Re: [Resolved] - Mass Effect 1 (2007) will not download on EA app

@holger1405  Alas, they "fixed the glitch".  I followed what you posted and ME1 actually downloads, but still won't play.  It also nerfed ME2 which by some miracle just started to work, now it's a pretty paper weight.  Thanks for your post, it really showed promise.. but the EA gods are mighty and powerful.  I am about to just lay down because I am whipped fighting this.. Thanks again... best of luck to you in your future!

@5a50e1686baf9879 

So ME1 is installed now but wont run, did I get this right?

If so create a DxDiag in text file format and post it with your next reply. You can do that with the "Choose file" button at the bottom right corner of the reply window. 

Hi everyone, 

When you have the chance would you mind grabbing EA app Error Report IDs so we can take a look at this? 

For more info on how you can find the Report ID check out the EA Help website. Once you have the Report ID please respond to this thread and include it in your post. We just need the Report ID itself, not the actual error log files. 

Thanks! 

@EA_Kent,

Hi there! Here is my report id:  7ee8736e-f87e-46c7-9f87-7461a63eec14

Quick recap of events:

1. I tried old Origin, no bueno

2. Uninstalled everything, cleaned up folders etc (including remnants in c:\ProgramData)

3. New download of EA App installed to my g:\ drive (non-os, not a bootable drive, no dual boot, 2TB)

4. Mass Effect 1 (2007) fails to download

5. Mass Effect 2 Downloads, but will not run

6. Mass Effect 3 Downloads, but will not run

My rig:

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 (patched all the way, TLS 1.0 is TURNED OFF (server and client))

Solid State Drives (EA App installed on an SSD that does not host the OS)

GeForce GTX8800 (using the LAST driver issued for this video card from NVidia: (342.01-desktop-win8-win7-winvista-64bit-international.exe)

Installed Microsoft DXRuntime (DX9-DX11)

Much appreciated!

Also, if you're able to include an approximate date and time for when you first started running into this error, that would be really helpful as well. 

Thanks! 

@5a50e1686baf9879 

Thank you! I appreciate the details. 

@EA_Kent , you bet.  Nice to be speaking with support.  If you need to try a few things on out on my PC let me know as well.  I know others are frustrated too and we all just want to enjoy the ME franchise again. 🙂

I would say this all started for me about Monday, February 27th ish... I started with my DVD version of ME1 that I own.  I forgot about the Origin app and was unaware of the EA App, I have a stack of original games from the mid-2000's era that I am messing with.

Trying to run my hard copy of ME1 threw a ton of issues, I think DRM related.  I did not feel like trolling through a bunch of virus polluted P2P sites for a fix, so I Norton'd up and went to ea.com. (Anti-X because I am online with an out of support OS from MSFT and Browser, so need LOTS of protection).  Downloaded the app and I was pleased to see the games I had purchased via EA many years ago still there.

Proceeded to download ME1 which through the can't download error... I figured yea of course because I already have it downloaded and installed.  So uninstalled my local copy, cleaned-up, and rebooted.  Got the same error.  At this point I am thinking licensing issue, so logged into ea.com on Edge and fiddled around and found a place there I can register my copy of ME1 using the code from my original ME1 disk.  I did that thinking, ah, that is what the needed ... a way to prove I owned ME1. 

Tried to download again, same issue. Opened a case at this point. Call it Tuesday, February 28th now..

After that, you probably know the rest of the story. I was rather upset at tech support telling me to reinstall everything, including the EA App and reboot, which I did the first time, but to get told to do the same thing over and over, nah. I needed more help than a script could offer. I worked tech support; I get it, totally do.

So here we are today! 

Let me know if you need anything more!

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@EA_Kent wrote:

Hi everyone, 

When you have the chance would you mind grabbing EA app Error Report IDs so we can take a look at this? 

For more info on how you can find the Report ID check out the EA Help website. Once you have the Report ID please respond to this thread and include it in your post. We just need the Report ID itself, not the actual error log files. 

Thanks! 

---

Report ID: a4c9d25d-febf-4c21-a4f6-5ff88b09a830

It started happening as early as December 18th, 2022. I am not sure if it was happening earlier.

Thank you for looking into this.

I just got ME1 to download and install.....

Few days ago, I tried to DL it and it would hang on Preparing.....like multiple hours hang.  I tried to cancel the install and it was "canceling" for overnight and not making headway.  I ended up closing EA Play app, going into task manager and then finding a EA Play process still running and ending that task.  Once that was done, I was able to download the game and install it.  I couldn't get it to play nor any of my others from EA play so I added an exception to AVG for EA Play app, repaired install and tried again....no luck seemingly.....I tried to start other games and they would work mostly, but would take several minutes to start, ending up chain starting multiple games, ie one would start, end it, another that I tried would start and I would have to end that one....After about 20 minutes, all of a sudden ME1 started....

Now ME1 will start after about 30 seconds to one minute.....

I HATE THE NEW EA PLAY APP......  Yes, I guess it has potential, but so far it has been a large step BACKWARDS from the old Origin app.....

Thanks to everyone who has shared their info so far. It's been helpful!

We are continuing to look into this. 

@EA_Kent 

Checking in since it has been sometime and we have seen an update to the EA App.

My issue still persists.  I bought ME1, I cannot download it.. So I bought something I cannot play.

Same here. There's been no meaningful communication, and so far the only work that has been done is patching the workaround to use Origin, which makes the situation even worse than when it started amazingly.

Hi so it's been a month... how is that old "looking into it" going? 

@sirjames99508 Hey there! I am so sorry to report that I have completely given up on Mass Effect with EA. They are not responding but continue to update their app.  The only place I can get Mass Effect to work is on my XBox and I protest playing that (as a personal thing) because EA has dumped ME so hard on personal computers with their app.

I am at a loss of what to do. As a consumer EA has not fulfilled on their promise to deliver a working piece of software to me after I purchased it.  I have the receipt and a dead app that EA says runs the games we purchase.  I don't know how lawsuits work but that would be great to do at this point.

I stopped on this thread because I got pretty punchy, and they sent me some notes about conduct.  That seemed to get their attention. If I do it again, I will probably get banned, though at this point I don't particular care what they do.

Most likely they have not heard enough people complaining about this, so they don't see the value in putting resources in to fix it.  Especially when it works on Xbox and PS, but that does nothing for PC folks, and nostalgia PC folks like me, who want to run the "real" Mass Effect game.

I wish you the best of luck! Hopefully, someday you, all of us, can enjoy a fantastic franchise, but for now, keep the dust off and remember to tell the ME1 consort "That's all I get?" 🙂

Report ID: 66316ebc-cdd8-4b8d-bec2-d0725b19b4eb

When I upgraded Origin to EA app, I was able to play Mass Effect 1 without any issues (the last time being April 22,2023).  However, when I added a new SSD to my pc on April 29,2023, I uninstalled EA app and all games associated with it from my old hard drive and tried to download them onto my new SSD.  EA app and all the games within my library were able to download to the new SSD with no issues except for Mass Effect 1.  When I try to download Mass Effect 1, I get a pop-up stating "there's a problem with your download".  If I had known this was an ongoing issue and that I wouldn't be able to re-install the game again, I wouldn't have uninstalled it to begin with.

You need to uninstall EA App, reinstall an old full version of Origin, change the local.xml to prevent automatic updates and prevent EA App from being a forced install. After that, you can open Origin and download the game properly. Then, reinstall EA Desktop and the game will be in your library and playable.

It is sad that we have to jump through the hoops, but this works. Have had to do it twice in last couple days because I messed up my mod installation :facepalm:

I have posted this in a couple other threads, hope this isn't considered spamming I am trying to help and this did fix my issue.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2948118653

Follow the general instructions, ignore the stuff that is specific for BF2042

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to provide an update on this one. The team is working on an update that should help with this specific issue. There is not an ETA on when it will be pushed but it should be pushed out here soon.

We want to refrain from continuing to download Origin or modifying anything on your PC to get the game downloaded as the update can conflict with what is changed. With Origin being phased out, this is not a viable workaround for players any longer.

Once this update is pushed, you would be able to download any of the Original ME games. If for any reason after the update you are not, please let us know.

Thank you for your continued patience on this issue.

I understand wanting to refrain, but patience of this magnitude is a really big ask imo.

Meanwhile, my game is working. Even did a repair with EA Desktop, to make sure there was no compatibility hijinks.

...

Hopefully the update works out. I cannot get all of the ME3 DLC, which is likely a related issue. Thank you for the update, please post when it has been released so that we can test. If the update only makes it more difficult to use Origin as a workaround again, without actually helping the issue - RGB Cupcake Wars 2.0

I understand, but have zero sympathy. They have done this to themselves and us, for *reasons*.

They have one functional client, and one that is pretty much broken on every level. We are forced to use the broken one, again, for *reasons*.

There has been zero transparency on this, and the customer support via chat and email is entirely underwhelming. It cements further that if I buy anything again from EA, it will be small DLC for a title I have owned for a long time. I cannot support a company that abuses their customer like this. They have permanently damaged their brand name with this nonsense.

Thank you for understanding patience. This honestly isn't the time for it, this is business and they should get their act together if there is to be any grace.

EA Desktop will crash your games, if you do not LEAVE ON the overlay. What in the actual pits of hell is this? A common fix for game issues is removing overlays, thus reducing overhead on your network and system. EA Desktop? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

It is astonishingly bad. Shaking my head bad. Kind of cannot believe it, it is that bad.

So.... Sure, you can point to a day when Origin is not a solution. Today is not that day.

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@HannibalSpectre wrote:

They have one functional client, and one that is pretty much broken on every level. We are forced to use the broken one, again, for *reasons*.

---

I wasn't a big fan of Origin myself because of how terribly slow it was, but EA app is on a whole other level. It's probably the second worst game client I've ever used (can't compete with Games for Windows Live).

At this point, I think they should just do what GOG does. Make the client optional, and offer exe downloaders on your profile page on the website. This could work for older games, at least. I can't imagine classic Mass Effect is raking in enough money that it requires DRM so strong you can't even install it.

@Fred_vdp- That would be a fantastic solution in my opinion. I actually use the Galaxy client to launch their games for the most part, but some games like a modded VtMB or GMDX should be launched by the included shortcut and not the client. Having the option, in particular for older games without a MP component that needs some form of anti-cheat, seems like the best way to go.

Here's hoping!

This is great news - I’ve been experiencing this issue since late last year on my old gaming PC and then all this year on my new gaming PC. 

I'm looking forward to finally being able to play through the original ME1 with Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station again. Very much longer and I’d be forced to go to storage to dig up the discs!

If there is a lesson here, it’s EA’s to learn: Your PC customers are fairly savvy, and if we say the boilerplate fixes aren’t working, then please believe us and begin work identifying root cause and coming up with a fix. Some us have been waiting the better part of a year to play ME1 again, and it was frustrating to have had no official acknowledgement of the issue and to be presented with the same set of ineffectual fixes over and over for months.

Thanks for finally acknowledging the issue and letting us know a fix is in the works.