Mass Effect Legendary Edition crashes at splash screen

Repair the Game (via EA App): You mentioned this yourself, but it's the first and most crucial step. Right-click on Mass Effect Legendary Edition in the EA app and select "Repair". This checks and replaces any corrupt or missing game files.

Clear EA App Cache: You also mentioned this. Clearing the cache can resolve issues with the EA app itself that might affect game launch. Follow the steps you listed:

Open the Start menu.
Open All Apps.
Find the EA folder and click the downward arrow to expand.
Select App Recovery.
A confirmation window will pop up.
Click Clear Cache.

Update the EA App: Make sure the EA app is fully updated. Sometimes an outdated client can cause issues.
Update Graphics Drivers: This is critical. Go to the manufacturer's website for your graphics card (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and download and install the latest drivers. A "clean installation" might be preferable if that option is available.

Run as Administrator: Right-click on both the EA App icon and the game icon/executable for Mass Effect Legendary Edition (often found in the game's installation folder) and select "Run as administrator". This ensures the programs have the necessary permissions.
Check and Manage Cloud Saves: Since you suspect cloud saves, this is important:

Disable Cloud Saves in EA App: Go to EA App Settings -> "Downloads" -> disable "Enable Cloud Saves". Then try launching the game.
Move or Backup Local Save Files: Navigate to the folder where the game's local save files are stored (often in "Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Save") and move the entire "Save" folder somewhere else (e.g., to your desktop for temporary backup). Try launching the game again. If it launches now, it strongly indicates a corrupt save file was the issue. You can then try moving save files back one by one to find the corrupt one, or simply start a new game if that's acceptable.

Check for Windows Updates: Ensure your Windows installation is fully updated.
Disable Background Programs: Temporarily close down programs that might interfere, especially antivirus software or overlay programs (like Discord overlay, GeForce Experience overlay, etc.). Try launching the game with as few other programs running as possible.
Check Game File Location: Ensure the game is installed in a standard location, preferably on the same drive as your operating system if possible. Check that the installation path does not contain special characters.

Modify Display Settings (via config files if possible): Sometimes the game might crash if it tries to launch in a resolution or display mode (fullscreen/windowed) that your setup doesn't like. If you can locate the game's configuration files (often in "Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Save..\Config" or the installation folder), you can manually try changing the resolution to something standard (e.g., 1920x1080) and windowed mode before launching.

This can be tricky if you're not comfortable editing config files.
Check Windows Event Viewer: As you mentioned yourself, this is an excellent step. After a crash, open Event Viewer (search for "Event Viewer" in the Start menu). Go to "Windows Logs" -> "Application". Look for "Error" or "Warning" events that occurred right around the time of the crash. Look at the details of these events; they might contain information about which module (e.g., a .dll file) caused the error.e

Search online for any error codes or file names you find there.
Compatibility Mode: Right-click on the game's executable file (.exe) and try running it in different compatibility modes (e.g., Windows 8).
Reinstall the Game: If nothing else works, a clean reinstallation might be necessary. Uninstall the game via the EA App, clear any remaining folders (backup your saves first!), and then reinstall.


The steps you mentioned trying – repairing the game via the EA App, clearing the EA App cache, and updating the EA App – are very good and correct troubleshooting steps to start with.

The fact that you've tried on both Windows 10 and 11 is also an important detail, suggesting that the problem isn't specific to that Windows version, but rather related to the game itself, drivers, or your specific setup/files.


I would like to know:

Full specifications of your computer: What is your specific CPU (processor, e.g., Intel Core i7-xxxx, AMD Ryzen xxxx), GPU (graphics card, e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX xxxx, AMD Radeon RX xxxx), amount of RAM (in GB), and what exact version of Windows 10 or 11 are you running (e.g., "Windows 10 Home version 22H2" or "Windows 11 Pro version 23H2")?


Has the game ever worked on this computer and installation? Or has it crashed since the very first installation? (You mentioned wanting to "finally getting things working again," which implies it has worked before. When did it stop working?)


Did the problem start after a specific event? For example, a Windows update, a driver update, the installation of another program, or precisely as you suspect - something related to the save files/cloud save files? Try to recall what happened in the days/week before the problem began.


Do all three games in the Legendary Edition crash (ME1, ME2, ME3), or just a specific game? Try launching each game individually via the launcher.


Do you see any specific error message before the crash? Even if it just flashes by quickly, try to pay attention. Some error messages can provide a direct clue. Or does the screen just go black immediately at the splash screen, without any text?


Have you checked the Windows Event Viewer after a crash? (As suggested in step 11 above). If yes, did you find any "Error" or "Warning" events related to the game (e.g., process names like ME1.exe, ME2.exe, ME3.exe, or MassEffectLegendaryEdition.exe) right at the time of the crash? What did the details of those events say?


What resolution and display settings are you using? (E.g., 1920x1080, 2560x1440? Do you have one or multiple monitors connected? Are you using HDR?)


Clarify what "I have tried a lot of things" entails: Can you list some more of the things you have already attempted besides repair, cache clearing, and EA app updates? This helps me avoid suggesting something you've already done.

EsotericM​ 

Please add a DxDiag to your next reply.

A DxDiag is an overview of your PCs technical features and recent software errors.
There is no personal info in it except for the “Machine name” in the second row.
(You might delete the “Machine name” line if you wish too.)

How to create a DxDiag:

1. Press the Windows key and "R" at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
2. Copy and paste or type "DxDiag" (Without the quotes) into the new field. > ENTER
3. Wait until the green bar is gone > Click on "Save all information"
4. Save the file to your desktop.
5. Here at EA Forum > Click Replay > Click the paper clip icon at the bottom of the replay Window.
6. Navigate to the "DxDiag.txt" on your desktop > select the "DxDiag.txt" > click on "Open".
7. Reply.

There it is, hoping to get this resolved. Was just getting to the best part of MELE1

was this ai generated? haha

EsotericM​ 

1. Make sure Steam and EA app are closed.
2. Disable the internet connection of your PC.
3. Go to your "C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Bioware\Mass Efect 3” folder.
4. Move the "Save" folder and the "BIOGame” folder to your desktop. (The folders must be gone from the original path!)
5. Test the game. (You must start a new game.) 
   
   And no, I am not AI. 🤖

If the game works, and it most probably will, the culprit is a corrupted save file. 
It is very likely that its one of the last saves you made. So copy the older saves in batches back and test the game until it stopped working again. 

My save folder is under documents, not under c users. Is that a problem? It was missing the save folder before I copied one over there. I tried this, and I couldnt even get to the splash screen. I cant play any mass effect games so maybe its not related to save file?

maybe its file path related?

EsotericM​ 

The path to the "Documents" folder in a Windows standard installation is "C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\" and the game will always use this user profile "Documents" folder as the standard save location. 

This was still my mistake. I gave you the path to the old game save location instead of the MELE save location.

So go to your "Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Save\" folder and move the "ME1" folder to your desktop > Test the game. 

Just tested, nothing happened. game didnt reach splash screen even

EsotericM​ 

But the launcher works? 
Look inside the "Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Save\ME1" folder and let me know if it has been recreated and contains character folders with save files.