Why Won't My Games Load in Windows Live?

There are dozens of game titles available to play through Games for Windows Live -- including role-playing games, first-person shooters, racing games and strategy games (see References). All Windows Live games require a Windows Live user account to play, and games will occasionally fail to load for a variety of reasons.

Failed Download

Most games that use Games for Windows Live will require a download at some point. If the download fails, close all programs except "Games for Windows - Live" and click "My Media," then "Active Downloads." Cancel all current downloads, browse to \Microsoft\GFWLive\Downloads and delete all data, then restart your computer and try downloading the file again.

Connection Problems

If a game freezes or fails to initialize, it maybe be a Internet connection problem. Check your system's Internet connection first to make sure you are still online. If so, check your connection to Games for Windows Live. Microsoft provides a list of Live servers (see Resources).

System Performance

The trouble may not be with your Internet connection or the Live server at all. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements: It should have a 1 Ghz processor, 1 GB RAM, Microsoft Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista (with Service Pack 1 or Windows 7, .NET Framework 3.5 (with Service Pack 1), Internet Explorer 7 or newer and Silverlight 3.

References

• Microsoft: Guide to General Technical Errors in Games for Windows Live
• Microsoft: Download Failed Error
• Microsoft: Troubleshoot Connection Problems With Games for Windows Live

Resources

• Microsoft: Games for Windows Live Server Status List