Moving Games in Gamepass / new Account

Hello, PeterD.. Thanks for reaching out! My name is Lucas, and I'm an Independent Advisor and a Microsoft user just like you. I'll be happy to assist you today.

Some games don't allow you to just transfer them (by copy/paste) their files from a folder to another. This can cause some issues since in the Windows Registry the entries will still point to the older path, the original install path.

Try to uninstall all the games that are not launching properly. After that, please follow these steps:

- Completely uninstall Xbox App (and Xbox Companion App if you have it). Use their own uninstaller (just search for Xbox on Windows Start and click on uninstall).

- After uninstalling, go to Start > Type PowerShell > Right click it and select “Run As Administrator” > Type the following command and press Enter (you can run one at a time):

Get-AppxPackage Xbox | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxApp | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.GamingServices | Remove-AppxPackage –allusers

(If you receive an error when executing any of these commands, don't bother. Just follow the other steps here)

- Press Windows + R and type in "regedit". Press enter.

- Search for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services

- Delete "GamingServices" and "GamingServices.net" (if they're still there).

- Click on Start > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials. Search for Xbl|DeviceKey, click on it and then Remove.

- Delete Accounts and Cache folders at:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\TokenBroker

- Also delete Microsoft Store local cache files at:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe

- Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Microsoft Store > Advanced Options > Reset.

- Go to Start > Settings > Gaming > Xbox Networking > Fix it.

- Go to Start > Settings > Gaming > Game Mode > Set if OFF.

- Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options > Privacy > Uncheck "Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update and restart."

- Press the Windows Key + R. Type WSReset.exe and press Enter.

- Restart Windows.

- If you're using a proxy, please stop using it for now:

- Press Windows Key + R. Type inetcpl.cpl and press Enter. Click the Connections tab, and then click LAN settings. Uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN check box. Click Ok.

- Please check if Date and Time is set correct. Uncheck "Set the time automatically", do it manually.

- Open Microsoft Store and make sure you are logged in with the correct account.

- Finally, install Xbox App (and Xbox Companion App if you had it) again. Open it and login to the correct Microsoft/Xbox account.

- Try to install the games again.

If you still have the same error, please let me know.

Hello Lucas,

THX a lot for your fast reply. First I have to say I didn't copy the game just over. This stuff is made all automatically within the XBOX-APP. In the past you couldn't choose the destination and it was this WindowsAppFolder where the user had no access. Since some time you can choose an Folder (XBOX-Folder) wher the XBOX App is installing the Files -> just like a normal game. So this is what I meant and how happend.
Second, I have to admit, your answer is exactly what I don't wanna do in the moment. I have literally installed almost 4 TB of Data/Games. When I have this todo now -> This is immense much work/download time etc. So first I search for an idea, if I can solve this.
The point is the following. When you choose the setting in the XBOX-App of a Game, you can choose now to MOVE the GAME to this new folder. Thats where is stuck and what I wanna do.
OR other way round, when I login to windows as a new user -> I can choose a Game (i had before) and it installs itself by copying over from the AppFolder to the new XBOX Folder.

But both ways are blocked. Here I search for a solution
Furthermore even if I decide for your solution as a last consequence -> I can't uninstall the Game, 'cause it shows it to me unfinished installing. When I break the the installer, the the game isn't showing anymore, but when I click install the it starts again to COPY it from this AppFolder and stucks at 100%. And I don't know how to delete games from this App-Folder.
I hope I could clarify enough the situation ,'cause I'm no native speaker.

Many THX in advance

I understand, but that's exactly what I said. Some games doesn't allow for Xbox App to try to "copy" them to other folders. They need to be uninstalled and them installed again. This can cause lots of errors and can lock it out just the way you are right now.

You can try to uninstall the game without doing it by Xbox App by doing this:

Right-click on Start button and pick Apps & Features.

Here, scroll down until you see the game in question.

Click on the game and select Uninstall.

Confirm with Uninstall.

If you really can't uninstall your games (I understand it's a very big and boring job to do), I can only suggest you to try to install (or move it on the Xbox App) to another drive partition. Do you have a external HD? If you do, try to transfer the games to there.

If you don't have an external HD/SSD, try to create another partition on your current HD/SSD and transfer the games to this new partition:

Right-click This PC and select Manage.

Open Disk Management.

Select the disk from which you want to make a partition.

Right-click the Unpartitioned space in the bottom pane and select New Simple Volume.

Enter the size and click next, and you are done.

Then, on the Xbox App, select this new partition as the default game installation drive:

Open Xbox app.

Click the profile menu in the top-right and select the Settings options.

Open Xbox settings

Click on General.

Under the “Game install options” section, select the drive to install games by default.

Hi Lucas,

thx for all your help. Your statements brought me onto the correct path. -> My plan was to move ALL games within the XBOX-App into the new location of c:\XBOX-Games.....because so they could be easily edited, integrated MODS and etc.
BUT I wasn't aware that some games aren't eligible to be transferred. And I'm almost sure that I read in the past, that Forza is such a Game where the UWP has been used. -> So I can try this long and it won't work, nah ?
But, why is the App allowing me todo that ? Imho the App shouldn't allow me this task. This can be reported back to MS ;-).

I choose also some other path you suggested like clearing the cache etc. So what's left are 3 question and then you can close this question (or I do it).

1.) Exist a list of which game are able/allowed to copy over inside the XBOX-App ??

2.) Exist a website or pdf, about what is the correct way: when the main user account of win11 got corrupted and I want to create a new one? For example, when I created a new one, the XBOX-App was showing me almost NO installed apps and I had to press on install and then I had it immediately. Obviously, it got just copied over or just the paths to the location got disposed. But I would like to know, what I must look for. Because this started all this mess....
2.) Because of this I have another question also. I have a kid and made him also a kids account on our Livingroom PC. I want him also to play Gamepass games, but when I logged him in as family member -> I had to make him also a gamepass account. I found some videos of how todo that, but they are all quirky. For example, I had to enter my Store Account and his Xbox-Account and when gets asked for my PIN i had to enter his PIN and such stuffs. Exist a website from MS, where they describe how should be done correctly ? Because there is so much advertisment, I can't belive I'm the only one with troubles.

THX a lot Lucas for your time and effort, you helped me to pin down the flaws I had and in the moment, things are working.

Best, Peter

PS: Are you german speaking ? Lucas Lauer sounds like my neighbour ;-)

you cloned the drive with the gamepass games on before correct, if so that broke the encryption and you need to clear the gamepass folders from the drive and start over, they are encrypted when installed, they also take the hdd hardware signature and size and partition info into account.

what you could have done, is connect the new drive and setup as storage then moved the games over using the move feature in the programs and features menu.