Give us back our Origin Client PLEASE!
I hate when game client developers (or any app developer) hijacks the apps you already been using and that's exactly what they did with the Origin Client to me today.
They went and done it now. If you had your Origin client set to allow client updates, you're now effed up. Went to play one of my games this morning with my coffee and the dang thing updated. Guess what the update was!? A notice that forces you to have to upgrade to their new EA app client and you can't close it. This means you can no longer interact with your Origin client and cannot launch any of the games you've installed already due to that pop up notice taking control.
Ok, so.... I'm editing my original post (here at the beginning) so it's easy to find for those having issues due to that faulty EA client we're forced to use now. Unfortunately, some of the newer games will be looking for it to be installed and give errors if it's not so, we'll need to actually install the darn junky EA client. But, here's how to get your games working again;
You can get the last good working Origin client 'FULL' installer on TechSpot;
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/5783-origin.html
Keep the EA client app installed cuz, it's needed for verification in some games. But, you'll want to change some of it's settings. Disable 'start with Windows. Change game install directory to the Origin clients game install directory... \Orign Games. Link steam if you have games bought through Steam for EA/Origin. Restart PC after all this so all these changes are saved in Windows Registry.
Now install the Origin client, log in....it'll self update and softlock due to that stupid EA client notice. That's ok. Close out Origin client. (Run task manager and kill the Origin web helper service.....it keeps running in background.) Now open file explorer and change view settings to 'show hidden system files and folders.'
In the C: drive, you should now see a folder called "Program Data." Open it and go to the Origin folder.......
Stop origin client loading EA app message;
1. Open C:\ProgramData\Origin\local.xml in notepad
2. Add new key there:
<Setting key="MigrationDisabled" type="1" value="true" />
This should go at bottom just above the last line which is "</Settings>."
Save the file and exit. Now launch Origin and that stupid notice will be gone.
If a game is not working correctly, click it in Origin client library, click the gear icon and select 'Repair.' If it still doesn't seem to work, try uninstalling and re-installing.
If it's a game bought through steam, you'll install it using steam. Then launch Origin client, select that game in the library.... it'll show a 'download' button still. Click it, Origin will find the steam install and change the button to 'Play.' Always play your games using the Origin Client 'Play' button within it's library. Some games you can get away with creating a shortcut to the game exe directly to your desktop but, some will try an launch the EA client instead of Origin client. Should already have the Origin client running when playing an EA Game though. So, it's probably just as easy to stick with using it's play buttons. There maybe some games that will complain if the EA client background service is not running. In those cases, simply launch the EA client and minimize it....then use the Origin client instead.
Special thx go to @tom_looken for providing the link to the initial solution of getting Origin client working again.
