Origin is a popular online gaming platform that has plenty of high-octane games like Battlefield V, Sims 4, FIFA 19, among others.
It even has an online store aka Origin Store where you can buy new games for PC and mobile devices in a jiffy. So far so good. Turns out there are instances where users have reported the “Origin won’t open” issue.
If you have faced a similar issue, trust me you aren’t alone but there are thousands of users facing the same issue. The question is, how to fix Origin won’t open or respond?
Well, you have come to the right place as I have mentioned several ways you can revive Origin on your computer where most of the methods work on both Windows and Mac so read along.
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What causes Origin won’t open error in the first place?
Even before we can dig into how to fix it, here’s what causes the issue in the first place. Turns out there are many possible reasons behind why the Origin application/software on your PC would stop responding.
Cache Files: One of the deterrents, as recorded after several user complaints, is with the corrupted cache files. I know that cache files are behind many glitches and why won’t it leave Origin without one so there you have it.
Cache files are usually stored on the computer to enable faster retrieval, however, these files are overwritten repeatedly. It holds a lot of potentials that corrupted cache files will cause Origin to break down. Fixing it is the way to go.
Issues w.r.t. Origin updater: The Origin app on your computer has an updater client that keeps it updated while running in the background. However, it sometimes stops responding which is when you get a series of issues including the app won’t open or run.
Distorted temporary files: Origin, just like any other program on a PC, temporary files are created to allow the function to run smoothly. However, these files can get corrupted and that is where the problems can arise.
Of course, there are a few other reasons such as problems with the core files of Origin among others. Now that you have some idea about what could cause the problem, here’s how to fix the problem.
How to Fix Origin Won’t Open Issue on PC?
Here are some of the methods you can use to fix the issue with Origin not opening on your PC.
#1: Check if Origin is updating itself
To be honest, if Origin is updating itself, it may not respond normally but it is conditional to the particular update only because after the update, the program should work properly. To check whether the program is updating itself or not, follow these instructions.
- Firstly, open the task manager on your PC using “Ctrl+Alt+Del” or right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager”.
- Under “Processes”, find “Origin”.
- Check if it is taking too much of a bandwidth which dictates that it updates itself.
- Right-click on the task and select “End task” from the menu.
In case the program is updating itself, you should see a hike in the bandwidth so give it some time to settle. If the program isn’t updating, proceed to the next troubleshooting methods listed below.
#2: Restart the PC
This is pretty basic. If Origin doesn’t open or respond when you try to interact with it, restart the PC and check if it works. It is a pretty straightforward method but works.
#3: Clear Origin Cache
As per the user community, this method works at least for most of the issues triggering the program to become unresponsive or not open at all. Here’s how you can do it.
- First up, log out of Origin and shut it down completely.
- Next, press the Windows + R key to open a ‘Run’ interface.
- Type “%ProgramData%” in the text field without quotation marks and press Enter or OK.
- Find the Origin folder from the many folders you’ll get here.
- You need to delete all the folders and files mentioned here except “LocalContent”. Confirm deleting the same to kick-start the process.
- Open the “Run” dialog box again using Windows + R key.
- Enter “%AppData%” without using the quotation mark and hit “OK”.
- You will get a list of folders, search for “Origin” and delete it.
- Check out the address bar on the top and tap on “AppData”.
- Open the “Local” folder and locate “Origin”.
- Right-click on “Origin” and select “Delete” or hit the “Del” button on your keyboard and confirm deleting it.
- Finally, restart the PC and check if Origin opens on your device or not.
#4: Update the graphic driver
An outdated piece of firmware, software, driver, or program can undoubtedly cause a lot of issues. Thus, updating the driver to the latest is always recommended.
Since you have complaints against the Origin client that won’t open, why don’t you try updating the driver and check if it makes any difference whatsoever?
#5: Perform a clean boot
If you are aware of a clean boot which is essentially a method to manually disable services and startups to find software that is causing any given problem. Follow the troubleshooting method listed below to perform a clean boot.
- Firstly, press the Windows + R key simultaneously to open a “Run” dialog box.
- Enter “msconfig” (without quotation mark) and hit enter. This will open “System Configuration”.
- Tap on “Services” from the tabs on top of the pop-up menu and check “Hide all Microsoft services”, and finally, tap on “Disable all”.
- Under “Startup”, tap on “Open Task Manager”.
- Now, select some or all of the items in the list and hit “Disable”.
- Retreat to “System Configuration” and tap on “OK”.
- A prompt will appear asking whether to restart the PC or not, select “Restart”.
- Open Origin and check whether it opens or not. If yes, you will have to find the software that caused the problem from the Startup tab on ‘msconfig’ and uninstall it.
#6: Add Origin as an exception on anti-virus
The Origin program on your PC is power-draining and graphics-intensive which means it takes a lot of resources, CPU, and memory to run it. Turns out third-party antivirus programs can add strange not allowing Origin to run properly, assuming it as a potential threat instead. You can add Origin as an exception on the anti-virus so that it lets the program run without any hitch.
#7: Check for compatibility
This method lets you check if Origin is compatible with your Windows OS or not. Here’s how you can do it.
- On the desktop, right-click on the “Origin” icon and select “Properties”.
- Proceed to “Compatibility” and tap on “Run compatibility troubleshooter”.
- Next, hit the “Try recommended settings” from the menu and follow the instructions given. If it doesn’t work, tap on “Troubleshoot program”.
- Here, tap on the “Compatibility” tab and check on “Compatibility mode” and select the Windows OS version you are using.
- Under Settings, check “Disable fullscreen optimizations” and “Run this program as an administrator”.
- Finally, tap on “OK” to save all the settings changed.
#8: Origin app won’t open on Mac
If you are a Mac user trying to find a way to run Origin without making it unresponsive, you have three options at least.
Firstly, you can try restarting the system and check if it makes any difference. Next, try uninstalling the Origin app or trash it and reinstall it. This should fix the problem if a glitch or bug was preventing it from opening up in the first place.
And with that, this is the end of the post on how to fix the Origin won’t open error.
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