Modders figure out how to enable Windows taskbar in GeForce NOW session

Modders have figured out how to turn NVIDIA's GeForce NOW cloud gaming service into a traditional Windows environment that can be used for tasks other than gaming. Zortos and dpadGuy on YouTube published a tutorial showing how to enable the Windows taskbar in a GeForce NOW session, as well as customize the taskbar and change the wallpaper.

The tutorial takes advantage of the Steam browser's ability to modify files installed on the GeForce NOW VM. The only caveat is that this trick apparently only works on paid versions of GeForce NOW and won't work with the service's free tier. The tutorial first guides the user to install a game called Trove, then open Steam's built-in browser by right-clicking the game's publisher name on the game's store page and opening the URL in a new tab (which opens a new browser window within Steam). From the URL bar in the browser window, the tutorial tells users to type in C:/ to gain access to the VM's storage drive, head to the Trove folder, add the Trove executable to the directory path, then copy the directory path.

Afterwards the tutorial has the user go to "salsa.zortos.me" from the Steam browser, triggering a restriction error, which then opens up a "Save As" dialog box. From there, the tutorial tells the user to paste in the aforementioned directory path and click save. After downloading it, the tutorial tells the user to run the Trove game from Steam, which then triggers the modified file, unlocking the taskbar and installing several applications.

With the taskbar active, users are able to open apps and use the GeForce NOW session as a traditional Windows 11 desktop experience. It is unclear if you can install apps as you normally would with Windows 10 or 11, through a web browser, but third-party apps do work. For instance, Zortos shared a screenshot on X of LM Studio running on GeForce NOW.

There's no real reason to use this mod; each GeForce NOW session has a set time limit that wipes the VM clean for the next person. As a result, if someone wanted to try and use GeForce NOW's cloud service in place of a workstation, you would be forced to run the taskbar mod and reinstall all your applications every few hours. This is also not taking into account that NVIDIA does not condone this type of use with its cloud service.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Question #1

Does this taskbar mod work on GeForce NOW's free tier or only paid subscriptions?

The tutorial states the trick only works on paid versions of GeForce NOW and will not work with the service's free tier. The mod relies on Steam browser access within the GeForce NOW VM, which the article says is not available on the free tier.

Answered

Question #2

Which steps in the tutorial use Steam's built-in browser to access the GeForce NOW VM filesystem?

The tutorial opens Steam's built-in browser by right-clicking the game publisher on the Trove store page and opening the URL in a new tab, then uses that browser's URL bar to type C:/ to access the VM storage drive, navigate to the Trove folder, append the Trove executable to the path, and copy the directory path. It then uses the Steam browser to visit salsa.zortos.me, which triggers a restriction error and a Save As dialog, where the copied directory path is pasted and saved. These are the steps that use Steam's built-in browser to access the GeForce NOW VM filesystem.

Answered

Question #3

What role does installing the game Trove play in enabling the Windows taskbar in the tutorial?

Installing Trove provides the in-VM folder and executable path the tutorial uses: the Steam browser is pointed to the Trove directory (by navigating to C:/ and the Trove folder) so the tutorial can paste the directory path into the Save As dialog and download the modified file there. Running Trove from Steam then triggers that modified file, which unlocks the Windows taskbar and installs several applications.

Answered

Question #4

Are there session time limits or VM wipes that prevent using GeForce NOW as a long‑term Windows workstation with this mod?

Yes. The article states each GeForce NOW session has a set time limit and the VM is wiped clean for the next user, meaning you would need to reapply the taskbar mod and reinstall applications every few hours. It also notes NVIDIA does not condone this type of use of its cloud service.

Answered

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For the uninitiated, NVIDIA uses virtual machines hooked up to discrete graphics cards to power its GeForce NOW service. Each VM runs a Windows instance, giving users the same PC experience as if they were running a game on their own Windows machine. However, NVIDIA uses a highly customized Windows environment to prevent its customers (to the best of its ability) from opening anything but the game they want to play from any of the launchers GeForce NOW supports. NVIDIA did unlock the taskbar during GeForce NOW's beta period, but that was the only time when having a taskbar was officially supported on the platform.