Annoyed by Steam forcing Big Picture Mode when I press my Xbox Guide button (as you may be too since you're here), I created a 'set and forget' script for my PC.
I did some digging to find out what's happening with Steam and the Guide assignment and arrived at a simple PowerShell script that removes all Guide button bindings when the Steam Client launches.
🚨 BTW, developers...
I'm looking for help that will allow everyone to have a 'double-click' setup
using an automated Scheduled Task creation tool. I'm close but stretched
for time and specific knowledge to get it over the line. Can you help?
If you're good with PowerShell, take a stab at Scheduled Task automation | XML and PowerShell
You press your Guide button to access Xbox Game Bar (for example) and BAM, Big Picture Mode from nowhere.
You've tried disabling it, you've toggled different things off, then on, and back to off but you're getting nowhere... "Why isn't it working, what am I doing wrong?"
You've been set up to fail as Steam re-maps that button at launch and again at exit. It does it a bunch of other times, too (when opening specific option pages), and it just keeps coming back.
You don't need to be forgiven for thinking that switching off a COMEDY-SIZED giant button in the settings that says "Guide button focuses Steam", might do the trick, because no, it doesn't, it's not you.
Targeting the SDL config directly ('guide' is a non-Steam assignment so unlikely to ever change), the script removes all bindings (from all controllers) in your settings. It doesn't matter if you're using a PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, aftermarket, off-brand or other controller - the Guide button will no longer be bound (in Steam) after the file runs.
Everything else is unaffected and Game Bar will work as normal - it's just the Guide button assignment within Steam that's unmapped
You'll need PowerShell (>v7) to use this script. To check, open up PowerShell and run the below to find your version:
$PSVersionTable
If you don't have PowerShell 7, see Installing PowerShell on Windows
1 - Grab Guide Unbind - Default Steam Install Location.ps1 and save it to C:\PS\Guide Unbind - Default Steam Install Location.ps1 (for simplicity later)
2 - Adjust your Powershell execution policy. In Powershell 7, type Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted and hit enter. Read about PowerShell execution policy.
3 - Open Steam and, (after a few seconds), run the script. You should find that BPM is no longer mapped. If so, carry on reading to implement auto-triggering of the script when Steam launches, or leave now and live with double-clicking it when needed.
your Steam install DIR is detected automatically provided that it's installed on C:. If not, edit line 11 of the script, changing "C:" to the drive letter where Steam lives.
You can either manually just run the script some time after Steam launches (four seconds works for me, although YMMV), or you can automate it using some Windows trickery...
- Configure a Scheduled Task. You'll need an admin account available for the task to be run under.
- Enable Audit process tracking (Start>Run
gpedit.msc), and set audit 'Success' and 'Failure' flags in the Security Policy.
Computer Configuration --> Windows Settings --> Security Settings --> Local Policies --> Audit Policy --> Audit Process Tracking, configure and enable both success and failure Screenshot
Then either use the included template, or create your own task Manually
(Right-click, open in new tab) ---> Included template - use this to create your own Scheduled Task.
Update it to match your own settings and import it into Task Scheduler...
-
<Author>- change this to your PC name and Username (COMPUTERNAME-CHANGE\ME).- Use
whoamiin CMD to easily get it.
- Use
-
<UserId>- Your S-1-123456789.... number.- Use
wmic useraccount get name,sidin CMD to easily get it.
- Use
-
<Arguments>- Set the path where you placed the PowerShell Script<Arguments>-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -WindowStyle Hidden -File "**C:\PATH TO SCRIPT\Guide Unbind - Default Steam Install Location.ps1**"</Arguments>
-
Getting the above settings right in the file is paramount to this working so take the time to DOUBLE check those values now before moving on.
- Now triple check them.
-
Open up your Task Scheduler and import the task Screenshot
TESTING - Open Steam and check to see that after 8 seconds (the default), PowerShell runs in the background.
-
✅ BPM has gone - Good! You're all done 🤜🏻🤛🏻
-
❌ BPM opened - Bad. I reckon you've missed something and if I had to guess I'd put my money on the
<Author>,<UserId>&<Arguments>tags.- You might like to check out how to manually to apply the template to disgnose any issues - read on!
Here's how to manually create the task yourself (within Task Scheduler...)
(Triggers > On an Event > Custom > XML)
<QueryList>
<Query Id="0" Path="Application">
<Select Path="Application">
*[System[Provider[@Name='Application'] and (Level=4 or Level=0) and (EventID=4688)]]
and
*[EventData[Data[@Name='NewProcessName'] and (Data='**C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe**')]]
</Select>
</Query>
</QueryList>
(Task Scheduler --> Actions --> Start a Program)
'Program/Script' pwsh
'Arguments' -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -WindowStyle Hidden -File "C:\PS\Guide Unbind - Default Steam Install Location.ps1"
This assumes the location of the script is in a folder named 'PS', on the root of C: - Update as necessary!
Specify these additional settings (and their values), not that almost but not all of the options are checked.
- Allow task to be run on demand
- Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed
- If the task fails, restart every: 1 Minute
- Attempt to restart up to: 3 times
- Stop the task if it runs longer than: 1 hour
- If the running task does not end when requested, force it to stop
- If the task is not scheduled to run again, delete it after: ❌ (Unchecked)
- If the task is already running, then the following rule applies: Stop the existing instance
A full set of reference screenshots are available (CTRL+click to open each in a new tab) - General - Triggers - Actions - Conditions - Settings
You can verify the success of this by first disabling the Task and testing your Guide button in Steam. It should enter BPM.
Now exit Steam, re-enable the Task you just created, open Steam and test it again. BPM should be a thing of the past. If for whatever reason BPM opens at this point, please Raise an Issue and I will help you get set up. If issues aren't for you and you still need help, you can optionally drop into Discussions and ask for help there.
You'll find both copies of the config.vdf in the diff check of config.vfd folder - before-config.vdf, and after-config.vdf.
The final Diff Check (minus all my personal info) is also available, here Remove all Guide button binds (guide:bxx) from 'config.vdf'
Contributions are what make the open source community such an amazing place to learn, inspire, and create. Any contributions you make are more than welcome, and greatly appreciated.
If you have a suggestion that would make this Repo better then please do contribute by either forking the repo and creating a pull request, joining in with discussions, or opening an issue with the "enhancement" tag - whatever works for you 🙏🏻
Don't forget to give the project a star! Thanks again!
🪲 Discovered a bug? Please open a Bug report so that I can fix/polish/improve it!
This software is provided as-is and, although I have tested it on my machine, a couple of test VM's, in Windows Sandbox, and on my unsuspecting mates' PC, I'm afraid that I cannot accept any liability for 'damages', howsoever caused. Please understand that by using this software you do so at your own risk, and that constitutes your acceptance of the fact that I am not responsible for anything that has happened in the past by not using it, anything that may happen as a result of using it now, or by either using it, or not, in future - it's ultimately up to you if you choose to use it, regardless of how awesome it is 🙏🏻
Reach me via Discussions, if you need me! 👍🏻
Project Link: CriticalPoint/Remove-Steam-Guide-Button-Bind---Disable-Big-Picture-Mode
Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.txt for more information.