Solution: Unable to log into XBOX Live for Gears 5 or Halo MCC on PC

Here's how to resolve issues with XBOX Live profiles loading or logging in for Gears 5 and Halo: Master Chief Collection running on Windows 10/11. These are very frustrating issues that provide opaque error messages and seem impossible to resolve.



THE PROBLEM

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For Gears You Get: "ERROR An error as occurred. Please try again later. Failed to sign in to an Xbox live profile"



For Halo: Master Chief Collection (MCC) you get and error signing onto XBOX Live. The Halo error seems to happen whether you get the game from Steam or the Microsoft Store. The solution is the same.



In addition, for either Halo or Gears, you might get redirected back to the Microsoft Store to the Gaming Services app immediately and unexpectedly for no apparent reason.



THE SOLUTION

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The issue is that the Windows Time Service is not running and keeping your PC's clock in sync with the Microsoft Servers.



The basic steps to fix are these, but note that these will only work when run them as an administrator. If the account you use to play the game is already an administrator account, the steps work as is. If not, you must run the services.msc as an administrator.



Here is a link in how to run an .msc as an administrator: Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator. On Windows 11, just right click on the Windows Start Menu icon and choose "Windows Terminal (Admin)". If on Windows 10 just right click on the Windows Start Menu icon and choose "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".



STEPS TO FIX THE PROBLEM

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(These steps were found and documented by Sumpfkartoffel and appeared originally here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/976730/discussions/0/1752394169965466716/#c1752394169965637634). He credits "A.User" from the Windows Forum.)

1. Press Windows key + r and type services.msc.
   
2. Check for the Windows Time service and select Windows time service.
   
3. On the left panel, check if the service is start or not.
   
4. If service is not started then start the service, by clicking on the Start option.
   
5. If the service is started the restart the service by clicking on Restart option.
   
6. Restart the game and log in to XBOX Live
   

AFTERWORD

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I hope this works for you. I was going crazy trying to find a solution before I found these. I'm posting them in hopes that you find this solution more easily than I did.

:)