Command and Conquer Ultimate Collection won't launch in Origin

@1bigjoe Uh... entering the code doesn't automatically download all the games. You need to specifically click the game and tell it to download before you can actually play. If that's what you're doing... are you getting any error messages?

(Side note: given the fact a bunch of these 17 "games" are actually expansion packs, the bundle only adds 9 game items.)

@AzizSoul

Not sure if it's a good solution - the -w thing just makes certain games run in windowed mode as far as I know. It does nothing on C&C1 and RA1, and on TS and RA2 it requires that you make sure the game is set to run in 16 bit colours, which was only actually added to the compatibility options since Windows 10, as far as I know, meaning that on older Windows versions you need to put your entire system in 16 bit colour mode.

There's a more elegant solution for RA2, that doesn't require such drastic measures, namely the graphics system patch DDWrapper. Here are all the unofficial patches for the early generation of C&C games:

Command & Conquer 1, Red Alert 1 and Tiberian Sun have all been upgraded with community-created unofficial patches that fix a lot of their bugs and compatibility problems. For Red Alert 2 there's a more general patch that solves a lot of its graphics problems. You can find them here:

Command & Conquer 1:

• Nyerguds' C&C95 v1.06c revision 3 patch (which also adds bonus missions originally exclusive to the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of the game)
  Note that this patch fixes two quite common and completely fatal game crashes (top-of-map reconnaissance crash, stealth crash), so installing it is strongly advised.
• An upgrade for the patch's config tool and cnc-ddraw component have been provided by FunkyFr3sh. Apply it after installing the patch. This is now incorporated in the patch.

Red Alert 1:

• Funkyfr3sh's automatic Red Alert 1 patcher/installer
• Nyerguds' main.mix cleanup for TFD/TUC (Not really needed, but cleans up about a gigabyte of unnecessary files in the RA1 folder. Unpack in the game folder, run "patch_main.bat", let it finish, and then delete the files you extracted.)

Tiberian Sun:

• Funkyfr3sh's Tiberian Sun patch

Red Alert 2:

• The graphics system patch DDWrapper is known to solve a multitude of graphics problems, including the "black screen" issue.
  Download the zip file and extract "ddraw.dll" and "aqrit.cfg" into your game folder. Then, open the configuration file "aqrit.cfg" in Notepad, change the "ForceDirectDrawEmulation" option to 1, save the file, and try running the game again.
• If you still have problems with RA2 even after this, I advise installing the CnCNet online play installer for RA2/YR. Even if you're not interested in online play, it comes with a bunch of automatic fixes, and has a configuration tool which offers more choices in graphics fixes than just DDWrapper, so if one doesn't work you can just try if some of the other options do the trick.

@mleppelman

You're running the wrong item.

All games in the collection are separate items in your games list. The only item in there with the actual C&C Ultimate Collection cover art is not a game; if you look at the item's details you will see it is the collection's bonus material. It isn't supposed to launch anything, it just opens the folder containing that bonus material.

So just find the separate games in your games list, and install and play them separately.

@susshiman

Try looking at the other patches and solutions mentioned in this thread and others like it on the forum...

@W1sh_Sama and @JaaSeeM This workaround should fix the problems you are having with this known issue that the games of the Ultimate Collection won't start. This workaround will work till EA releases a permanent fix: https://answers.ea.com/t5/C-C-The-Ultimate-Collection/Can-t-launch-C-amp-C-The-Ultimate-Collection-games-after-24-01/m-p/8716040#M17504