Fix EA App 'Background Services Crashed' (Launcher Fix)

Updated: 11/29/2025

You want to play FIFA or The Sims, but the EA App refuses to load. A red banner appears: 'Background services crashed. EA Background Service ran into a problem.'. This is the most common error since EA replaced Origin. It essentially means the invisible helper program that verifies your login and games (EABackgroundService.exe) has stopped running or is being blocked by Windows permissions.

Method 1: Manually Restart the Service

The service often gets stuck in a 'Zombie' state where it isn't running but thinks it is.

Step 1: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Look for 'EA Background Service'. If you see it, right-click and End Task.

Step 2: Services.msc

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Find EABackgroundService. Right-click it > Properties. Set 'Startup type' to Automatic and click Start.

Method 2: The App Recovery Tool

EA built a hidden tool to fix itself, but it's buried in the start menu.

• Go to Start Menu > All Apps > EA.
• Click App Recovery (it has a medical cross icon).
• A black box will appear asking to clear cache. Click Clear Cache. The app will restart and rebuild its internal database.

Method 3: Check Visual C++ Redistributables

The EA App relies on Microsoft Visual C++ libraries to render its UI. If these are outdated, the background service crashes.

Go to the Microsoft website and download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable (x64 and x86). Install both, restart your PC, and try launching the EA App again.