Understanding and Resolving Windows Error 30005 Issue

When you launch a game on your PC or Steam client, do you encounter a message that reads “error 30005: CreateFile failed with 32”? It mostly occurs when running games protected by Easy Anti-Cheat, an anti-cheat service used by multiplayer games to prevent hacking.

If you have encountered this error, you’re probably trying to run a game protected by this service, but there is some issue with the service itself or game files, which is preventing the game from launching.

So, what causes this error, and how do you fix it?

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links

If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

What Causes the Error 30005: CreateFile Failed With 32 on Windows?

Here are a few major causes that may have resulted in the “error 30005: CreateFile failed with 32” issue on your device:

• A hack you’ve installed altered the game files, which Easy Anti-Cheat deemed suspicious.
• Your game files have been corrupted, and Easy Anti-Cheat has flagged these changes as unauthorized.
• The Easy Anti-Cheat service is being blocked by Windows Defender or antivirus software.
• Easy Anti-Cheat has failed to create the file in its installation folder since the file from the previous session already exists.
• You have mistakenly disabled the Easy Anti-Cheat process or service to reduce its resource consumption.
• The Easy Anti-Cheat software installation has been corrupted and requires repair or a fresh reinstallation.

Now that you know why you might be experiencing this error, let’s discuss how you can fix it.

1. First, Perform Some Preliminary Checks

You should first perform the following preliminary checks before moving on to the main fixes:

• Are you using any hacking software of files to gain an advantage in the game? If so, you should remove them.
• Close any other program running alongside the game.
• Close any graphics optimization software you are using.
• Have you made any modifications to the game files? If you’ve done any, you should reinstall the game unless you know how to reverse these changes.

You can begin applying the remaining fixes if none of the above checks help.

2. Delete the EasyAntiCheat.Sys File

The EasyAntiCheat.sys file contains the launch information for the game. Every time you launch the game, and the Easy Anti-Cheat service confirms that the game files have not been modified, it gets created automatically.

In most cases, Easy Anti-Cheat creates this file successfully; occasionally, it fails. When that happens, the game displays this error message. To ensure that’s not the case here, you’ll have to delete this file manually, so Easy Anti-Cheat can recreate it when you relaunch the game.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to the directory folder of the game you’re having trouble with. Most of the time, you will find it in a subfolder of the Program Files (x86) folder on the drive where your operating system is installed.
2. Open the EasyAntiCheat or EasyAntiCheat_EOS folder.
3. Locate the EasyAntiCheat.sys or EasyAntiCheat_EOS.sys file in the folder.
4. To delete the file, right-click on it and select Delete.
   
5. Grant administrator permission if it is requested in the UAC window.

6. Relaunch the game.

If you encounter the same error again, proceed to the next step.

Can’t Uninstall the EasyAntiCheat.Sys File?

Some users have reported encountering an error when deleting the EasyAntiCheat.sys file that says that the file cannot be deleted since the app is running. This message indicates that Easy Anti-Cheat is running in the background, so you must turn off the program before uninstalling it. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Task Manager.
2. Locate Easy Anti-Cheat in the list of running processes.
3. Right-click the process and select End task.
   

3. Repair Any Corrupted Game Files

If your game files get corrupted, Easy Anti-Cheat will consider it unauthorized tampering. Therefore, repairing them is essential. Some game clients allow you to repair corrupt files from within the client; therefore, if the game you’re running offers this functionality, go ahead and repair the corrupt files.

If you have installed the game through Steam, you can repair your game files more easily. In our guide on repairing game files using different launchers , we have covered the process for verifying the integrity of game files (or fixing corrupt game files) in Steam. So, follow the relevant instructions to repair corrupt files.

4. Whitelist Easy Anti-Cheat in Windows Defender or Antivirus

Even though Easy Anti-Cheat is a trusted service, Microsoft Defender or antivirus software you use may consider it a threat and block it. Once blocked, Easy Anti-Cheat won’t be able to create the file it needs to, and the game launcher will display this error. Therefore, you should ensure it isn’t the cause of the problem.

Disable both programs to determine if Windows Defender or an antivirus program is causing the problem. Check out our guide on how to disable Windows Defender . There should be a similar option in your antivirus program’s settings. Use that to disable it. Once both programs have been disabled, run the game again and see if the error occurs.

If the game launches successfully this time, that confirms the problem lies with Windows Defender or a third-party antivirus program that you’re using. If you don’t enable either of these programs, you won’t encounter this error again, but disabling them puts your device at risk.

So, instead of doing that, you should whitelist Easy Anti-Cheat from Windows Defender and your antivirus program. Doing so will prevent either of these apps from blocking the Easy Anti-Cheat program, and both apps will continue to do their job of catching viruses.

If you aren’t familiar with the process to whitelist apps, check out our guide on how to allow apps through Windows Firewall . Likewise, visit the official website of the antivirus you’re using. There, you’ll find the instructions to whitelist apps in that particular software.

5. Disable Kernel-Mode Hardware-Enforced Stack Protection

Activating Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection, a security feature on Windows, interferes with Easy Anti-Cheat software, as reported by a user in a Microsoft Community forum . This feature prevents malicious software from interfering with the operating system but can sometimes conflict with safe programs, such as Easy Anti-Cheat.

One user confirmed in a Reddit thread that turning off this security feature fixed the problem. If your processor supports this security feature, turn it off. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Type “Windows Security” in Windows Search and open the Windows Security app.
2. Navigate to the Device Security tab in the left sidebar.
3. Click Core isolation in the right-hand pane.
4. Turn off the toggle under Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection.
   
5. Reboot your device.

If the Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection feature isn’t available in the Device Security settings, then your processor doesn’t support it. If that is the case, you can skip this fix.

6. Ensure the Easy Anti-Cheat Service Is Running

Easy Anti-Cheat launches a service also named Easy Anti-Cheat when you install the program on your device. If this service isn’t running, Easy Anti-Cheat will throw an error. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the Services app by typing “Services” in Windows Search.
2. Find the Easy Anti-Cheat service.
3. If it is already running, you don’t need to do anything. If it isn’t running already, right-click on it and click Start.

7. Repair the Easy Anti-Cheat Program

If none of the fixes work or the Easy Anti-Cheat software isn’t working correctly, you should repair the program. Follow these steps to repair the client:

1. Go to the installation folder of your game. If you have installed the game through Steam, open the Steam client, right-click on the game, and select Properties. Choose Local Files from the left sidebar and click Browse on the right.
   
2. Close the Steam client and keep the installation folder open.
3. Go to the Easy Anti-Cheat folder.
4. Run the Easy Anti-Cheat setup file.
   
5. In the UAC window, click Yes.
6. Click on Repair Service.
   
7. After that, click Finish and run the game.

Click here

8. Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat

If you encounter the same error when you run the game again, it indicates that the issue has not been resolved. So, reinstall the Easy Anti-Cheat program as a last resort.

To do that, follow the same steps explained above and run the Easy Anti-Cheat setup file again. Then, instead of clicking on Repair, click on Uninstall in the bottom-left corner.

After that, click on Install Easy Anti-Cheat. Then click Finish.

Error 30005: CreateFile Failed With 32, Fixed

When Easy Anti-Cheat blocks hackers from entering multiplayer games and ruining your gaming experience, it’s great; when we get errors due to it, we find it annoying. Hopefully, the fixes covered in this article will help you resolve the “error 30005: CreateFile failed with 32” problem. If none of these solutions work, you should reinstall the game or the game client as a last resort.

When you launch a game on your PC or Steam client, do you encounter a message that reads “error 30005: CreateFile failed with 32”? It mostly occurs when running games protected by Easy Anti-Cheat, an anti-cheat service used by multiplayer games to prevent hacking.

If you have encountered this error, you’re probably trying to run a game protected by this service, but there is some issue with the service itself or game files, which is preventing the game from launching.

So, what causes this error, and how do you fix it?

Also read: