ME1 Menu Screens Not Loading

[NanakiRedXIII8]

Hi! I'm playing Mass Effect 1 on Origin, on my PC, and some of my menu screens aren't loading correctly.

The specific screens that do not work are: the "squad" screen, the "equipment" screen, and the in-game screen that allows you to use switch weapons in battle, use biotics, and tell your squadmates what to do. This is a pretty big hindrance, as I can't upgrade any of my weapons/armor, switch weapons/use biotics in battle, or do anything but auto-update my skills. That in particular is starting to limit my choices, as I can no longer see/manually increase my charm points. All of the other menu screens (map, journal, load/save, etc.) do not have any issues.

I did not have this problem when I started my game. This is what happened: I encountered an unrelated glitch in my game that prevented me from moving forward, so I contacted EA support. They gave me a list of troubleshooting options, some of which I tried. I was able to fix my original glitch, but one of the troubleshooting options introduced these menu issues. (I'm not sure which one, as I only noticed the menu issues when the glitch was fixed and I started playing again; I did not check my menus after I tried each of these troubleshooting options.)

Here is a list of the troubleshooting options I performed: 

1. Right click on the game in Origin and click "repair game."

2. Run as Admin:

1. Logout from origin and close the origin login window
2. Locate the origin icon on your desktop.
3. Right click on the origin icon.
4. Select the Run as Admin option.
5. Login into origin and then try to download/Install/Run the game.

3. Disable origin ingame:

Please launch the Origin client. Then go to the Origin menu, Application Settings, Origin In Game, and then uncheck "Enable Origin In Game." After that try again to run the game.

4. Origin clear cache:

1. Please click on the origin menu on the top left of origin window and select Exit option.
2. Please hold down the Windows key and press R. (This will open the Run dialogue.)
3. Type %ProgramData% and press enter to open ProgramData folder.
4. Delete origin folder from this ProgramData folder.

5. Run Ccleaner:

6. Clean boot your PC : https://help.ea.com/en/help/faq/how-to-clean-boot-your-pc/

I tried contacting EA support again to see if they could fix my menu screen issue, but they provided me with the same troubleshooting options that seem to have given me the menu issue in the first place. I don't know why these troubleshooting options would introduce errors, but again, I did not have these menu screen issues until immediately after I followed EA support's suggestions.

In case it's useful to know, here is the exact computer I am using to run the game: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F1Z78GM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If anyone knows how to fix this--or needs more information to help--please let me know. I'm playing on casual, so not being able to change/upgrade weapons isn't the end of the world. But I'm playing strictly paragon and I'd love to keep Wrex alive, so I need all the charm I can get.

Thanks so much!

[holger1405 · Accepted solution]

@NanakiRedXIII8

Please remove the mod from the game

Then repair the game again and test it before you install this or any other Mod.

[holger1405]

@NanakiRedXIII8

First, disable "Run as administrator" at the "MassEffect.exe" and Origin if you not already did that.

Leave Origin in game disabled.

Then repair the game again.  (in Origin > Game Library > right click ME1 > Repair) > reboot > test.

[NanakiRedXIII8]

---

@holger1405 wrote:

@NanakiRedXIII8

First, disable "Run as administrator" at the "MassEffect.exe" and Origin if you not already did that.

Leave Origin in game disabled.

Then repair the game again.  (in Origin > Game Library > right click ME1 > Repair) > reboot > test.

---

@holger1405

Thanks for the suggestion! I believe "run as administrator" was already disabled, as when I right-clicked on the game in Origin and in my files, the only administrator-related option was "run as administrator." Which leads me to believe the game wasn't running as administrator.

I repaired the game, and unfortunately, the issues are still there. I've attached screenshots so you can see what my squad and equipment menus look like. 

Do you--or does anyone else--have any other suggestions for fixing this?

[holger1405]

@NanakiRedXIII8

Well, you use a mod for controller support.

Did you tested before you installed that mod?

[NanakiRedXIII8]

@holger1405

I installed the mod before I started playing, and I did not test any of the game features before using the mod. Once the mod was installed, though, I experienced no issues and did not have these menu screen problems until I encountered a different glitch (not specifically related to the controller). In using EA's recommended troubleshooting techniques, these menu errors were introduced. I've had no issues with the mod since then, either - the controller works fine.

[holger1405 · Accepted solution]

@NanakiRedXIII8

Please remove the mod from the game

Then repair the game again and test it before you install this or any other Mod.

[NanakiRedXIII8]

@holger1405

IT'S WORKING NOW! Huzzah! Wow, I feel kind of foolish for not realizing that this issue could be related to my mod, but admittedly I've never used a mod before this. Had no idea an issue with the controller mod could mess up a bunch of other stuff, and after a quick online search, I see that repairing a game in Origin--which is what I did before--messes up mods.

Thanks so much for your help! Wrex is most grateful.

[holger1405]

@NanakiRedXIII8

You're welcome and I am glad that Wrex is also grateful, I don't want to be on the wrong side of him.  

I think you already know this, so just to make sure, now you can install the mod again. It shouldn't give you more trouble. 

Edit: Just to explain the issue. The controller Mod adds textures to the game so that the displayed weapon infos fit the new interface.

After the repair this textures were gone.