How to Fix the EA App Not Working: Troubleshooting Guide

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Troubleshoot the EA launcher so you can play the games you paid for
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Does the EA app do nothing when you click to launch it? Fortunately, here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to get the EA app to launch so you can play your EA games, like Sims 4.

Quickly Fix When the EA App's Not Working

If the EA app doesn't launch or shows a blank screen, run the "EADesktop.exe" in Windows as an admin or in compatibility mode. Make sure your client and your Windows or macOS software is updated.

1

Run EADesktop.exe as Administrator (Windows)

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  1. Since the launcher is experiencing issues, skip it by finding the "EADesktop.exe" file. To do that:
    • Right-click the Launcher icon or EA shortcut on your desktop.
    • Select Properties > Open File Location .
    • With the file location open, you will find "EADesktop.exe" and can right-click it and select Run as administrator .
      • If you do that, your game in EA will run. However, you'll need to repeat this process every time you want to play an EA game.
    • To change this permanently, right-click the "EADesktop.exe" icon and select Properties > Compatibility > Run this program as an administrator . Click Apply and OK to close the "Properties" window.
      • Right-click the icon again and click "Create Shortcut" to add an icon for this file on your desktop. That way, you can quickly access the EA app.
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2

Run EADesktop.exe in Compatibility Mode (Windows)

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  1. Once you've completed the previous troubleshooting step, the "EADesktop.exe" app icon is on your desktop so you can easily right-click it and select Properties > Compatibility > Run this program in compatibility mode for > Windows 7 .
3

Repair the Client (Windows & Mac)

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  1. This corrupted or damaged data will prevent the app from working on your computer. To repair your installed files:
    • Go to https://www.ea.com/ea-app to download the appropriate launcher for your computer (Windows or Mac) and run the installed file.
    • Click Repair .
    • The program will take a minute to repair any corrupted, damaged, or missing files, then launch the EA app.
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4

Update the Client (Windows & Mac)

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  1. Newer Macs especially suffer from outdated software. Your EA client will automatically download updates it detects, but you can also go to https://www.ea.com/ea-app and download the most recent version of the app.
    • In some cases [1] , users need to update their macOS in order for the EA app to work.
5

Enable Unicode UTF-8 Language Support (Windows)

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  1. Since these two are conflicting, the app will not run properly. This fix works for Windows 10 & 11:
    • Press Win + R , enter intl.cpl , and click OK .
    • Click the Administrative tab and click Change system locale .
    • Check the box next to "Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support."
    • Click OK on the two boxes to close them, then reboot your computer .
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6

Delete the EA App Cache

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  1. There are three different ways you can clear the cache:
    • The EA App: Click the three lines in the top left corner of the app, then select Help > App recovery > Clear cache. Do this if you can open the EA app on Windows or Mac.
    • Windows 10/11: Open the EA folder and navigate to the App Recovery directory, then click Clear Cache . [2]
    • Alternative Windows option: Press Win + R , enter %localappdata% , then click OK . Delete the folders called "EADesktop" and "Electronic Arts". If you encounter an error, open Task Manager (Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and make sure all "EA" services are stopped, including "EA Background Service."
7

Check Your Antivirus Software

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  1. Your antivirus software might delete benign files, thinking they are malicious, or prevent apps on your computer from communicating with the internet.
    • For Windows Defender, which is usually the culprit, open "Windows Security," and click Virus & Threat Protection > Protection History .
      • To open Windows Security, press Win + I to open Settings, then click Privacy & security > Windows Security . [3]
    • Look for any EA-related files in this history, click it, then click Restore .
    • For other antivirus software, go to the "Quarantined Files" section and restore any EA app or Launcher files.
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8

Delete GAME_DATA_DIR (Frosty users)

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  1. You need to delete this file if you're having trouble launching the EA app. To do this:
    • Press Win and search environment variables . Press Enter to search for that term.
    • Open "Edit the system environment variables" and click Environment Variables…" in the Advanced tab.
    • Click the "GAME_DATA_DIR" variable and delete it.
    • Click OK to close the window and reboot your computer.
9

Completely Uninstall and Reinstall the App (Windows)

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  1. So, you want to do this manually to ensure you get rid of everything before reinstalling the app.
    • Open File Explorer, go to your installation of the EA App, then click View and enable "Hidden Items."
    • Open "ProgramData" in that folder and search EA in the search bar.
    • Right-click the "EAapp" file that has a bunch of numbers after it and click Uninstall .
    • Confirm the uninstall, and the app will be completely uninstalled from your computer.
    • Go to https://www.ea.com/ea-app to install the launcher again.
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10

Contact EA Support

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  1. The launcher not working occasionally is a pretty common issue, but you should still report it and get help . You can also create posts with bug reports to help developers figure out why the app isn't working for you.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/Mac-EA-app-quot-The-app-crashed-unexpectedly-quot-or-quot/td-p/13725926/page/4
      2. ↑ https://help.ea.com/en/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/stay-protected-with-windows-security-2ae0363d-0ada-c064-8b56-6a39afb6a963

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