How to fix Forza Horizon 5 online mode not working on Windows 11

Forza Horizon 5 is the latest entry in the Forza racing series for Windows 11/10. Although you can play Forza Horizon 5 in single-player mode, nothing beats the thrill of racing against human players online. However, some players are missing out on the online fun of Horizon 5 because its multiplayer mode is not for them.

Horizon 5 can’t connect to its servers when its online mode is not working. Some players report that the “You were disconnected” error message appears when the game’s multiplayer mode is not working. Here’s how to fix Forza Horizon 5 online mode in Windows 11.

1. Are Forza Horizon 5 servers down?

First, check if there are any general Forza Horizon 5 server outages. It could just be a case of the game’s multiplayer servers being temporarily down. If this happens, there’s nothing you can do. You’ll just have to wait for this server issue to be sorted.

To check server status, open Downdetector’s Forza Motorsport page. This page tracks user reports and notifies you when a lot of gamers are reporting issues with the game’s online services. You can also view server status for different countries by clicking the flag icons on the right side of the page.

2. Restart your internet router

Restarting your internet router can sometimes fix connection issues for multiplayer games. To restart your router, unplug its power cord. Wait about one to two minutes, then plug the router back in. Then wait a few more minutes for all of the router’s connection lights to light up.

3. ​​Check Windows Defender Firewall settings for Horizon 5

Firewalls monitor Internet network traffic on your PC. Windows Defender Firewall and other third-party alternatives block multiplayer games from connecting to servers that aren’t allowed through them. So make sure that Forza Horizon 5 is allowed through Windows 11’s firewall by following these steps:

1. To find WDF’s settings, type Windows Defender Firewall in the Start menu’s search box. Then click Windows Defender Firewall in the search results to view the applet.
2. Click Allow an app or feature to bring up the options for apps allowed through Windows Defender Firewall options.
3. To modify the options, click Change settings.
4. Look for Forza Horizon 5 and make sure you have the Private and Public check boxes selected for the app.
5. Click OK to save the new firewall options.

The above steps assume that Forza Horizon 5 is already listed in the allowed applications in your firewall. If this is not the case, click the Allow another app option there. Select Browse in the Add an application window. Then select the executable EXE file for Horizon 5 and click the Add button.

3. Disable any third-party antivirus software and firewalls

Some third-party antivirus utilities also include a firewall component. If you have a third-party firewall or antivirus suite installed, disable the software to ensure that it does not block Forza Horizon 5’s network connections. How you turn off a third-party firewall varies, but check your antivirus utility’s settings to find an option to disable its firewall, if any.

4. Make sure Xbox services are enabled

Forza Horizon 5 connection issues can occur when certain Xbox services are not correctly enabled. The Xbox Live Network Service is a particularly important service that enables online play of PC/Xbox multiplayer games.

Here’s how to check if Xbox services are enabled in Windows 11:

1. Launch the Run application, which has a WIN + R hotkey.
2. Open the service by typing services.msc in Run and selecting OK.
3. Double-click Xbox Live Network Service to view its Properties window.
4. Select the Automatic Start option in the drop-down menu.
5. Press the Start Service button.
6. To save the new service properties, click Apply and OK.
7. Then repeat these steps for Xbox Accessory Management Service, Xbox Live Game Save, and Xbox Live Auth Manager.

5. Update your PC’s network adapter driver

A corrupt or outdated network adapter driver could be the reason why Forza Horizon 5’s online mode isn’t working on your PC.

The easiest way to check the status of your PC’s network card driver is to run a scan using a reputable driver updater. The results of this scan will tell you if your network card’s driver is outdated and give you the option to update it. You can update your PC’s network drivers by following the instructions in our guide on how to easily update Windows drivers with Driver Booster 8.

6. Perform a Clean Boot

Many background programs can conflict with Forza Horizon 5 in various ways. Performing a clean boot eliminates extraneous third-party programs and services starting with Windows 11, which disables background software.

So, follow these steps to try playing Horizon 5’s multiplayer mode after clean booting Windows 11:

1. Launch the System Configuration tool by launching Run, enter profile in the Open box, and then select OK.
2. Click the Load startup items option to remove its check mark. Note that the Load system services option must remain selected.
3. Select Services at the top of the System Configuration window.
4. To exclude more important services, select Hide all Microsoft services.
5. Then select the Disable all option to disable other third-party services.
6. Select the Apply option for the System Configuration utility.
7. Click OK to exit.
8. After changing the startup configuration, you need to restart Windows. So, click Restart in the System Configuration window that prompts you to do so.
9. After restarting your desktop or laptop, try playing Forza Horizon 5 online.

So, did a clean boot of Windows 11 work for you? If so, do not rush to restore the original boot configuration until you have identified the program or service that may be conflicting with Horizon 5. To do this, you can manually re-enable disabled background applications one at a time in the Startup tab in Task Manager.

7. Reinstall Forza Horizon 5

If Horizon 5’s multiplayer mode still doesn’t work properly after applying other possible resolutions, some of the game files may be corrupted. A full reinstall may then be necessary to repair Horizon 5. If you installed Horizon 5 through the Microsoft Store, you can reinstall the game like this:

1. Bring up the Start menu and select Settings on it.
2. Click Apps along the left side of Settings.
3. Select Apps & Features to view installed apps.
4. Scroll to Forza Horizon 5 and click the dotted button to the right of that listed app.
5. Select Uninstall to remove Horizon 5.
6. Restart Windows 11 and open the Microsoft Store app from the Start menu.
7. Open the Forza Horizon 5 page in the Microsoft Store.
8. Then choose to reinstall it from there.

If you installed Horizon 5 on Steam, you can reinstall it in that game client. Our guide on how to uninstall Steam games post provides detailed instructions for reinstalling Forza Horizon 5.

Get back in on the multiplayer action in Forza Horizon 5

These potential solutions will probably be enough to get most players back in on Forza Horizon 5’s multiplayer. However, there is no guarantee that they will fully guarantee to fix the game’s multiplayer mode not working properly in all cases. If further solutions are required, you can contact Horizon 5’s help service by submitting a ticket from the Forza Support page.

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