After 1.21.120 update, it won't let Microsoft Child accounts log in, getting error Drowned

I have the same problem on Win11 with a child account (my adult account on a different PC has zero issues). I went so far as to fully restore the PC using a backup from 10/27. After restoring, all subsequent Windows & app updates were fine and the app was working fine with v1.21.114. Once v1.21.120 was offered as an update in Microsoft Store and installed (took 20-30 minutes for some reason), it’s instantly broken again. Even after using administrator login to give all the now-necessary (but shouldn’t be…) approvals for installing some other dependency and firewall holes.

Like everyone else I can confirm this bug affects my child’s account on 1.21.120 under win11

I can verify this issue with child accounts. My adult account works fine. I’ve tried all the troubleshooting above, with no solution.

I’m also getting the Error Code: Drowned when trying to sign in on Minecraft for Windows v1.21.120.

I’ve tried every known fix:

• Restarting the game and PC

• Clearing account sign-in data in Minecraft

• Repairing/resetting the Microsoft Store, Xbox app, Gaming Services, and Minecraft

• Reinstalling the Xbox Identity Provider

• Clearing all cached Xbox/Microsoft credentials (XblGrts, MCLMS, SSO_POP) in Credential Manager

• Deleting Minecraft’s local cache folders

• Re-adding my Microsoft account and removing this PC from my Microsoft account devices list

The same Microsoft account works on my other Windows computer running Minecraft v1.21.114, and other Microsoft accounts sign in fine on this affected PC.

This strongly suggests it’s a Microsoft account token or device-trust issue specific to this machine, not a local install or network problem.

Same as above, my adult account-pc is fine but my little boy can’t play his on his laptop. When is this going to be addressed?

Same issue here. See also Reddit post, Windows learn question (note user After-Increase-5496 on Reddit who claims to have reinstalled Windows itself and the issue persists)

Including almost all the debugging steps above I also tried logging in on the same computer with the following configurations of MS Account and Xbox/Minecraft account:

1. MS store account Adult1, Xbox/Minecraft account Adult1 - works

2. store Adult1, X/M Adult2 - works

3. store Adult1, X/M Child1 - error

4. store Adult1, X/M Child2 - error

5. store Adult1, X/M Child3 - error

6. store Child1, X/M Adult1 - works

7. store Child1, X/M Adult2 - works

8. store Child1, X/M Child1 - error

9. store Child1, X/M Child2 - error
   

Next, I went to a new computer and tried logging in on 1.20.114 - Adult1, Adult2 and Child1 accounts all log in and play successfully. I can’t update this computer to 1.20.120 because it won’t show up as available.

I have tried to reinstall the game, windows store, minecraft launcher, and the game installer.

Nothing worked

Only thing that seems to log in is to turn off internet, go into minecraft, then turn it back on. But even then the servers didn't load and although minecraft realms appeared I couldn't join, in fact the 2nd try to join realms it crashed the game altogether.

Also having this problem with my child’s game

Done everything listed, my son’s account is having the same issue.

I even tried to re-install W11 on the affected machine and had no success. Neither of my child accounts can login to this machine. I can use my adult account to login though.

None of my kids accounts work but all my adult accounts do. Kids are not able to play anymore.

Same issue here after the lastest update. Adult accounts work fine but Child Family accounts failed with Error: Drowned within Minecraft. Also, there is no longer passthrough login when starting Minecraft & Minecraft launcher., the child accounts are always prompted to login when starting those apps.

After the 1.21.120 update, all my Microsoft child accounts on Windows 11 cannot log into Minecraft anymore and keep getting the Drowned error code. We have already attempted:

1. Deleting caches, Reinstalling Minecraft from scratch

2. Changing the child’s Windows Password on their account

3. Trying on different PC

4. Tested adult accounts work and have no login errors
   
   The ONLY TEMPORARY work around is to:

5. Load Minecraft and ignore the error first

6. ALT TAB to go to control panel > Advanced Network Settings > DISABLE the Internet > either/both WIFI or Ethernet depending which one is in use

7. ALT TAB back to Minecraft and Click Sign in (This will change the default profile to the child’s account/profile

8. ALT TAB back to Control Panel to re-enable the Internet

9. ALT TAB back into Minecraft and press PLAY

10. This will somehow allow the child’s profile to stay and play with all the saved worlds in the account.

11. HOWEVER, once the game quits/exit, this whole process needs to be repeated to re-login.

Spent hours today messing around reinstalling the game, resetting credentials, reset the user profile then reset windows but still couldn’t get past the drowned error…. Finally found this bug report and disabling wifi temporarily gets him in as a work around. What a waste of my day I hope this gets fixed asap.

+1 can’t use wifi workaround because of realms

I have spent hours over the last days trying to fix this for 2 kids who are distraught to be locked out of their game.

I have been through all of the trouble shooting I can find, I’ve been through all the steps provided by Mojang support and still have the same problem. I know it is not the PCs or the installations of Minecraft etc as I am able to switch the account in the launcher to my own, launch bedrock and it is signed straight in, close Bedrock and add one of my children’s accounts and they instantly get Drowned.

And I can also confirm that the workaround WORKS!

• Start Bedrock as normal

• Get to the drowned error

• Disable the internet connection (wifi or ethernet, which ever is used)

• Click sign in in Bedrock and the account is signed in

• Enable the internet connection and play as normal
  

Internet disconnect is not working for us. Also have an angry child who can’t play! This is clearly an issue in the authentication process and not the PC.

Same issue with 2 kids accounts!

Both kids accounts bumped as well. This workaround won’t work for me

How many days does it take to fix this error? Don't you test stuff before you deploy?

The workaround does not allow realms and we may just have to wait until Mojang fixes it

Disconnecting from the Internet and launching Minecraft - or clicking Sing In if Minecraft is already running - and then re-connecting to the Internet worked as a workaround for us.

But this is far from a solution - my young son shouldn’t have to disable and re-enable his network card, and doesn’t have the Admin rights to do so, just to play Minecraft.

i have the same problem with my account

Having the same issue with my daughter's account.

Same problem on 2 child accounts in my home, no issues with the adult accounts. And the Disconnecting the internet “fix” does not work.

Same issue here

Same issue on my child’s account. Have tried:

• WSReset via Win+R

• Logging out of windows store and back in

• Logging out of Minecraft Launcher and back in

• Logging out of Game Bar and back in

• Reinstalling Minecraft for Windows

• Resetting the Minecraft Launcher app

• Resetting the Minecraft for Windows app

Same issue on multiple accounts in our home. This should be a priority fix for Mojang.

same issue, windows 10. I even reset windows, getting same problem on fresh install. same account works on a different PC. really weird.

I found that changing my date of birth on my Microsoft account fixed this problem. If your account is part of a Microsoft family as a child account, try setting your age to 18 or older at account.microsoft.com/profile under Your info → Edit date of birth.

After saving and signing back in, your account should be treated as an adult account. It might take a little while to update, usually within a few hours (around 3 hours in my case).

This is only happening with 1 of my 3 kids accounts.

Happening with my kids as well. Tried reinstalling Minecraft and the launcher, and still not working. Hoping that it gets fixed soon. Shame we cannot at least temporarily rollback the update

Ok I changed my age to over 18 and everything works fine even though it's still a family account.

Same issue! Kids account on pc. Uninstaller, reinstalled both launcher and windows edition. Still i cannot sign in.

Temp workaround:

Disable network. Turn off network via Toggle off Wireless or airplane mode disable LAN or last resort unplug Ethernet.

Launch Minecraft Bedrock for Windows.

Re-enable network connections.

Regardless, yes, same bug. Present since 1.21.120 release for all child accounts. Same fix. Does not happen to adult accounts.

Same here. 1 of my kids cannot play. I’ve tried everything the internets have to suggest. Disabling network, start game, then enable network does allow my kid to login, servers/SoulSteel/etc. are not available still.

I’m sure you all know, but it is super frustrating to happen on a weekend when you have time to play with your kids in Minecraft and they have time to play with each other. 😞

Yeah, I haven’t uninstalled and reinstalled the game, because I forgot to save my worlds in a different folder. I think they are fine though, because when I first updated my worlds were fine, I double checked the version yeah 1.21.120. The next day I go through the launcher, and I can’t sign in and can’t see worlds, marketplace bought stuff, friends, advancements, or join servers. Do you think my worlds we be okay when this is resolved.

My child is using a Microsoft Child account as well and this bug is affecting them.

I have uninstalled, reinstalled, change passwords, changed accounts, cleared credential cache, etc.. so many different times..

Only workaround is to do the following EVERY time my child wants to play
1. Launch Minecraft
2. Disable Wifi
3. Click Sign In inside Minecraft
4. Turn Wifi back on
5. Click Profile inside Minecraft
6. Wait for it to load/retry (or try clicking Try Again)
7. Click Profile 3dots and Sign Out
8. Click Sign In with Microsoft Account (Do NOT press back)
9. Now once signed in again you can press back
10. You will now be able to play online with servers/SoulSteel

Same here. My son’s account is giving problems. I’ve tried resetting the password and different laptops, but the error is still there. Funny thing is that the iPad and Switch don’t have the problem.

Same here, it’s quite annoying.

Same here, would love to see this resolved soon! Strangely seems to only be affecting one of my kid’s accounts - who are set up identically in the Microsoft Family settings.

Same here. MCPE-230762
And the overview lists in this tracker are not loading for minutes…

This is the same with mine. now cant play

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Child accounts stuck on Drowned error after Minecraft 1.21.120 update

The shared article sums up the problems well.

However, it does not mention the fact that logging in to other devices (like an Android tablet) with the same MS Child account does not cause any problems. This makes it solely focused to Minecraft Bedrock Windows edition.

The ‘turning off the internet connection’ trick also shows a strange side-effect. To try to fix this problem for my son, I literally spent hours and hours trying various ways of logging out and in of the MS account / Xbox app, creating a new MS password and doing it all over again, chatting online and trying numerous ways of clearing caches, temporary files etc. and in the end - after carefully copying all temp world data to a backup folder - deleting Launcher and Minecraft itself and reinstalling both of them. One should think that no worlds would be available with the ‘turning off the internet connection’ trick now, but everything is at hand, like nothing happened or was reinstalled at all.

Note: Realms does indeed not start up and freezes up around the 25% mark, but - again - works normally on that Android tablet.

Downloading and running https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/troubleshooting/gaming-services-repair-tool seems to have fixed the problem…….

We believe this issue should have been resolved with a back-end update to the Microsoft Gaming Services - could you please let us know if the issue is resolved for you now?

If not, could you please let us know which version of Gaming Services you have installed?

Hi,

I confirm that launching the gaming-services-repair-tool from the link shared by Siebren Dijk solves the problem for us. thanks a lot for your help and time. My son won’t pester me anymore now 😃

Thank you Siebren Dijk that worked. Very appreciative.

Confirmed that the repair tool execution was the fix. The backend fix doesn’t work without the repair tool execution. I had to temporarily make my son a machine administrator in order to execute it in his account. I did not test whether execution by another administrator would have fixed the issue.

This was affecting me as well but is now resolved. I did not use the repair tool.

How will you get the information out to all the people with this issue that have not seen this guide? horrible testing on your end tbh.

Hi,
The repair tool didn't work for me, the problem still persists.

Running the repair tool fixed it.

• No more Xbox login Window when starting the Minecraft Launcher

• No more selection of the Xbox profile within the Launcher

• No more Xbox login Window after selecting the profile in the Launcher

• No more Xbox loging Window when starting Minecraft Bedrock

• Xbox user is directly logged in in the Launcher

• Xbox user is directly logged in in Minecraft

• Joining custom servers works again

Data point: Fixed for me, didn’t have to run the repair tool, just reopened Minecraft for Windows and was logged in to begin with.