Games that won't download, install, or load in the EA app

Updated 1 week ago1 min read

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If your download isn’t working or your games won’t install or load in the EA app, try these troubleshooting steps for PC or Mac.

Table of Contents

Troubleshoot download issues

If you need help with your games on console, check these steps for download, loading, and installation issues.

If you're having trouble downloading games, clear your cache using App Recovery to see if that fixes your issue.
  1. 1
    Launch the EA app on your PC or Mac.
  2. 2
    From the main menu bar, go to Help and choose App Recovery.
  3. 3
    Select Clear Cache.
    • If you’re using a Mac, you might need to enter your password to give EALaunchHelper permission to clear cache. You’ll need to enter the password you use to log into your Mac device, not your EA Account password.
Need more help? Learn more about clearing your cache.

If your download’s stuck at 4 GB on PC, your hard drive might be formatted as FAT32, which can't handle files larger than 4 GB.Learn more about drive formatting and disk management on PC. 

Troubleshoot installation issues

Connection issues can cause problems  when installing your games. 

If you’re having trouble installing your game, try reinstalling the EA app. On PC
  1. 1
    Close the EA app.
  2. 2
    Select the Start menu and use the search bar to find and open the Control Panel.
  3. 3
    Under Programs, choose Uninstall a program.
  4. 4
    Select the EA app and uninstall it.
  5. 5
    Reinstall the EA app, then try installing your game again.
On Mac
  1. 1
    Close the EA app.
  2. 2
    Select Finder and choose Applications.
  3. 3
    Find the EA app in your Applications list.
  4. 4
    Click, hold, and drag the EA app to the Trash.
  5. 5
    In the Dock, click and hold the Trash icon and choose Empty Trash.
  6. 6
    Reinstall the EA app, then try installing your game again.

  1. 1
    Close the EA app.
  2. 2
    Right-click the EA app icon on your desktop (or in the EA app directory) and select Run As Administrator.
  3. 3
    Reopen the EA app and try installing your game.
If that doesn’t work, try moving the file location while you’re running the EA app as an administrator. 
  1. 1
    Go to C:\Program Files\EA Games and temporarily move the folder for the game to a different place.
  2. 2
    Go to C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\EA Desktop.
  3. 3
    Right-click on EADesktop.exe.
  4. 4
    Choose Run as Administrator.
  5. 5
    Start the installation and pause it after 30 seconds.
  6. 6
    In C:\Program Files\EA Games, copy the content of the old folder for the game into the new folder for the game.
  7. 7
    Resume the installation.

User Access Control (UAC) is a Windows security feature that helps protect your device by preventing applications from gaining Administrator access to your operating system.If you lower your UAC settings, we recommend re-enabling it as soon as you’ve finished troubleshooting.Learn how to adjust the protection level in your User Access Control settings on PC.

If you get a Create Folder Error while you’re trying to install, update, or repair your game, this means there’s a permissions issue. To fix it:
  1. 1
    Open Windows File Explorer. 
  2. 2
    Right-click on the game folder. 
  3. 3
    On the Security tab, select Advanced. 
  4. 4
    Make sure that the SYSTEM account has full control of the folder. 
If SYSTEM doesn’t have full permissions: 
  1. 1
    Go back to the Security tab.
  2. 2
    Select Edit, then choose SYSTEM. 
  3. 3
    Next to Full control, check Allow. 
  4. 4
    Select Apply.

Troubleshoot loading issues

If a game isn't loading in the EA app, try repairing your game file.
  1. 1
    Launch the EA app and go to your Library.
  2. 2
    Find the game you want to repair and select the three-dot menu on the game tile.
  3. 3
    Choose Repair. 
  4. 4
    When the game has finished repairing, try launching it again.

The in-game overlay setting can sometimes make your game crash. If your game won’t launch on PC,  try turning off the in-game overlay to see if it’s causing your issue. 

If your game uses Shift +F1 for the in-game overlay as an input:
  1. 1
    Select your profile thumbnail in the EA app.
  2. 2
    Open Settings and choose Application.
  3. 3
    Toggle the In-game overlay button to turn the setting off.
If in-game overlay was causing your problem, let us know when you submit an error report. Make sure to turn in-game overlay back on once your issue is fixed—you need it for important info, like game invites and messages.

If you can’t launch your game because the EA app says it’s still preparing, try these steps. 
  1. 1
    Clear the EA app’s cache. 
  2. 2
    Check for background applications that might limit the EA app’s performance and close them.
  3. 3
    Check for Windows and GPU updates.
  4. 4
    Check your drivers. 
  5. 5
    Clean boot your device, then try again. 
    • Learn how to clean boot in Windows or on Mac.

Troubleshoot on Mac

If you’ve tried the steps above and still need help, here are more steps you can try on Mac.

  1. 1
    Go to the Apple menu, then choose System Settings.
  2. 2
    Choose Privacy & Security.
  3. 3
    Choose Full Disk Access.
  4. 4
    Toggle on the EA app.
    • On macOS Catalina, you might also need to enable full disk access for EABackgroundService.

If you’re using an external drive, check whether the drive is set to read-only. If the drive is formatted as NT file system (NTFS), macOS won’t have write access.
  1. 1
    In Finder, choose the external drive. 
  2. 2
    Press Ctrl + Click or right-click on the external drive, then choose Get Info. 
  3. 3
    Check the format and write access for the drive. 
To change your drive’s access, follow these steps.
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