Since I am currently playing Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Origins, and Dragon Age 2
on my Win 8.1 Pro/64-bit rig using EA/Origin download installs exclusively, it is patently false that the games "aren't compatible".
(I also have the retail disc installs on my Win7 machine, but not everybody has a multi-boot, mutli-HDD environment.)
So we need more information about your install mechanism (retail disc, Stream, EA/Origin, Trilogy, other?)
The basics troubleshooting steps are:
0. Disable "Sync with cloud" (at least until everything else is working.)
1. Apply the 1.02 patch (absolutely required to run ME1 under Win7 or Win8.)
2. Set EA/Origin to "Run as Administrator".
3. Set the game executable to run in "WinXP (SP3) Compatibility Mode".
4. Complete un-/re-install.
Since you appear to have already executed 0-3, that leaves Step 4.
[EDIT:] I almost forgot to ask; you're not running on some weird hybrid SSD rig, are you? Non-standard install locations take very special handling.
I would only add, when you ran the 1.02 patch, did it actually work, or did you receive an error message?
(Where does OP mention 8.1?)
@maxexter wrote:
<snip>
(Where does OP mention 8.1?)
OP doesn't mention Win8.1, but does say "Win 8 Pro 64-bit" in the topic title and body of the post.
I said my rig is Win8.1 Pro/64-bit". 😕mileytongue:
I have uninstalled the game that I downloaded via gamersgate and am reinstalling it through Origin through a code I got from EA. I'll let you know how that turns out.
I currently have Windows 8, but would you recommend trying 8.1 instead?
Update, I did a total reinstall using Origin, then installed patch 1.02. The patch installed properly, and then I ran Origin as an administrator, and the launcher and exe as administrator/Windows XP compatability mode. The game still won't load...
