ME:A suddenly requires activation but can't connect to servers

[Zinshan]

I've been playing Mass Effect: Andromeda just fine for the past week. Played earlier today, worked fine, but a few hours later I get this message when starting the game (translated from other language):

" We cannot connect you to the EA servers to activate Mass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition on this computer with your account. Try again later "

This has happened for a couple of hours now. I did not turn off my computer or did any sort of update (anti virus program for example) before this happened. I tried other Origin games that require a connection to EA servers (for example Mass Effect 3) and no problem there.

[ikamustika · Accepted solution]

In my case, since Titanfall 2 still working, I assume the problem with my MEA is within itself. 

So I closed origin, deleted MassEffectAndromeda.exe, MassEffectAndromedaTrial.exe, and patch folder from Installation folder, started origin again, then click repair. 

It did the work.

[Straatford87]

@Zinshan

I checked for you but there doesn't seem to be a current outage relating to Andromeda. Could you try powering down your router and restarting it? If you didn't change anything, then it also wouldn't hurt to restart your computer.

In the meantime, we've also got a dedicated thread detailing steps to resolve connection issues with Origin:

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues/Complete-Support-Origin-Connection-Issues/td-p/5019298

Let me know if that helps!

[Zinshan]

I have now done everything suggested in that thread but it's still the same. Also re-installed Origin and repaired the installation of ME:A. Even tried with a different internet connection to make sure that it's not my own router/connection that is the problem.

[Skyfox85]

Same problem here, happened to me since yesterday while before everything was fine...

I changed my gpu but that has never been a problem before so why should it be now?

This problem occurs with all my Installed Origin games... Battlefield 4, hardline and 1 + Battlefront...

[SirBastian04]

I have the exact same problem, this morning Mass Effect Andromeda was working just fine, now none of my games seem to launch...

[WhyDoINeedThis91]

Same problem here. Up until 12h ago everything worked fine and now I suddenly have to activate ME:A again, but the connection always fails. Tried restarting origin, PC and my router, but the problem is still there.

The only thing I can say for sure is, that I only tried to update ME:A because of the announced 1.05 patch in the meantime. So either something happened in those few hourse on EA's site or it has something to do with the update process.

[Cytheric]

I have the exact same problem. It worked fine then I tried hitting update ME:A since I knew about patch 1.05. Immediately afterwards I could no longer launch ME:A and I still cant. Tried all suggested solutions nothing works.

[Straatford87]

@Cytheric @Zinshan @WhyDoINeedThis91 @SirBastian04 @Skyfox85

Hi all,

We're releasing a patch for Andromeda today. I'll check out if your reports are related to this, or if something else is going on.

Thanks for reaching out to us,

[JoxerTM22]

Here's the story a few years old. Upon installing Sims 3 on my sister's PC, it returned the same error I'm seeing here. In a grey box IIRC.

Now I can't find my original thread on EA answers, but can find what I wrote to someone who had the same problem:

http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13855606/#Comment_13855606

---

What solved the issue?
Uninstalling every single EA game that existed on that PC, then installing (but this time definetly just copying and verifying from HDD) only Sims 3 and it's expansions.
The problem was never Sims 3, but some other Origin game that messed something somewhere up, god knows what, but it prevented Sims 3 from working and generated the odd "server unreachable" error.
Oh, and I found it out myself. EA support never suggested that the cause might be another corrupt EA game and not Sims 3.

EDIT:
Found the actual error message:
Unable to connect to EA servers to Activate Sims 3. Please try again later.

If you see someone reporting this problem, the solution is as I said, uninstallation of all EA games on that machine not just the one that, apparently, per the message, cannot activate itself. Then reinstalling (or returning from backup) one by one.
It also helped this guy when the same message appeared on his Dragon Age Inquisition:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1061325656&postcount=19

---

I'm seeing above that on some people other Origin games apparently work, on some don't work.

But I suspect that one of EA games you have installed is borked and that one is NOT ME4. Upon starting ME4, for whatever reason, people get misleading note that it's ME4 that needs activation while it's not so, something else is not properly installed/activated, but Origin won't specify what, instead just shows the title of the game you're trying to run.

1. You may do what I did in my sister's Sims 3 case, try with uninstalling all EA games and leaving only ME4 installed. Yea, that means ME trilogy, Sims, FIFA, Battlefield, everything. Don't uninstall Steam, RSC or uPlay games that don't use Origin client!

If those are huge games you don't want to redownload, just copy/paste them in some other folder (or external HDD) before uninstalling. You may copy/paste them back later in origin games folder and Origin won't redownload them, it will just verify folders' content when you click on Install.

2. Did you, by some chance, had EA Access subscription, but "forgot" to renew it so it expired? If yes, you should either pay to continue or uninstall games/DLC you got for free while being a subscriber as you're not entitled to those any more. You may check the status of your EA account on this link:

https://myaccount.ea.com/cp-ui/aboutme/index

EDIT:

ME4 update is available. Sized a bit more than 1Gb, I'm downloading it this moment.

[damanique]

Same problem. Installed the latest update (the big one, afaik) Now I can no longer play the game because of the 'can't connect to EA servers to activate' error.

You know, it's a little worrying that I can't play this game offline.