How to Fix File System Error ‘-2015294512’ with Xbox GamePass Games?

As it turns out, there’s an ongoing issue that prevents Windows gamers from playing Xbox Game Pass games from their library. Users affected by this problem see the File System Error (-2015294512) every time they attempt to start games from the Xbox Game Pass. This problem is confirmed to occur on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

File System Error -2015294512 when launching Game Pass Games

After investigating this issue thoroughly, we noticed that there are several underlying scenarios that will produce this error. Here’s a list of culprits that are likely responsible for this problem:

Missing game dependency – As it turns out, one of the most common causes for this issue is a missing game dependency that the Xbox Game Pass needs. If you’re launching a game title via Game Pass, ensure that Gaming Services is installed on your PC.
Corrupted game dependency – If you have the Gaming Services dependency installed on your PC, you should also troubleshoot against a potential corruption issue that is affecting it. To do this, use an elevated Powershell window to essentially re-install the Gaming Services component.
Microsoft Store account glitch – According to several affected users, this problem can also occur due to a glitch affecting the account that’s currently connected to the Microsoft Store. Some users that we’re also dealing with this problem have confirmed that the problem was finally resolved after they signed out and back into their account via Microsoft Store.
Windows installation is not activated – It’s apparent that the frequency of user reports of this issue is much higher on Windows installations (both 10 and 11) that are not activated. If you see the ‘Windows Not Activated’ watermark, you should be able to fix the problem by activating your Windows installation.
Microsoft Store glitch – If you’re on Windows 11, you should try launching the game that’s causing the error directly from the Game Pass instead of launching it from the Microsoft Store. Several users that have deployed this fix have confirmed that the error never returned for them.
Corrupted Temporary files affecting Microsoft Store – As it turns out, this problem can also be rooted in a glitch caused by several corrupted temporary files that Microsoft Store has accumulated as you kept using it. In this case, you should attempt to perform a reset on the store component and see if the issue is resolved.
Outdated Windows version – According to Microsoft, both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have received a structural update containing a few dependencies that have since become mandatory for the Game Pass infrastructure. To make sure you have them installed on your PC, make sure you update your Windows installation to the latest version available.
Game file corruption – It’s not uncommon to face this issue due to some kind of installation roadblock (most likely an AV interference) that has corrupted certain files required for the game to start. In this case, try reinstalling the game via Microsoft Store and see if the problem is fixed.
Missing language pack dependencies – There are certain games available through the Game Pass that have a unique language pack dependency. This is typically true for simulator games such as Flight Simulator or Farm Simulator. To fix this problem, you need to install the English language pack from the Settings menu of your Windows installation.
Unregistered store apps – According to some affected users, this problem can also arise due to some unregistered file dependencies that the game requires. In this case, you can resolve the issue by re-registering those files from an elevated Windows Terminal window.
Corrupted Windows Store component – Under certain circumstances, you can see this error occurring due to some type of corruption affecting the Microsoft Store installation files. In this case, you can fix the problem by reinstalling the MS store component + every associated dependency.
‘Microsoft account library’ glitch – The Microsoft support forum is filled with users reporting a weird account library glitch that affects the launch of Game Pass games. In this case, you should create a local Microsoft account and launch the failing games once before reverting back to the Microsoft account.
Underlying system file corruption – Under more serious circumstances, you can expect to deal with this issue in scenarios where certain system files are corrupted and end up affecting the Game Pass dependencies. The only way to fix this issue is to clean install or repair install your Windows installation.

Now that we went over every potential reason why you might be experiencing the File System Error (-2015294512) error when launching a Game Pass game, move down to the next potential fix below.

1. Install Gaming Services from Microsoft Store

One of the most common causes that will trigger this issue is the missing of a key dependency named ‘Gaming Services’. This is a component that’s required whenever you launch a game hosted on the Game Pass Platform.

Update: Gaming Services is now an integral part of Windows 11, but you might still need to install it manually on Windows 11.

Several users that we’re encountering the File System Error (-2015294512) every time they attempt to launch a Game Pass game have confirmed that the problem was finally fixed after they’ve installed the Gaming Services component via Microsoft Store.

Here’s what you need to do:

Open your default browser, then access the download page of Gaming Services.
On the download page of Gaming Services, click on the Get button, then you should be transported inside your Microsoft Store component where the download will take place.

Get the Gaming Services component
Wait until the download is complete, then sit through the actual installation.
Once the installation is complete, reboot your PC and wait until the next startup is complete.
After your PC boots back up, launch the game that was previously showing the -2015294512 error and see if the problem is fixed.

If you’re still seeing the same error even after following the instructions above, move down to the next potential fix below.

2. Uninstall Gaming Services via Powershell

If you followed the method above and made sure that you have the gaming service installed, the next thing you should do is ensured that this key dependency is not corrupted.

According to several affected users, the -2015294512 error might appear in situations where the component is improperly migrated from an older Windows installation. In this case, you should v enable to fix the problem by using Powershell to ‘force uninstall’ the component to let the Xbox GamePass app install the latest version of the component.

Follow the instructions below for specific steps of doing this:

Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Next, type ‘powershell’ inside the text box, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up an elevated Powershell window.

Access the Powershell window
When you see the User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant admin access.
Once you’re inside the elevated Powershell command, type the following command and press Enter to effectively uninstall the Gaming Services component:
```
get-appxpackage Microsoft.GamingServices | remove-Appxpackage –allusers
```
After the command has been processed successfully, reboot your PC, then open the Xbox GamePass app once the next startup is complete and you should see a prompt asking you if you want to install the Gaming Services component.
Hit Accept at the prompt to reinstall the missing component, then launch the game that was failing once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

In case the same issue is still occurring, move down to the next method below.

3. Re-sign into Microsoft Store

If the first two methods didn’t work in your case, the next step is to troubleshoot against a potential issue caused by the infamous Microsoft Stoe account glitch. There’s no Microsoft explanation on why this is occurring, but some users have discovered that in their case, the problem definitely occurs due to an account permission glitch.

So if the first 2 methods haven’t brought you any results, take the time to temporarily disconnect your Microsoft account from the Windows Store.

Do this by opening the new Microsoft Windows interface and clicking on your account icon on the top-right screen. From the next menu, click on the Sign Out hyperlink from the context menu that just appeared.

After you successfully do this, reboot your computer and wait for the next startup to complete.

As soon as your PC boots back up, open the Windows Store once again and click on the same account icon (top-right corner). This time click on Sign in from the context menu.

Next, provide the required credentials to sign in with the same account that you were previously using and see if the 0x803F8001 error is now fixed.

If the problem is still not fixed, try the next method below.

4. Activate your Windows installation

Although Microsoft doesn’t say this explicitly, there’s a lot of evidence clearly showing that the Xbox GamePass functionality is very unreliable of Windows 10 and Windows 11 installations that are not activated.

So if you’re running on an unactivated copy, activate your current operating system build as soon as possible and see if the problem is fixed.

If you’re certain you have a legit activation key and the status of your Windows installation still shows as unactivated, you should run the Activation Troubleshooter and see if the problem gets corrected.

Here’s how to do this:

Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Next, type “ms-settings:activation” and press Enter to open up the Activation tab of the Settings screen. 

Activation Troubleshooter
Inside the Activation tab, move over to the right pane and scroll down to the Activate Windows Now menu.
From the Activate Windows Now sub-menu, click on Troubleshoot. 

Troubleshoot menu
Wait until the Activation troubleshooter investigates for problems, then click on Apply this fix if any issues are uncovered.

Apply this Fix
Once the operation is complete, restart your computer and see if your Windows is re-activated at the next startup.
After your Windows installation is complete, launch the game that was previously failing with the -2015294512 error, move down to the next potential fix.

5. Launch the game via the Game Pass app

As it turns out, there is one workaround around this issue that a lot of Windows 11 users have been using. It involves using the Xbox Console companion app to sign out of the account then using the Game Pass app to launch the problematic app (without signing back in).

This process should launch the game initially, then you should be able to sign in from within the game. Several users have confirmed that this method fixed the issue permanently.

If you’re looking for specific instructions on how to do this, follow the instructions below:

First things first, ensure that the Xbox Game Pass app is closed and not running in the background.
Next, open up the Xbox Console Companion app and sign out of the account that you’re currently connected with. You can do this by clicking on the gear icon (bottom-left corner), then selecting the General tab, and clicking on Sign out (under Account).

Sign out of your account inside Xbox Console Companion
Next, open the Game Pass app once again without signing back in and launch the game that was previously failing with the 2015294512 error code.
You should be able to bypass the error and sign in from within the game.

Note: If this method has been successful but you’re experiencing this issue with every Game Pass game, you’ll need to repeat the instructions above with every affected game.

If this method didn’t fix the problem in your case, move down to the next potential fix below.

6. Reset the Microsoft Store app

This problem can also occur if your Windows Store is currently affected by some type of local corruption (most likely affecting the cached data stored by the application).

Some users that previously experienced the 2015294512 have fixed it by resetting the entire Windows Store component.

If you haven’t done this already, do it and see if you can finally launch the GamePass game without experiencing the same kind of error.

When it comes to resetting the Windows Store component, you can do it in two different ways:

From the Settings menu of Windows 10 or Windows 11
From an elevated CMD prompt

We’ve created 2 separate sub-guides to accommodate both scenarios. Feel free to follow the one that’s close to your preferred way of doing things under Windows

Reset via CMD Window

If you’re a technical individual, you should go for this method. It’s faster and it’s not dependent on your Windows version.

Here’s what you need to do:

Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box.
Next, type ‘cmd’ inside the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up an elevated Command Prompt.

Open an elevated CMD prompt
When you’re prompted by the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrative access.
Next, type the following command and press Enter to effectively reset the Windows Store along with every involved dependency:

Performing a WSReset
Restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed once the next startup is complete.

Reset via Settings menu

If you’re on Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can also do this via the GUI menu of your Windows installation. Here’s how:

Start by pressing Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box.
Next, type “ms-settings:appsfeatures” and press Enter to open up the Apps & Features menu of the Settings app.

Open up the Apps and Features screen
In the Apps & Features menu, move down through the list of installed applications, and locate Microsoft Store.
Next, click on the Advanced Options hyperlink associated with it (under Microsoft Corporation).
Scroll down to the Reset tab and click on the Reset button to initiate the process. After you start the operation, wait patiently until the operation is complete.

Resetting the Microsoft Store
Finally, reboot your computer and see if the issue is resolved at the next computer startup.

If the issue is still not fixed, move down to the next potential fix below.

7. Update Windows version to the latest

Keep in mind that the main dependency (Gaming Services) required to facilitate the launching of GamePass games can be affected if you have an outdated Windows build.

According to a few Microsoft technicians, this file system error (2015294512) mostly occurs due to some kind of file rewrite that happens during the upgrade from an older Windows version to Windows 11.

To avoid this problem, you should access the Windows Update component and manually ensure that you’re running on the latest version of Windows

To install the latest available Windows 11 or Windows 10 build on your PC, follow the instructions below:

Start by pressing Windows key + R key to open up a Run box.
From the window that just appeared, type ‘ms-settings:windowsupdate’ inside the text box and press Enter to open up the Windows Update tab of the Settings app.

Access the Windows Update menu

Note: Depending on the UAC settings that you previously established, you might get an account control prompt at this point. In this case, click Yes to grant admin access.
Inside the Windows Update screen, move over to the right-hand section and click on Check for Updates.

Check for new Windows updates
If a new available update is found, wait until the update is downloaded locally, then click on Install Now to install it locally.

Install Now

Note: You might need to restart your computer before every pending update is installed. In this case, make sure to return to this screen once the next booting sequence is complete.
Reboot your PC, then attempt to launch the game that was previously displaying the error and see if the problem is resolved.

If the same 2015294512 error is still occurring, move down to the next method below.

8. Install language pack dependency

If you’re not a native speaker, ensure that you have the English (United States) language package installed on your PC.

Although this is not an explicit requirement, it’s very clear that some games do require this component to be installed in order to launch via Game Pass.

Update: In most cases, this particular issue is reported to occur with simulation games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and Farm Simulator.

If this scenario is applicable and your default operating system language is different than English, follow the instructions below to make sure English (US) language pack is installed:

Press Windows key + I to open up the Settings menu of your Windows installation.
Next, click on Time & Language on Windows 11 or Language on Windows 10 from the menu on the left.
From the Language menu, click on Language & region from the list of sub-items.

Access the Language menu
Once you’re inside the Language & Region menu, ensure that English (United States) is added under Preferred languages.

Add a language to the list

Note: If this language is missing from the list, click on Add a language, choose English (United States), then follow through with the installation prompts.
Once English (United States) has been added as an officially supported language pack, reboot your PC and launch the game again to see if the 2015294512 error is now fixed. Note: You don’t need to make the language the default on your PC. It’s enough to have the language page installed to make this fix effective on your PC.

If the problem is still not fixed, move down to the next potential fix below.

9. Re-register the Store apps

Another scenario in which you’ll be unable to launch any Game Pass title that was installed via Microsoft Store is an issue where some files belonging to the Windows Store component have become de-registered.

In this case, you should be able to fix the issue by using Powershell to re-registering the Store app. This method has been confirmed to be successful by several Windows 11 gamers experiencing the 2015294512 error.

Here’s a quick guide on using an elevated powershell window to re-register the Store app:

Press Windows key +  R to open up a Run dialog box.
In the window that just appeared, type ‘powershell’ and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up an elevated Powershell window.

Accessing the PowerShell window
At the UAC (User Account Control) window, click Yes to allow it to open with admin access. 

Open a Powershell window

Inside the elevated Powershell window, type the following command and press Enter to re-register the Windows Store component:

Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Once the command is input, restart your computer and see if the issue is resolved at the next system start-up.

If the 2015294512 returns when you attempt to launch a Game Pass game, move down to the next potential fix below.

10. Reinstall the Microsoft Store

If you’ve come this far without a viable fix, the best scenario at this point is an installation issue related to the Microsoft Store. This problem is mostly encountered after the user has completed an upgrade process from an older Windows version.

In case this scenario is applicable, you should be able to resolve the problem by uninstalling and reinstalling the Store component from an elevated Powershell prompt.

For detailed instructions on how to do this, follow the instructions below:

Note: This operation will work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Inside the text box, type ‘powershell’ inside the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the terminal with admin access.

Accessing the PowerShell command
At the User Account Control (UAC) window, click Yes to grant admin.
Inside the elevated Powershell prompt, type the following command and press Enter to uninstall the Windows Store component:
```
Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsStore* | Remove-AppxPackage
```
Once the command above has been processed successfully, paste the following command and press Enter once again to reinstall the recently uninstalled Windows Store component:
```
Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
```
Close the elevated Powershell window, then launch the game once again to see if the problem is fixed.

In case the same issue is still ongoing, move down to the next method below.

11. Create a local account

This problem can also occur due to some type of corruption originating from your user profile.

Several users with an active Game Pass subscription that we’re dealing with this issue when launching a game have confirmed that the issue was resolved after they’ve switched to a local Microsoft account.

Note: This operation will end up clearing any corrupted dependencies that are currently tied to your current user profile.

If you want to give this fix a try, follow the instructions below to create a new local user account for your Windows installation, then use it when launching a GamePass game:

Press Windows key + R to open up a run dialog box.
Next, type ‘ms-settings:otherusers‘ inside the text box and press Enter to open up the Family & other people tab of the Settings app.

Access the Other users tab
Inside the Family & other users tab, scroll down to the Other user’s tab and click on Add someone else to this PC.
Next, click on ‘I don’t have this person’s sign in information’ in order to create a local account.

Creating a local account
From the next screen, login with your Microsoft account and click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
You’ll then need to set a username and password for the new account and assign a series of security questions. Do so by following the remaining instructions
After the new account has been created, restart your computer and sign in with the newly created account at the next startup.
Launch the game that was previously failing with the 2015294512 and check if the problem is resolved.

If the same error is still occurring while you’re opening a game-pass game, move down to the final method below.

12. Clean install or Repair install

If you’ve followed every potential fix and none of it worked, it’s clear that you are dealing with some kind of underlying corruption issue. If that’s the case, you only have two options to ensure that the problem is not caused by a system file:

Clean install – This is the easy route because it doesn’t require you to insert installation media. But unless you have the means to back up your data in advance, you will lose all data on the OS partition.
Repair install – Also known as in-place repair, this procedure should be the preferred approach if you have important data that you can’t afford to lose. You will need to insert compatible installation media, but your applications, games, personal media, and user preferences will remain intact (only OS files will be replaced).

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