Play Anywhere - Windows Sign-in Issues

Hi

I've purchased ReCore and Forza 3 Horizons Play Anywhere titles.

Both products were purchased from Amazon.co.uk and codes redeemed on xbox.com using
Microsoft Account 1

My Xbox One S signs in using Microsoft Account 1 and my games are visible, downloadable and playable.

My PC signs in using Microsoft Account 2. I've signed in to the Windows 10 Store (as well as the Windows 10 Xbox app) using
Microsoft Account 1 on my PC and my games are visible and downloadable but when I try to play ReCore I am greeted with a box displaying
Microsoft Account 1 and my Gamertag as expected.

Clicking the Let's Play button at the bottom of this box results in an endless loop of sign in boxes that suggests
Microsoft Account 1, Microsoft Account 2 or manual
Microsoft Account entry.

• Selecting Microsoft Account 1 again displays the correct Gamertag but clicking the Let's Play button results in the same sign in box again.
  
• Selecting Microsoft Account 2 displays a different (new/randomly generated Gamertag) and obviously as the products are not registered to this Microsoft Account it does not work.
  
• Selecting manual Microsoft Account entry and entering Microsoft Account 1 results in the same sign in loop.
  
• Forza 3 Horizons produces an error that states I must sign in with an active profile but gives me no sign in options at all.
  

Signing in on my PC with Microsoft Account 1 creates a new blank Windows profile (totally unacceptable as I use other devices with
Microsoft Account 2 also and other applications I use require those features). Also, the Windows 10 Store does not recognise that I have already downloaded and installed both games (probably DRM from the other account) and wants me to download
and install both again. Not only do I not have HDD space for this (Forza is 60Gb) but the slow speed of my broadband makes this a very, very time consuming troubleshooting step.

Any suggestions are welcome. I've spoken to 11 different people at Microsoft Support who have been limited by their knowledge of Windows 10. I am very technical myself as I run my own IT consultancy company and specialise in Microsoft Infrastructure so "restart
your PC" doesn't help much

Cheers

Sem

:)

 

forza horizon 3

When you purchase an Xbox Play Anywhere game digitally, it’s yours to play on both Xbox and Windows 10. You need to purchase the digital game via the Web Store on your Xbox or Windows 10 device and it’ll appear in your game library wherever you sign in.

If you purchased the game on Xbox and want to play it on Windows 10, sign in on your Windows 10 device. If the game is already installed on your device, it’ll appear in your list of apps. Otherwise, you can install it by opening the Store and selecting My
library.

If you purchased the game on Windows 10 and want to play it on your Xbox console, sign in on your console and go to My games & apps. If the game is already installed, it’ll appear in your game list. Otherwise, you can find it in the Ready to install section.

To learn more about Xbox Play Anywhere, and to see which games are supported, visit the Xbox Play Anywhere website:
Xbox Play Anywhere | Xbox

You can also see Troubleshoot problems with Xbox Play Anywhere games if you’re having any problems finding Forza Horizon 3 or content on your Xbox One or Windows 10 device:

support.xbox.com/.../xbox-play-anywhere-help

 

PC to Xbox

Halo Wars 2 is a Xbox Game Anywhere title. Which means, if you buy one of these digital downloads on the Windows Store, or the Xbox Store for Xbox One, they will be available to download on both devices. All you need to do is sign in on your console with
same account you purchased it for Windows.

The entire list of Play Anywhere titles can found here: https://www.xbox.com/games/xbox-play-anywhere?xr=shellnav

 

Forza's exact error message is:

SIGN IN NEEDED

You may not proceed without being signed in to a profile

 

Hi Sem,

Can I see screenshots of the sign-in loop? Blur, or otherwise obscure, personal details like email address and name. You cannot upload images directly to the forum, but you can upload them to an image-sharing site (OneDrive, Goggle Drive, Flickr, Imgur...)
and then share that link.

It should be okay to sign in to the game with a non-Windows Microsoft Account (MSA), so I don't know if there's a conflict because you're using an MSA to sign in to Windows and a different one for the game. (Rather than local account on Windows, then MSA
for the game; or the same MSA for both.)

As a test - I know this is non-ideal, I just want to know if it works - can you create a new local/offline account on the PC (e.g. Guest), then sign into the Store with MSA1 and try to boot either FH3 or ReCore - and see if you can sign in with MSA1?

Let us know how you get on.

 

Hi maxen

Thanks for taking the time to try and help. Unfortunately, switching to a local account produces the same issues. Luckily it was easy to test because I didn't have to re-download the games when switching my MSA login to a local account.

Here's some screenshots of the screens I'm seeing in ReCore and Forza.

1drv.ms/.../s!AqM0d7gSjWQzmAwW1YF5zKJFWsJg

Thanks

Sem

 

Is there any chance you're signed into the Xbox One at the same time as you're doing this?

If so, sign out of the Xbox One, then try booting up one of the games on Windows 10 and sign in with MSA1.

Again, let us know how you get on.

 

Tried both with Xbox on and off but with Recore this has been happening for over a week

 

Okay, another simple question to make sure the basics are covered - when you're signing into the game, are you connected to the Internet? You would need to be for this to work.

I realise you probably are, and it'll seem an unnecessarily basic question, but I want to be certain before trying anything else.

 

I'm very much connected to the Internet, yes

 

Are you able to sign into the Xbox App with MSA1 (while signed into Windows with MSA2), or do you get the same sign-in loop there too? If you are able to, start up the games with the Xbox App running and see how that goes.

 

I am able to sign in to Windows with MSA2 and then sign in to the store, Xbox app and www.xbox.com with MSA1. No sign in loops in that situation at all.

Starting the Xbox app and attempting to run the games from there results in the same loop sign in loop.

In a strange turn of events I signed in to my PC with MSA1 this morning and the store detected I had ReCore installed and I could play the game. Forza still wanted a re-download and would not detect the files already downloaded whilst logged in to Windows
with MSA2 and Store with MSA1. I do not want to have to manage multiple Windows profiles across multiple devices just to access these two applications, so this issue is still far from resolved.

Nothing has changed from my end (I have been troubleshooting Windows devices as an infrastructure engineer for 18 years). It seems to me that Microsoft are altering infrastructure in the back-end to remedy these problems.

 

I'd still like a workable solution to this.

I should be able (by Microsoft's own documentation) sign in to Windows 10 with Microsoft Account 2 and utilise apps from the Store with Microsoft Account 1. Both are members of the same Family also. It works with other regular apps but Play Anywhere seems
to have an additional/different method of authentication that fails in this scenario.

 

Hey there Semetta!

Really sorry to hear about the trouble you're having with using a second MSA. Looks like Maxen has provided some solid steps so far. To check, do you possibly have 2-step verification enabled on your account? If so, you may need to create an app-specific
password to sign in with on Windows 10 through that particular sign-in screen (an app specific password isn't required if that MSA is being used to sign into Windows 10)

You can check for 2-step verification under Security on
account.microsoft.com.

If you're still having trouble, unfortunately we generally don't recommend using two separate MSAs between signing in on Windows 10 and using apps. I understand it isn't ideal for you, but you may want to switch your login to a local account, and then from
there attach MSA 1 as your general login. This should allow you to skip that sign-in window and get straight into playing your games. When purchasing from the Store, we do acknowledge that users should make sure they are purchasing from the account that they
use on both their Xbox and on Windows 10.

Thanks a ton for understanding, please let us know how it goes.

 

Hi Mister Maka

Thank you for your suggestions.

I've checked and I don't have two-step authentication enabled for either MSA. I did have a Smartphone Identity Verification App configured but I've disabled that and it's made no difference to the behaviour I'm seeing.

Stating that you don't recommend doing this when it doesn't work directly contradicts the purpose of the ability to sign in to Windows and the Store with a different account to access apps (which have all worked fine except these two Play Anywhere titles).

The Store app was designed with the ability to be able to sign in with a different MSA than the one you've signed on to Windows with. There are several

MSDN Blog posts and Technet articles detailing how to access apps purchased from a different MSA as far back as Windows 8.

As detailed above, I've tried singing in to Windows with a Local Account instead of an MSA and then signing in to the Store with MSA1. It results in the same sign in loop in ReCore and the same behaviour from Forza 3 Horizons.

I am able to launch other apps from the Store using MSA1 whilst signed in to Windows with MSA2. I've tested a few and only these two Play Anywhere games fail during the MSA authentication procedure (at least that's how it appears to manifest).

To me (I have little visibility because of the nature of the Store and licensing servers and lack of client-side logs) it appears that the problem occurs during an additional authentication step unique to however the Play Anywhere API interfaces with Xbox/Microsoft
Account and content license servers.

I've phoned 5
different Microsoft numbers and spoken to
12 different Technical Support Departments (although an automated message consistently states I need to pay for Windows technical support...for products I've bought and can't yet use) and I've still so far been unable to speak to anyone
that has a clue about the Microsoft Store, Microsoft Accounts or Content Licensing. This is clearly a technical issue, I'd love to know if others are getting it but I suspect they just give up because of the level of technicality involved.

As a certified technical Microsoft Professional of 18 years who owns and runs a company that is a Microsoft Partner, this situation hugely frustrating to me.

I'm more than happy for someone from Microsoft to contact me to discuss it further.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Thanks

Sem