This game won't start on Windows 11

[Louis Harriger]

I'm working on figuring it out. I thought I would start a discussion here and share information I'm collecting as I find it to help other people.

This seems like the main place to find workarounds:
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Mass-Effect-Legendary-Edition/PC-Possible-workarounds-for-Mass-Effect-Legendary-Edition-launch/m-p/10340978#M1668

Web archive in case it ever goes down: https://web.archive.org/web/20220917192522/https://answers.ea.com/t5/Mass-Effect-Legendary-Edition/PC-Possible-workarounds-for-Mass-Effect-Legendary-Edition-launch/m-p/10340978

[Renfrew]

So that page you linked might not help. It's for the Legendary Edition, this isn't the Legendary Edition.

[Louis Harriger]

Oh you're right. I'll keep gathering stuff, though!

[mirHL]

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Mass_Effect#Game_simply_doesn.27t_start

[Louis Harriger]

Originally posted by mirHL:

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Mass_Effect#Game_simply_doesn.27t_start

So, I just installed this and tried it with all combinations of launching with the usual advice:

Binaries folder, MassEffect.exe, properties, comparability mode, XP Service Pack 3, admin mode.

That didn't work, unfortunately. I launched it without this change, then with this change with no admin, and with this change with admin.

I made a backup of those pages first for posterity in case this fixes it for someone else!

[mirHL]

So.. you installed the legacy physx runtime
And you even made sure to use the RUNASINVOKER trick (and the game doesn't ask for permissions anymore)
And it still doesn't start?
As in: it doesn't even show the slightest window or anything?

[Cassie]

I took xp service pack 3 off and used windows xp service pack 2 and no crash. Also run as admin. Windows xp Service pack 3 compatibility isn't working for some games. My Oblivion wouldn't launch with it on but played fine using windows 11 settings.

This game just turned off fullscreen optimisations and installed legacy physx and launched. No crashes in over 30hrs. Also turned off hyperthreading and put vsync on in nvidia control panel.

[Louis Harriger]

Originally posted by Chloe:

I took xp service pack 3 off and used windows xp service pack 2 and no crash. Also run as admin. Windows xp Service pack 3 compatibility isn't working for some games. My Oblivion wouldn't launch with it on but played fine using windows 11 settings.

This game just turned off fullscreen optimisations and installed legacy physx and launched. No crashes in over 30hrs. Also turned off hyperthreading and put vsync on in nvidia control panel.

Thanks I will try this next. To be honest, I have many security configurations which could be interfering. For example, I do everything from a standard user account and not an admin account to require more authentication to make system changes.

I will make a new account exclusively for running this game to test.

[mirHL]

You did see that I had asked you some stuff to report back already, right?
XP compatibility is a really dumb workaround for this game, when only the administrator privileges part would matter.. and when that is in turn what can break other games.

[Cassie]

I couldn't get it to launch without it. It's an old game and only some don't work without been set to it. I also have it on Origin and EA set it service pack as well. No command & conquer I have works on windows 11 without been set to a earlier windows version.