The problem was resolved by starting the game from the ORIGIN menu; the desktop icon for Mass Effect that was provided by the install process doesn't work for me.
Please create a DxDiag in text file format and post it with your next reply.
Because you use Windows 7 also go to your Reliability monitor > Press the Windows key and "R" at the same time and copy and paste or type "perfmon /rel" (without the quotes) in the new Window > hit “ENTER” and look if it has entries for the "Origin.exe" or the "MassEffect.exe".
If yes double click at the last entry for the game executable, copy the info to the clipboard, and save it to a text file.
You can attach the DxDiag text file you created (and the “Reliability monitor” text file as well) to your post in the “Reply” window with the “Choose File” button.
