Launching EA game via Steam gives error "Game not installed" in EA app
Product: The EA app
Platform:PC
Error Report ID (learn how to create an Error Report ID in the sticky post)
Which client functionality are you experiencing this bug with? Launch Game
When did this happen? (dd.mm.yy hh:mm) 07.09.2023. 18:00
Summarize your bug Titanfall 2 purchased on Steam sale the other day does not launch. EA client gives an error on launch that states that the game isn't installed. Went back and forth with Tech support about 10ish e-mails, tried every offered solution, no change. Was instructed by Support to make this Forum post with full details.
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Impossible to tell, might be unique. For me it's just trying to launch the game.
What happens when the bug occurs? Error message pops out, "Game not installed"
What do you expect to see? Game running cleanly.
Full background:
The game was installed and ran couple of years ago cleanly, same OS, different hardware. The game was running during that Origin monthly things where a bunch of titles can be played, so over ORIGIN client. Meanwhile Hardware updated (13900K, RTX4060, 32GB DDR5@6K, so plenty for an older title. Upgrade done from Intel to Intel so no windows reinstall, just drivers, everything works peaches.)
FF to yesterday.
- Saw Titanfall 2 on steam sale for some 3€ and nostalgia kicked in
- Bought the game via Steam
- Installed the game, download and installation went cleanly.
- Tried to run game, expected to see Origin (keep in mind i didn't touch anything via Origin in a while)
- Installation for EA new client started. Installation went cleanly, same login info, no issues there.
- Tried running, and i get the error that the game isn't installed. Error is given by EA launcher.
- Tried checking game files integrity via Steam and antivirus quarantine, all clean.
- Searched around forums, tried:
- Clean reinstall of EA client
- Running both Steam and EA as Admin
- Changing the default download destination of EA client to match the Steam installation location for TTF2
No improvement, same error.
Contacted the Support, went trough all that again as instructed, with addition as:
- Clearing EA client's cache as instructed
- Disabling every other piece of software, process and antivirus before starting both clients as Admin
- Unknown change to account Support-side
No improvement, same error.
I tried running other games that have the same link from Steam to Origin/EA
- "It takes two" was the last game i ran on Origin, that was ending 2022. worked flawlessly
- "A way out", I just tried to launch it to check if EA launcher works at all, and it started with no issue. It also moved the game icon in EA launcher from "My games" to "Installed" Which it didn't do with TTF2.
I concluded that this is a specific Issue with the EA launcher that for some reason simply refuses to detect the installation of TTF2 no matter what i throw at it, and at this point i'm clueless,
I asked the support if the Client has some sort of advanced options menu or console to manually force detection, it seems that my inquiry... wasn't quite understood.
I also asked to just get the most basic version of TTF2 on EA launcher since it's an older game and i have no interest in MP, just campaign, just so the whole launch issue is (potentially) bypassed, also no reasonable response.
CM edit: edited title for clarity.
After 2 days and many people having the same problem, someone found a workaround so i'm posting it here in my own question in case someone ends up here specifically with the same issue.
The EA app is currently for some reason unable to find Titanfall 2 installation folder specifically when downloaded over Steam and outside it's own designated folder, and it offers no automatic way to solve it.
Solution is to enter registry editor (win 10 in this case, start-run-regedit) and find this tag: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Respawn\Titanfall2", and under path type the actual location of the install directory (where your Steam library is, should be something like C\YOUR_STEAM_LIBRARY_LOCATION\common\Titanfall2).
Close the Regedit and the game should be recognized as installed and run.
Another problem i got immediately after i solved this one was some .dll missing inside the Titanfall2 folder that was clearly there, that one is solved by entering Titanfall2/_Installer/vc and running the .exe in the redist folder in both folders you see in there, then choosing to repair.
Credit for figuring registry workaround for EA app bug goes to "Torean0318"
Credit to figuring out the fix for missing .dll goes to "Nightwing3030"
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