Fix: Origin Game Won’t Launch

Being unable to play the games you purchased can be a disappointing and frustrating experience. Unfortunately, this is an issue that some Origin users have to face when the client fails to successfully launch a game.

The Origin Game Won’t Launch problem has been discussed many times, both in popular Reddit threads and on other gaming-related websites’ forums.

However, there has been no official response or solution to this issue.

After spending some time troubleshooting and identifying the root of this problem, we put together a few working methods that will help you regain access to your games.

Let’s take a look.

Fix 1: Run Origin As Administrator

If you grant Origin administrator privileges each time you run the app, you will avoid any permission-related problems that might otherwise affect your experience on the platform.

Make sure to right-click your Origin icon and select Run as Administrator. You should always do this, even while applying the other solutions listed below.

Doing this will maximize your chances of overcoming the problem.

Fix 2: Check Task Manager For Running Processes

Sometimes, games don’t fully close when we click the “Exit” button in their menus. This is especially true for online, multiplayer games that connect to various other services.

A fine instance is the Ubisoft games that connect to the uPlay service. Even when you leave, uPlay stays active in the background and stops you from starting the game again, thinking it’s still running and trying to avoid a duplicate session.

uPlay is just one example, but there are many other services of that type that could lead to the same problem.

The solution is to manually close them via Task Manager to solve the issue.

This also applies to most of the games available on Origin, even those that don’t connect to other services. If they fail to close properly, and a background process remains running on your system, you won’t be able to launch the game anew.

That’s why we recommend frequently inspecting the procedures part of Task Manager to check if the game you recently closed (or any of its linked services) is still active in the background.

Fix 3: Restart Your PC

Fixing issues by turning your computer off and on again might not appear to make much sense, but it is often the most reliable solution when you need one the most.

Some users confirmed that restarting their PC solved the problem with their games not launching. Since it’s an easy fix, and your system might need some refreshing anyway, it’s well worth trying.

If this succeeds, you will have rescued yourself a lot of time. Attempt this before progressing to the more intricate methods.

The reason this might work is that by restarting your computer, you “kill” any running processes that may interfere with your unsuccessful attempts to launch a game on Origin.

Fix 4: Use The Origin Repair Tool

The Origin Fix Tool aids users in repairing their games with a few simple clicks. The Origin platform creators suggest utilizing this as the primary resolution if any game issues arise.

It’s easy to do, but if you’re unsure how to, follow the steps below:

1. Run Origin on your PC. Make sure to run it as an administrator.
2. Open your library of installed games.
3. Right-click the game you want to repair and select Repair Game from the list of options.
   

This process can take as long as an hour, depending on how powerful your system is. The duration is also affected by the size of the game, with larger games taking longer to repair.

Once you initiate the repair, do not interrupt it, and try to ensure your PC doesn’t lose power. If you use a laptop, plug it in to avoid a power outage due to a low battery.

Once the repair process is complete, try running the game again. It should now launch without any issues.

Fix 5: Clear Origin’s Cache

Clearing Origin’s cache is an official solution recommended by the support team for most problems a user might encounter while using the client.

This method might sound intimidating at first, as there isn’t a built-in function you can use to get it done quickly.

Our step-by-step tutorial below will help you clear Origin’s cache with very little effort.

1. Close Origin if it’s running on your PC. Double-check by using the Task Manager to make sure all Origin-related processes are closed.
2. Press Windows + R on your keyboard.
3. In the command box that opens, type in %ProgramData%/Origin
4. Press OK at the bottom to initiate the search.
   
5. In the folder that opens, delete everything except the folder named Local Content. After deleting the files, close the window.
6. Press Windows + R on your keyboard again.
7. In the command box that opens, type in %AppData%. Press OK at the bottom to begin the search.
   
8. The “Roaming” folder will automatically open. Delete the Origin folder here. Then, in the address bar, click on AppData, open the Local folder, and delete the Origin folder from there as well.
   
9. Restart your PC and run Origin with administrator privileges once your system fully boots up.

You have now successfully cleared Origin’s cache, and the Origin Game Won’t Launch problem should no longer affect you.

For more information on erasing your cache for any apps by Electronic Arts, as well as a guide on how to do this on other operating systems, check out this official post on EA’s website.

Fix 6: Reinstall Origin

Reinstalling Origin is easy, and it is a confirmed fix for the problem you are dealing with.

Reinstalling the Origin app can help you overcome numerous frustrating problems, such as updates failing to download, the friend list disappearing, and the Origin Cloud Sync Error.

There are two ways to do this, as stated in this official article from EA. We recommend the easy way, which uses the “Apps & Features” section in Windows, formerly known as Control Panel.

If you are an advanced user and want to uninstall using the slightly more complicated method, follow this official step-by-step guide from EA.

When you uninstall Origin, you can download the latest client version from the official website and install it again.

Fix 7: Avoid Opening Other Programs When Using Origin

Although this is not ideal, it is the truth. Keeping other programs running on your PC while using Origin can negatively affect your experience on the platform.

An Origin user confirmed this in a forum post addressing the issue. Their problem was having a Wi-Fi connection-merging software open while trying to launch Origin games.

After ending the software, games started launching as planned.

If you are someone who often multitasks, it can be frustrating to be unable to do anything else at the same time while Origin is running.

However, if you use your PC solely for gaming, this method can help you overcome an otherwise even more frustrating problem until there’s an official solution.

Note: You can choose which programs start automatically with your computer’s boot up. By going through that list and disabling some, you won’t have to manually close dozens each time you want to play an Origin game on your computer.
Disable those you believe could possibly interfere with Origin’s client, and see if you can then launch your games without further issues.