mass effect 3 activation error

Hello,

Recently I had a hard drive failure, because of which I had to fully reinstall my OS.

After I did so I started installing my games but I got an error after trying to run Mass Effect 3.

The first error I got said that the game could not be activated.

In order to fix it, I tried reinstalling the game.

After that I got this message:

Spoiler

translation:

Spoiler

Improper license. Cause code = Missing DLL d3dx9_42.dll Error: 0x0000007e

Just to make sure: I have this game on Origin since March of 2012 and I have never before seen this error, or have any other problem with any licenses on Origin.

Here is a list of solutions I tried in order to fix it (all of them didn't work):

1) repairing the game via Origin

2) deinstalling the game and reinstalling it

3) manually deleting main game files from "\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3" and reinstalling it

4) deinstalling both the game and Origin, then installing origin back and then the game

This error happens with only this game (no other games I tried to have any problems running).

I also thought that maybe the DLL file mentioned in the error was somehow connected to an incomplete Direct X installation, but according to the dxdiag.exe tool, I have the newest version installed (I attach the dxdiag report).

My setup:

OS: Windows 10 64bit Build 17763

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz

RAM: 16GB

GPU: AMD Radeon R9 390

(any more information should be available in the dxdiag.txt file attached)

DxDiag.txt86 KB

MellinMellin
7 years ago
Ok, I finally got it to work!
First of, credit where credit is due:
I had the same problem as the author of this topic: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-launch-error-Wrong-license-missing-d3dx9-42-dll/td-p/4298372
The solution was confirmed by EA staff as working.
Here it is:
First of I needed the .cab files that I manually deleted from the \Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\directx\redist folder.
I did that by using the repair option inside of the Origin (but I guess fully reinstalling the game would give me the same result).
Then I needed to find 2 .cab files:
Aug2009_d3dx9_42_x86.cab
Aug2009_d3dx10_42_x86.cab
And manually extract their content into my C:\Windows folder.
This added those 10 new files there:
Spoiler

15 Replies

EA_Barry
Community Manager
7 years ago
@MellinMellin

Can you please find (on your own machine) and right click and run the following files as an Administrator:

Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\directx\redist\DXSETUP.exe

Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc\vc2008sp1\redist\vcredist_x64.exe

Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc\vc2005sp1\redist\vcredist_x64.exe

Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc\vc2008sp1\redist\vcredist_x86.exe

Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc\vc2005sp1\redist\vcredist_x86.exe

That should install all required files, thanks.
MellinMellin
7 years ago
The error persisted, but there was one thing that didn't install out of them:
When I launched the vc2008sp1\redist\vcredist_x64.exe one after a while I got those errors:
Spoiler
holger1405
Hero+
7 years ago
@MellinMellin

Uninstall the "Microsoft Visual c++ 2008 Redistributable - x64 9.0.30729.17" (only this specific one in case you have several Vc++ 2008 installations) from the Windows control panel.

Reboot.

Go to your ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc\vc2008sp1\redist" folder.

Run the "vcredist_x64.exe" as Administrator. (Right click the exe > Run as Administrator)

Reboot > Test.

If that don't helps:

Go to your ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\directx\redist" folder.

Delete all files with the *.cab file extension. (Only the files with the *.cab file extension.)

Run the "DXSETUP.exe" from the same folder as Administrator. (Right click the exe > Run as Administrator)

Reboot.

Test.
MellinMellin
7 years ago
I don't seem to have the x64 9.0.30729.17 version installed, I only have x64 9.0.30729.6161.
What is also weird is that I have 2 different version of 2008 x86 installed:
Spoiler
Another thing is weird, is that after this I tried to run the vcredist_x64.exe from vc\vc2008sp1\redist anyway and it installed without any problems, BUT it actually installed the x64 9.0.30729.17 version you said I should delete:
Spoiler
Should I delete it and retry installing it?
Anyway, it didn't help, I still get the same license error.
MellinMellin
7 years ago
As for the second possible solution:
I was left with 3 files:
Spoiler
Unfortunately, this did not help.
I still get the same error with the license.
And yes, I did reboot both times.
Maybe I should delete one of those duplicated versions of c+ 2008?
holger1405
Hero+
7 years ago
@MellinMellin

MellinMellin schrieb:

Maybe I should delete one of those duplicated versions of c+ 2008?

No, it is normal that there are duplicates, each game installs the version it needs, so if you uninstall a version a different game will probably stop working.

But if the "x64 9.0.30729.17" version was not present, install the other Vc++ versions from ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\__Installer\vc".

x64 and x86, 2005 and x86 2008.
MellinMellin
7 years ago
Did that, rebooted and I still get the same error with the license.
Current list of all c++ redistributables installed on my PC:
Spoiler
holger1405
Hero+
7 years ago
@MellinMellin

Do you use any mods?

Did you use or used Sweet FX?
MellinMellin
7 years ago
While I do normally use mods (even work on some myself), not this time.
I never start installing mods until the vanilla games works on its own.
So no, no mods.
holger1405
Hero+
7 years ago
@MellinMellin

So no SweetFX, not yet and not before?

And this is a complete fresh installation of Windows and the game files?

You did not copied older files over, or used a Hard drive with the game files on it at installation?

Go here and Download the .Net Framwork verification tool from MS. Check your 3.5 and 4.7 installation.