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MellinMellin's avatar
MellinMellin
7 years ago
Solved

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 ...
  • MellinMellin's avatar
    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
MellinMellin's avatar
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's avatar
    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.

  • MellinMellin's avatar
    MellinMellin
    7 years ago

    I did use a second hard drive with formally installed origin games, including Mass Effect 3, but as I mentioned in my first post I tried manually deleting all of the files for the game.

    As for tests: I got "Product verification seuceeded1" on ".NET Framework 3.5 SP1" and ".NET Framework 4.7".

    Just in case I've also run it on ".NET Framework 4.7.1" and 4.7.2.

  • holger1405's avatar
    holger1405
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @MellinMellin 

    Could you post a screenshot with all files present in your ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries" folder?

    Also run the DxDiag setup under ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 2\__Installer\directx\redist" again, now that all ME3 VC++ runtime's are installed.

    Reboot  > test.

  • MellinMellin's avatar
    MellinMellin
    7 years ago

    Running "DXSETUP.exe" did not help, still same error with license.

    Here is my \Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries:

    Spoiler

    Also \Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries\Win32:

    Spoiler

    and \Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries\Win32\Core:

    Spoiler
  • MellinMellin's avatar
    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
  • holger1405's avatar
    holger1405
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @MellinMellin 

    Good to hear!

    And thanks for posting the solution.

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