DLC install failed

[J6]

Trying to install the Bring Down the Sky DLC and all it keeps saying is "Install Failed"

Just bought the game today, ran it once, and it can't install.

Verified the game, no files missing, still nothing.

Saw it was a game published by EA, (what did I expect)

[J6]

EDIT: All DLC's won't install, what a great game.

[mirHL]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/17460/discussions/0/3112519935866909355/

[J6]

Originally posted by mirHL:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/17460/discussions/0/3112519935866909355/

Already seen that, did not work

[AbedsBrother]

The issue is that the DLC installer checks for an ME1 license key before proceeding with the installation. EA revoked the license keys to (afaik) all of their games on Steam in response to some EA Play exploit bs. Result: you can't install the DLC anymore.

[J6]

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

The issue is that the DLC installer checks for an ME1 license key before proceeding with the installation. EA revoked the license keys to (afaik) all of their games on Steam in response to some EA Play exploit bs. Result: you can't install the DLC anymore.

Well that's just ucking gae

[Metallica93]

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

The issue is that the DLC installer checks for an ME1 license key before proceeding with the installation. EA revoked the license keys to (afaik) all of their games on Steam in response to some EA Play exploit bs. Result: you can't install the DLC anymore.

This is false. I was able to get Pinnacle Station working via two, different methods and Bring Down The Sky working via one method. Note: run the game at least once before attempting these so all of the proper files are created.

1) If you're like me and saved the Origin DLC files from years back, you can simply copy the Pinnacle Station file into the path it's supposed to be located in: Mass Effect/DLC/DLC_Vegas. The game will recognize the file (at least, it did for me). Sadly, I have not found a way for the game to recognize the Bring Down The Sky file, DLC_UNC. Will have to work on that for future reference.

2) The second way that worked for both DLC is this: go to https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/dlc-for-classic-games/#masseffect and download both executable files. Move them to your Mass Effect folder and run them as an administrator. Bring Down The Sky doesn't need a key, but Pinnacle Station does. Enter this: 5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J. Run the game and you should see both DLC listed now.

You might also need to open the "installscript.vdf" file using NotePad/NotePad++ and change "%CDKEY%" to "5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J".

Let me know if that works!

[mirHL]

That is true?
Being able to workaround the lack of keys doesn't mean everything is magically normal like it should be.

[J6]

Originally posted by Metallica93:

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

The issue is that the DLC installer checks for an ME1 license key before proceeding with the installation. EA revoked the license keys to (afaik) all of their games on Steam in response to some EA Play exploit bs. Result: you can't install the DLC anymore.

This is false. I was able to get Pinnacle Station working via two, different methods and Bring Down The Sky working via one method. Note: run the game at least once before attempting these so all of the proper files are created.

1) If you're like me and saved the Origin DLC files from years back, you can simply copy the Pinnacle Station file into the path it's supposed to be located in: Mass Effect/DLC/DLC_Vegas. The game will recognize the file (at least, it did for me). Sadly, I have not found a way for the game to recognize the Bring Down The Sky file, DLC_UNC. Will have to work on that for future reference.

2) The second way that worked for both DLC is this: go to https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/dlc-for-classic-games/#masseffect and download both executable files. Move them to your Mass Effect folder and run them as an administrator. Bring Down The Sky doesn't need a key, but Pinnacle Station does. Enter this: 5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J. Run the game and you should see both DLC listed now.

You might also need to open the "installscript.vdf" file using NotePad/NotePad++ and change "%CDKEY%" to "5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J".

Let me know if that works!

That's what mirHL linked me to already, and I said it did not work.
I changed the registry key to that of the one provided and it just switches back to %CDKEY%.

When buying a game, it should not take this much effort just to get the dam DLC to work.

I have put in a support ticket to Steam saying that this is not acceptable.

This is probably why the DLC was not included with the Steam version because it does not work.

[mirHL]

You have to nag EA, not steam
(even though I guess like Valve could have a say with EA about not selling broken games)

[AbedsBrother]

Originally posted by Metallica93:

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

The issue is that the DLC installer checks for an ME1 license key before proceeding with the installation. EA revoked the license keys to (afaik) all of their games on Steam in response to some EA Play exploit bs. Result: you can't install the DLC anymore.

This is false. I was able to get Pinnacle Station working via two, different methods and Bring Down The Sky working via one method. Note: run the game at least once before attempting these so all of the proper files are created.

1) If you're like me and saved the Origin DLC files from years back, you can simply copy the Pinnacle Station file into the path it's supposed to be located in: Mass Effect/DLC/DLC_Vegas. The game will recognize the file (at least, it did for me). Sadly, I have not found a way for the game to recognize the Bring Down The Sky file, DLC_UNC. Will have to work on that for future reference.

2) The second way that worked for both DLC is this: go to https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/dlc-for-classic-games/#masseffect and download both executable files. Move them to your Mass Effect folder and run them as an administrator. Bring Down The Sky doesn't need a key, but Pinnacle Station does. Enter this: 5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J. Run the game and you should see both DLC listed now.

You might also need to open the "installscript.vdf" file using NotePad/NotePad++ and change "%CDKEY%" to "5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J".

Let me know if that works!

I literally just re-downloaded Mass Effect to test all of this (b/c someone saying that I lied ticked me off). The installation of both DLC failed when the installers checked for an ME1 license key. Changing the key in the registry (which is NOT something to be recommended to everyday users) didn't work either. I'd suggest copying the folder from an Origin installation, but apparently this doesn't work for BDtS. And even if it did work, that doesn't address the problem of how Steam users who purchased ME1 on Steam, who do not have a copy of ME1 on Origin, can access and install the DLC.

Originally posted by Metallica93:

2) The second way that worked for both DLC is this: go to https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/dlc-for-classic-games/#masseffect and download both executable files. Move them to your Mass Effect folder and run them as an administrator. Bring Down The Sky doesn't need a key, but Pinnacle Station does. Enter this: 5GUCXRFPQNBMTJBD3L5J. Run the game and you should see both DLC listed now.

This literally does not work. BDtS does not need a license key; Pinnacle Station uses the key provided by EA. Both DLC installers still run a check on whether the copy of Mass Effect they're being installed to is legit. With EA pulling game keys from most / all of their games on Steam, there is no way for the installers to see the installed version of ME1 as legit, so the installer exits with an error. Fixing this would probably require circumventing the installer's license key check, but that sort of bypass is getting into pirate territory. So be careful with what solutions get shared in these forums.

[mirHL]

BDtS does also need a license key.
It's just that it was always supposed to be free, so the DLC installer already comes bundled with it.
But aside of that, technically-wise it's no different from pinnacle station.
(as a fun fact: both installers will run happily as long as they can find the game path in the registry.. but they'll fail at the end of the installation if you don't have a legit game key enrolled)

Also, it cannot really be piracy to workaround free dlcs.

Now, assuming you couldn't yell loud enough at EA to get back your game key, there are two problems here. The installers and the in-game check.
The first can be easily worked around with 7-zip, while the second (so is said, I haven't tried personally) should be tricked with autoload.ini.

[AbedsBrother]

Originally posted by mirHL:

Also, it cannot really be piracy to workaround free dlcs.

I'm not a lawyer, so this isn't legal advice, but I think the fact that the dlc is offered for free is irrelevant when discussing the legality of circumventing / bypassing a key-check. A key-check is a form of copy protection since it prevents the use of the dlc with a game that wasn't purchased legitimately. Bypassing any form of copy protection legally equates to piracy (imo could be wrong). There are some counter arguments, and they have their merits, but it's a grey area. I'm just saying be careful with what is discussed / disclosed here.

[Metallica93]

Originally posted by mirHL:

That is true?
Being able to workaround the lack of keys doesn't mean everything is magically normal like it should be.

Nobody said it was normal. "You can't install the DLC, anymore" is just an objectively false statement.

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

I literally just re-downloaded Mass Effect to test all of this (b/c someone saying that I lied ticked me off). The installation of both DLC failed when the installers checked for an ME1 license key. Changing the key in the registry (which is NOT something to be recommended to everyday users) didn't work either. I'd suggest copying the folder from an Origin installation, but apparently this doesn't work for BDtS. And even if it did work, that doesn't address the problem of how Steam users who purchased ME1 on Steam, who do not have a copy of ME1 on Origin, can access and install the DLC.

This literally does not work. BDtS does not need a license key; Pinnacle Station uses the key provided by EA. Both DLC installers still run a check on whether the copy of Mass Effect they're being installed to is legit. With EA pulling game keys from most / all of their games on Steam, there is no way for the installers to see the installed version of ME1 as legit, so the installer exits with an error. Fixing this would probably require circumventing the installer's license key check, but that sort of bypass is getting into pirate territory. So be careful with what solutions get shared in these forums.

You can be ticked off all you'd like, but the fact that I managed to get Pinnacle Station working with two solutions and Bring Down The Sky working with one solution proves you to be incorrect. I'm not saying that will work for everyone, but to state "You can't install the DLC, anymore" is obviously inaccurate.

Nobody said Bring Down The Sky needs a license key, bud. Pinnacle Station used the key E.A. provided just fine, for me. You're going off the deep end with "circumventing the installer's license check" as that is clearly not needed.

[Arkham99]

Originally posted by Stahl (Kerberos):

I changed the registry key to that of the one provided and it just switches back to %CDKEY%

The game changes the registry to %CDKEY% the moment you launch it now... have System Registry on your desktop open so you can change it AFTER it launches but BEFORE you 'press any key to continue' to the Main Menu... this works for me but I have my actual KEY from the sale... I got it from Steam Support about 10 days ago but I've seen that others have had trouble getting theirs back since... I haven't tried it with the Universal Key so I'm not sure if it'll work with this method... good luck...:-)

[mirHL]

Originally posted by Metallica93:

Originally posted by mirHL:

That is true?
Being able to workaround the lack of keys doesn't mean everything is magically normal like it should be.

Nobody said it was normal. "You can't install the DLC, anymore" is just an objectively false statement.

"The installer doesn't work properly anymore" is what normal people objectively mean with that.

Also, I'm still not sure how you can get *anything* to work, when you are forcing the pinnacle station key where the base game one should be.