[PC] Mass Effect Won't Start - A New Solution

This solution addresses the issue where you run ME, it says it's syncing to the cloud,

and then nothing further happens.

Pre-first of all.  There is some suggestion that the below solution might be avoidable

by contacting EA customer service right away.   The implication seems to be that you

explain the situation, they verify who you are, then issue you a new registration code. 

at which point you would most likely redownload the game.  If anybody would like to 

try this and report back to this thread, I would appreciate it.  

First of all, if you haven't tried the more common solution please do so. (eg. set Mass
Effect.exe to XP SP3 Compatibility mode and Run as Administrator) If it works for you, I
think you'll be a lot happier than if you have to do the following.

And here's a new list of possible solutions to try courtesy of Pigosso:

http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Mass_Effect#Game_simply_doesn.27t_start

Still reading? This solution will most likely screw up your registration code
necessitating a conversation with Origin Support. More on that later.

You'll need the 1.02 patch from here:

http://masseffect.bioware.com/me1/pc/updates/index.html

Once you've downloaded it, run it. If it succeeds, you probably can stop and run ME. If
it fails, continue.

Ok, check your Mass Effect directory to see if it contains MassEffectLauncher.exe. The
directory is most likely:

%programfiles(x86)%\origin games\mass effect\

(If you've changed the default location, I'll assume you know enough to find it yourself)

You should be in a directory that has a number of subdirectories (eg. __Installer,
Binaries, BioGame, data, etc.) This is where MassEffectLauncher.exe is supposed to be,
and if it isn't, then this solution is probably for you.

You can replace it either by downloading this file or creating it yourself (more on that below):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/293396/MassEffectLauncher.exe

The above is just a direct link from my Dropbox account. If you're uncomfortable with
taking a random file from a stranger online, as you really should be, you can also create

it yourself!  You can do this by opening Notepad, then going to Save As, change the file

type to All (VERY IMPORTANT), name the file MassEffectLauncher.exe, and then navigate

to the root of your Mass Effect directory,r pobably %programfiles(x86)%\origin games\mass effect\ 

and click Save.  

Whichever method you use, place the file in the root of your Mass Effect directory, then
try running the patch again. Hopefully it should work this time. Don't bother running 

MassEffectLauncher.exe.  It's a zero byte file and will do nothing.  

Here's where you will probably find that your registration is no longer valid. I have no
idea why this occurs. Origin Support hinted that it was registered to a different
account,  This has happened with everybody.     but would not tell me which one. I'm a little concerned by that, but since this
seems to be a consistent problem, I'm not that worried. They gave me a phone number and
case number, so I'll follow up next week.

So now that you've found that your registration is screwed up, you'll need to contact
Origin Support.

You'll probably want to do this through the Live Support link, which is a little tedious
to locate. The path is something like:

1. http://help.ea.com/contact-us
2. Contact a Game Advisor
3. Type Mass Effect
4. Codes, PC
5. I still need help
6. Either Live Chat (Chat Now) or Call me.

(You could do the above through the Origin client, but they'll want you to restart it, and
if you do that you'll lose your chat connection, so I suggest using the browser)

It has been reported that some advisors may refuse to help you if you say you are using

Windows 8.1.  If you are using that version, you may want to avoid mentioning it.  

I have no idea why their wait time in live chat is so awful, but since this will involve
product keys, doing it by phone is likely to be an exercise in torture.

At this point, describe the current problem about the registration not being valid and
they should issue you a new code. They will also probably have you set up a legacy
account on pogo.com and a couple of other steps that involve associating that account with
your EA Online account.

If all goes well, you should be able to play!

I put this together mostly from memory, so if something doesn't work let me know and I'll
amend the instructions.