Fallouts, but Elder Scrolls (Which I play just as much as Fallout) it looks like I'm doomed taking any more funny screenshots in unless I play on a different monitor...