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Achievements fix for Steam Deck (Antiquated)
By Raldor and 1 collaborators
ISSUE HAS BEEN PATCHED! GUIDE NO LONGER NECESSARY. An issue with the EA App prevents ME2 & ME3 Steam achievements from being unlocked. This guide explains how to replace the EA App with Origin on the Steam Deck or Linux desktop.
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Created by
5L0TH
Offline
Raldor
Offline
Category: Achievements, Modding or Configuration
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
15 Feb, 2023 @ 4:18pm
30 Jan @ 12:49pm
1,868 Unique Visitors
27 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Prerequisites 
Tested method - working as of 2023-02-14 
Caveats 
Faster alternative method (untested) 
Thanks 
Comments
Prerequisites
Tested method - working as of 2023-02-14
  1. Enter desktop mode and open the file manager (Dolphin). Make sure "Show Hidden Files" is enabled:


  2. Navigate to the following path:
    /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1328670/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/EA Desktop


  3. Right click the file EAUninstall.exe and click "Add to Steam".


  4. Find EAUninstall.exe within your library.


  5. Edit EAUninstall.exe's properties and set it's launch options to the following:
    STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1328670" %command%



  6. Force the use of Proton.


  7. Edit EAUninstall.exe's controller layout to allow the use of a mouse trackpad with left click (the web browser preset works well) or you will be forced to use the touch screen.


  8. Launch EAUninstall.exe from Steam to uninstall the EA App from Mass Effect Legendary Edition's virtual Windows install (prefix).

  9. Edit EAUninstall.exe's properties in Steam again and click browse.


  10. Navigate to where you saved OriginThinSetup.exe and select it.


  11. Launch EAUninstall.exe from Steam again and this time install & log into Origin.

  12. Close Origin.

  13. Done.
Caveats
  1. This will not unlock Steam achievements retroactively, you will need to reload a save and re-trigger any missing achievements.
  2. After following this guide launching Mass Effect Legendary Edition may prompt you to install the EA App again. You can simply close the installer and the game should launch using Origin.

Faster alternative method (untested)
  1. Download the Origin installer to
    /home/deck/Downloads/OriginThinSetup.exe

  2. Change Mass Effect Legendary Edition's launch options to:
    "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 7.0/proton" run "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1328670/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/EA Desktop/EAUninstall.exe" ; killall -9 EAUninstall.exe # %command%

  3. Launch Mass Effect Legendary Edition and the EA App uninstaller should launch instead. Complete the uninstall process.

  4. Change Mass Effect Legendary Edition's launch options to:
    "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 7.0/proton" run "/home/deck/Downloads/OriginThinSetup.exe" ; killall -9 OriginThinSetup.exe # %command%

  5. Launch Mass Effect Legendary Edition and this time the Origin installer should launch. Complete the installation process and log into Origin then close Origin.

  6. Remove the launch options from Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
  7. Done.
Thanks
Simon Dufour for their original guide.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2914849619

My good friend 5L0TH For doing basically everything else.
8 Comments
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Nova 11 Jun, 2023 @ 9:16pm 
Does this work currently? This is so annoying...
Fearless Sponge 8 Jun, 2023 @ 1:22am 
Another method that worked for me, is downloading origin client and changing your computer date and time to Feb 1st of this year. Then click play on the game. This makes it detect that there isn't a new EA App and automatically loads the game on the older Origin loader. Which has achievements working.

After the game loads, you can change your PC date and time back to auto-correct with achievements still working. Simple and no needing to code anything.
Sam 8 Jun, 2023 @ 12:47am 
This is no longer working for me. I tried it so many times. It refuses to run origin thin or regular and forces the installation of EA.
Doc 8 Apr, 2023 @ 4:36pm 
If you still want to use this, you'll need to download the origin full setup rather than thin. You can get it from the same URL, just remove the word "thin" from it. You'll also need to ensure the client can't update and has "<Setting key="MigrationDisabled" type="1" value="true" />" in the relevant origin config file. You can find more information searching for how to set this up on twitter, a talented dev documented how it works. I don't like posting links or I'd put one here. A preferable alternative IMO is to just manually trigger the achievements when earned through the steam API. Origin used to do this just fine, EA app is junk and half of origin's old functionality isn't properly reimplemented, which is why half this junk doesn't work with the new app.
Grizmo 2 Apr, 2023 @ 4:23pm 
EA was working just fine few months ago. Now it doesn't even work. Pisses me off, tbh.
ClownBabyCK 4 Mar, 2023 @ 8:34am 
I read somewhere that this method doesn’t work anymore. This is ridiculous man, we shouldn’t need a workaround for this BS, it should just work but unfortunately EA isn’t run by gamers so we’ll never have a official fix for it
Jolish 4 Mar, 2023 @ 5:04am 
This doesnt work for me, EA uninstall wont launch
Simon Dufour 17 Feb, 2023 @ 7:04pm 
Good job on this guide. :steamthumbsup: