PC Game Pass games crash at launch with Exception code: 0xc0000005

Legendaddy · May 5, 2023

PC Configuration

Lenovo Legion Y740, Model: 81UJ0001US, Intel Core i7-9750H, RTX 2080-MQ, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, Windows 11 Home 22H2 (Build 22621.1635)

GeForce Game Ready Driver 531.79 (02nd May 2023)

Xbox app version 2304.1001.15.0

Gaming Services 11.76.5001.0

Issue

I installed the game Redfall from PC Game Pass to my D: drive (~200 GB left in drive after installation). Now whenever I try to launch the game in any way (from desktop shortcut OR clicking play button in xbox app OR by going to the installation folder and clicking the app exe), this happens -

Redfall title splash-screen appears

At the bottom right of that splash-screen, text appears - "signing in", "syncing data", "launching game".

And then the splash-screen vanishes and nothing happens. Game has crashed.

This issue is not specific to Redfall. I have had this same exact issue in other games downloaded from the xbox app before. Atomic Heart, Darq, Plague Tale: Requiem etc. all had same crash. So, I believe this is an issue with the xbox app on PC.

But it doesn't happen for all games! Other small size indie games or AA games launch and play just fine.

Because of this issue, I am unable to play the new big ticket AAA games that are on PC Game Pass, and my subscription cost is getting wasted.

Troubleshooting

Made sure that OS, BIOS and graphics drivers are up-to-date.

Tried running the game as Admin

Tried running after disabling antivirus (Windows Security) and Firewall.

Tried verify and repair option available within Xbox app.

Clicked "Repair", and "Reset" option in Windows settings page of MS Store, Xbox app and Redfall app.

Fully uninstalled Xbox app, MS Store app and then reinstalled them.

Did a clean reboot by disabling all non-MS services in msconfig and startup.

Take ownership of C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. (Reverted this back to default user now.)

Create a brand new local (non-MS) user in Windows, logged in as that user, logged into MS Store as the same same user that has XGPU subscription.

None of these have any effect on the game. At each step, the game still crashes in same way.

Log from Event Viewer

I checked event viewer, and that shows this in the logs when the game crashes -

Faulting application name: Redfall.exe, version: 4.26.2.0, time stamp: 0x64431d67
Faulting module name: Redfall.exe, version: 4.26.2.0, time stamp: 0x64431d67
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000011d24cb5
Faulting process id: 0x0x3704
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1D97D8A7C1F3DD7
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\BethesdaSoftworks.Redfall_1.1.253.0_x64__{alphanumeric}\Redfall\Binaries\WinGDK\Redfall.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\BethesdaSoftworks.Redfall_1.1.253.0_x64__{alphanumeric}\Redfall\Binaries\WinGDK\Redfall.exe
Faulting package full name: BethesdaSoftworks.Redfall_1.1.253.0_x64__{alphanumeric}
Faulting package-relative application ID: AppRedfallShipping
Click to expand...

Quick google search says "Exception code: 0xc0000005" means access violation. I'm not sure what to make of that.

Please note that C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\BethesdaSoftworks.Redfall_1.1.253.0_x64__{alphanumeric} is a junction to D:\WindowsApps\BethesdaSoftworks.Redfall_1.1.253.0_x64__{alphanumeric} and that itself is a junction to D:\Games\XBoxGames\Redfall\Content. (These junctions are created automatically by MS Store / Xbox app, and not done manually by me.)

Speculation

I have a nagging feeling that this issue is caused by the game being installed on D: drive, i.e. a drive which is not C:

I can't install these gigantic games on C: as that has only 20 GB free. When MS Store and Xbox both allow installing apps and games to any user-selected drive, it then should not have an issue with that. But looks like it does have an issue with that.

Can anyone please help me with this?

:)

Legendaddy

And what did I predict months before this -

EVERY BIG GAME INSTALLED VIA XBOX APP ON PC CRASHES WITH THIS ERROR. AND THE XBOX TEAM HAS NO SHAME WHATSOEVER! THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS AT THIS POINT. THERE SHOULD BE A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT.

Legendaddy

Hi Kathy.

I had already tried a clean boot, including disabling all "enabled" apps from task manager startup tab.

"Did a clean reboot by disabling all non-MS services in msconfig and startup."

Anyway, I tried that again and the game still crashes with same error.

Posted this on the Feedback Hub, including "Recreate my problem" step recording the crash live.

[Xbox Forum] [PC] Big sized games installed from Xbox app to non-C drive crash at launch with Exception code: 0xc0000005, Error code: (0<8007042b)

Dadpool82

I tried making space and moving Atomic Heart to C: but am still getting the same error you started the post with (Error code: (0xc0000005)). Not hopeful about Starfield working in a few days here...

Edit: Going to try and install some of the other games you listed to see if the error persists.

Luke A Chapman

Hi there,

Having the same issue with Texas Chainsaw, any solutions yet?

Legendaddy

So that's a bug. When xbox app says I can install the game anywhere, but installing it on other drive makes it crash... that's a bug they need to fix.

I did call out that this is the possible cause. Quoting from my earlier replies in this thread -

My speculation is - xbox / MS Store / Windows expects the games to be present in C: drive. That's why it creates a junction link from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\{game's folder} to D:\WindowsApps\{game's folder}.

But since the game is 90+ GB, and that amount of space is not actually available in C: drive, some storage or memory access miscalculation / error occurs when I try to run the game.

This has been an issue in xbox app for a long long time. This is not the game developer's problem, it's xbox app's problem. But MS does not want to fix it for some reason.

PC Game Pass games crash at launch with Exception code: 0xc0000005