[PC] There is a problem connecting to the server. ME1 authorization issue.

Current situation: The problem seems to be on EA's end. They are aware of the issue, and a fix is hopefully in the works. I will update this post when I hear more news.

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A work-around has been discovered thanks to @beerxced79000's posts on the Sims 3 thread. For more detail, refer to the posts here and here, and @puzzlezaddict's post here. If you're experiencing problems specifically with Sims 3, please follow puzzlezaddict's post for a potential solution. It was thanks to these posts that I managed to get Mass Effect to authorize, and it now works fine. However, due to the nature of the work-around, it may not be viable for everyone. Thanks to @beerxced79000's follow up information, I'm going to try explain the process here in a step-by-step format.

The issue seems to be effecting games that use this authorization method.

Warning: Before proceeding, this is going to involve swapping some game files around. If you're not comfortable with that, and you're sure you're experiencing the same problem, then the best thing to do is wait for an official fix from EA. With luck, you just have to be patient and wait for news 🙂 Please check your internet connection (information about how to do that here) to be sure that isn't causing the issue. I cannot guarantee this fix will work for you, and am not responsible if you accidently delete or break your game files. I am using Windows 7 64 bit, and may not be able to help if you're on another operating system.

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Step 1: Determine if your game files have the 'paul.dll' file.

This should be located under your game's install directory, under either a 'binaries' or 'bin' folder. A 'winui.dll' should be in the same folder too. Example screenshot, credit to @beerxced79000

If your game does not have the 'paul.dll' file: As far as I know, this work around won't work for you, and you'll have to wait on a fix from EA.

If your game does have the 'paul.dll' file: Proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Replacing the 'paul.dll' file with another version of the file that will work.

For this, you're going to need to have another EA game which uses this .dll. I personally used Sims 3 files (following puzzlezaddict's post), and beerxced79000 seems to have used the files from Medal of Honor 2010. If you don't have either of these games, check this list for other possible games to look at. If you have any of these games, navigate to their install directory, and check under their 'binary' or 'bin' files to see if they have the 'paul.dll' too. If you don't have any other games with the 'paul.dll', this fix won't work for you, and you'll have to wait for a fix from EA.

If you've found another game with the 'paul.dll', proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Check what versions of 'paul.dll' you have avaliable.

To do this, right click on the 'paul.dll' file, and select properties. On the window that appears, click on the 'details' tab.

The highlighted numbers are what you're looking for. As far as we know, 'paul.dll' versions 4.1.1.13 and 4.1.1.14 are not working. If you only have these versions of the 'paul.dll', then this fix won't work for you. I can personally confirm that version 4.1.1.18 works, and if you have any other versions that aren't mentioned here, then it's worth continuing to try this fix. If you've found a potentially viable version of the 'paul.dll', proceed to step 4.

Step 4: !!BACK UP YOUR FILES!!

Again, I can't guarantee that this work-around will work for you, so make sure you have your files backed up before you change anything. Navigate back to the game that won't start's binary files. Create a new folder, name it whatever you want, then move 'paul.dll' and 'winui.dll' into this new folder for safekeeping. Do this either by dragging and dropping them into the new folder, or by cut and pasting them into it.

With your original game files safe, proceed to step 5 🙂

Step 5: Copy and paste (do not cut and paste like before) the newer versions of 'paul.dll' and 'winui.dll' from the other game files. These files work together, so make sure you get them from the same game, from the same folder. Place them in the 'binary' folder that you just moved the old version of 'paul.dll' and 'winui.dll' out of, so they're in the same place as the game's .exe file.

And that's it! Your game should now connect to EA's authorization servers, and start normally 🙂 If you still get the "There is a problem connecting to the server." message, then please check your version of the 'paul.dll', and let us know if it's not one of the versions mentioned here, so we know how many versions are effected by this issue. If this work-around doesn't work for you, make sure you return the old 'paul.dll' and 'winui.dll' files back to their original folder, so everything is back to its original state while you wait on a proper fix from EA.