Internet Connection issues for Games for Windows – LIVE 

If you receive an error or experience problems connecting to the Internet while using Games for Windows – LIVE, try these steps to resolve the issue.

Check the Status of Windows Live ID (sign in) and LIVE services

A service may be down, which will prevent you from accessing the LIVE services or sign in. To check status of the servers click the links below:
LIVE server status
Windows Live ID server status

If you cannot connect to any of these sites, please contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance.

Port listings for Games For Windows – LIVE

The following ports are required to be opened to use Games For Windows – LIVE.

  • TCP port 80 (Internet)
  • TCP port 443 (Sign In)
  • TCP port 3074 (Content Download)

To make sure that these ports are open, or to open these ports, contact the network administrator or the Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you are the administrator of the network, check the documentation that is provided with your networking software to determine how to open these ports.

Please note: games require additional ports. Please view the following article for details on opening these ports:
Games for Windows – LIVE game ports [KB 908874]


Allow Games For Windows – LIVE for Windows in a firewall

You will need to allow the Games for Windows – LIVE software (GFWLClient.exe) in your firewall, proxy, or Internet Security software. If you use Windows Firewall, follow these steps.

  1. On Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type wscui.cpl, and then click OK. On Windows Vista, click Start, type wscui.cpl, and then press ENTER.
  2. Click Windows Firewall and then click Change Settings.
  3. On the Exceptions tab, locate “GFWLClient.exe” in the Program and Services list. Click to select the check box to enable that program to connect through the firewall.
  4. If the program is not listed in this window, you must add the game to the Exceptions list. To do this, click Add Program, and then click Browse to: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games For Windows – LIVE\ GFWLClient.exe Then, click Open.
  5. Click OK to close Windows Firewall.

Clear Internet cache

Ensure you are viewing the latest version of pages by clearing Internet cache.

  1. Close any Internet browser windows that are open.
  2. Click Start and then Control Panel. If the Control Panel window is empty, click View all Control Panel Options in the left section of the window to display all the icons.
  3. Open Internet Options. You may need to click Network and Internet Connections before clicking Internet Options.
  4. In the Temporary Internet files section on the General tab, click Delete Files. In Windows Vista or Windows XP with Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher installed, click Delete in the Browsing history section and then Delete Files in the Temporary Internet files section. Click Yes or OK to remove these files.
  5. Next, click Delete Cookies and then Yes or OK to remove these files. In Windows Vista or Windows XP with Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher installed, close the Delete Browsing History window when completed.
  6. Click Settings on the General tab.
  7. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages," click Every visit to the page.
  8. Click Apply.
  9. Close all windows.

Troubleshoot your Internet connection

Your computer may be experiencing Internet connections issues. Try troubleshooting this problem with the Network Diagnostics tool:

For Windows XP with Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher or Windows Vista, open Internet Explorer. On Tools, click Diagnose connection problems.

For Windows XP with Internet Explorer 6.0, follow the steps in this article:
Network Diagnostics for Windows XP [KB 914440]

If none of the above has helped, please contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance.


Content