Game not installed error launching in Origin? Try this

Fix

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by Vladimir Popescu 

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Origin error launching game not installed - laptop on table

Users have complained on the EA Answers webpage that they see a Game not installed error launching inside Origin, even though the game looks like it is installed.

This issue has caused users a lot of frustration, especially in those cases in which the users waited a long time to play a newly released game on Origin.

Because we understand how important it is for you to be able to access the games you downloaded on Origin, in today’s article we will explore some of the best methods to try and fix this problem. Read on to find out more.

Here’s how to handle the Game not installed error launching in Origin

1. Run the application with administrator privileges

laptop with coffee - origin error launching game not installedIn some cases, Origin stops downloading the game because of a glitch that thinks that your privileges are not enough to make changes to your hard-drive.

To test this method out, run the Origin executable file as an administrator by right-clicking it -> Run as admin.

2. Reset the Origin caches

laptop on desk with apple - origin error launching game not installed

  1. Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del.
  2. Click End task for each of these processes: Origin.exe and OriginWebHelperService.exe.
  3. Open the Run dialog by pressing Win+R -> type %ProgramData%/Origin -> press Enter.
  4. Delete all the files and folder but DO NOT delete the LocalContent folder.
  5. Press Win+R-> type %AppData% -> Enter.
  6. Delete the Origin folder.
  7. Click AppData -> open the Local folder -> delete Origin -> reboot PC.

3. Add Origin and the game with the issue to Firewall exceptions

  1. Click on Cortana on the taskbar -> type Windows Defender.
  2. Select Firewall & network protection.
  3. Click Allow an app through the firewall -> Change settings.allow an app through firewall - Origin error launching game not installed
  4. Select Origin and the game from the list.
  5. Allow both Private and Public connections for these apps by ticking the corresponding boxes.
  6. Click Ok to save the settings.

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4. Enable Safe mode downloading inside Origin

laptop with user at desk - Origin error launching game not installed

To enable Safe Mode downloading, you will need to open Origin and click the Origin icon. After this, click on Application Settings.

You will be able to find the Safe Mode Downloading option inside the Diagnostics tab.

Activate it and try to see if this fixes your issue.

5. Uninstall the game and re-download itlaptop on desk with coffee - origin error launching game not installed

  1. Copy the entire game folder to another location on your hard-drive.
  2. Uninstall the game.

To uninstall: 

  1. Right-click the game inside Origin -> select Uninstall.
  2. Press Win+X keys on your keyboard -> select Apps and features -> check to see if the game is gone from the list.
  3. If it’s not -> select it -> click Uninstall.

To recover the downloaded game and reinstall:

  1. Start game download in Origin -> pause it as soon as it starts.
  2. Exit Origin -> copy the game folder back to the original location.
  3. Start Origin -> start the download.

Conclusion

In today’s article, we explored the best proven method to fix the Origin error launching game not installed error. We hope this fix managed to resolve your issue.

Please let us know if you found this guide helpful in any way by using the comment section found below this article.

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More about the topics: EA Origin, Fix Origin errors

Vladimir Popescu

Vladimir Popescu Shield

Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related. With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information. When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.