EA AntiCheat Encountered an Error: Why & How to Fix It [Latest Solutions]

5 mins read

Updated on 2025-09-29 10:04:57 to Windows Fix

If you’ve been playing popular EA titles like Battlefield 1, Battlefield 6, FIFA 25, or The Sims 4, you may have come across the frustrating message: EA Anticheat encountered an error . Please restart your PC. This error can prevent you from launching or playing your favorite games, leaving you stuck at the loading screen. Luckily, there are effective fixes available, from reinstalling the ea anti cheat download package to updating the tool itself. This article explores all the causes, fixes, and long-term solutions.

en anticheat encountered an error

Part 1: What Does "EA AntiCheat Encountered an Error" Mean? What Causes It?

Meaning & Symptoms of This EA AntiCheat Error

EA AntiCheat (EAAC, also called EA Javelin AntiCheat) is a kernel-level security system designed to block hacks and cheats in multiplayer titles. If you see messages like:

  • EA Anticheat encountered an error. Please restart your PC 11.
  • EA AntiCheat service encountered an error. Please restart the game.

It means the anti-cheat service (EAAC or EA Javelin AntiCheat) failed to start correctly or couldn’t communicate with the game. This leads to crashes, black screens, or infinite launch loops.

Common Causes

This problem can affect multiple EA titles, including Battlefield 1, Battlefield 6, FIFA 25, and The Sims 4. Common triggers include:

  • Corrupted or outdated EA AntiCheat files
  • Missing administrator permissions
  • Interference from antivirus software (“an antivirus has moved the EA AntiCheat” is common)
  • Incompatible drivers or RGB software
  • Pending Windows updates
  • Conflicts with cheat engines or memory debuggers
  • Broken installations requiring a clean reinstall

Knowing the root cause is key to fixing the problem. Let’s move to the solutions.

Note:

When you face such EA Anticheat-related issues, you can consider move to its best alternative: Easy Anti Cheat.

Part 2. How to Fix "EA AntiCheat Encountered an Error" Issue When Playing Games [5 Fixes]

When EA AntiCheat throws errors it will prevent games from launching. These issues are caused by corrupted files, outdated software or security program interference. Below are 5 tested fixes you can follow to get back in the game fast.

Fix 1. Restart Your PC and Game

Sometimes the simplest solution works. Restarting clears temporary files, resets services and eliminates background conflicts.

Steps:

  • Close your game completely.

  • Exit the EA App or Origin Launcher.

  • Restart your PC.

  • Reopen your game to see if the error disappears.

    exit ea original launcher

Fix 2. Uninstall EA AntiCheat from Directory and Reinstall It

If the EA AntiCheat installation is corrupted, reinstalling it from scratch can resolve the error.

Steps to Uninstall EA AntiCheat

  • Open File Explorer on your PC.

  • Go to “This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > EA > AC.

  • Inside the AC folder, locate and double-click “EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe”.

    find ea anticheat ac folder
  • When prompted, click "Run" to launch the installer.

  • In the installer window, select your game from the dropdown list.

  • Click "Uninstall All" to completely remove EA AntiCheat from your system.

    uninstall all ean anticheat items to fix error

Steps to Reinstall EA AntiCheat

  • Open your web browser and visit EA’s official AntiCheat help page: https://help.ea.com/help/pc/ea-anticheat/.

  • Scroll down to find the latest EA Javelin AntiCheat download link.

    reinstall ea anticheat
  • Download the installer and open the setup file.

  • Select the game from the dropdown menu.

  • Click "Install" to reinstall EA AntiCheat.

  • Restart your computer once the installation completes.

Reinstalling EA AntiCheat will replace all broken, missing or outdated files with the latest working version. This step will fix most cases of the EA Javelin AntiCheat error and let you get back to gaming without interruptions.

Fix 3. Allow the Game & EA AntiCheat in Antivirus/Windows Security

Sometimes security software will flag EA AntiCheat as suspicious. In fact users often see the warning “An antivirus has moved the EA AntiCheat”. To fix this whitelist the program in your antivirus and Windows Defender.

If you use on Windows Security (built-in to Windows 10/11):

  • Open Windows Settings, then go to "Privacy & Security" and select "Windows Security".

  • Click on "Virus & Threat Protection", then scroll down and find “Manage Ransomware Protection”.

  • Select “Allow an app through controlled folder access” and click "Yes" when prompted.

    allow an app through controlled folder access
  • Click on "Add an allowed app," then choose “Browse all apps”.

    allow ea anticheat in windows security
  • Open your game’s installation folder and choose the game’s .exe file.

  • Repeat the same process to add the EAAntiCheat.GameService.exe or any other related .exe files for your EA game.

Fix 4. Run EA AntiCheat Service Launcher as Administrator

Running the EA AntiCheat Service Launcher with administrative privileges can often resolve errors caused by insufficient permissions. This ensures the anti-cheat service can properly communicate with the game and your system.

Steps to Run as Administrator:

  • Go to the installation folder of EA AntiCheat. Usually located at C:\Program Files\EA\AC.

  • Right-click on EAAntiCheat.Service.exe or EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe.

  • Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.

  • Launch your game and check if the error is fixed.

    run ea anticheat installer as administrator

Optional – Always Run as Administrator:

If this solves the issue, you can set it to always run as administrator:

  • Right-click the EAAntiCheat.Service.exe file.

  • Select "Properties" and go to the "Compatibility" tab.

  • Check “Run this program as an administrator”.

  • Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save changes.

    run ea anticheat as an administrator

This ensures EA AntiCheat always has the necessary permissions, so you don’t have to repeat the process every time.

Fix 5. Update EA AntiCheat to the Latest Version

Running an outdated version may cause compatibility errors. Ensure you’re on the latest release.

Steps on how to Update EA AntiCheat:

  • Go to the installation folder of FC 25.

  • Open the Installer folder. Find and open the EA Anti-Cheat folder.

  • Double-click EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe. Select your game from the drop-down menu.

    select gsme from ea anticheat installer
  • Click "Repair" and then "OK" to update EA AntiCheat.

  • Browse to the game installation folder and select it.

  • Click “Select Folder” and then choose “Update” to finish.

    update ea anticheat
  • Alternatively, manually download the latest version from the official EA AntiCheat page.

  • Reboot your PC after installation.

With these 5 fixes, most “EA AntiCheat Encountered an Error” problems should be solved. If issues persist, you may need to reinstall both the EA App and your game.

Part 3. Back Up Game/System Files to Avoid Data Loss Due to EA AntiCheat Error

EA AntiCheat issues like “EA anti cheat crashes PC” or “EA anti cheat BSOD” can sometimes corrupt your saved games or even system files. Losing progress because of a software conflict is frustrating, but you can easily avoid it with regular backups.

This is where the 4DDiG Partition Manager comes in. This powerful yet beginner-friendly tool allows you to back up entire partitions, clone disks, and safeguard your data before troubleshooting anti-cheat errors. It ensures that even if your PC crashes during repair or file verification, your files remain safe and recoverable.

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Main Perks of 4DDiG Partition Manager

  • Back up entire game files or disk in one click.
  • Transfer Windows OS to SSD without reinstalling the system.
  • Clone entire disks or partitions to avoid data loss.
  • Recover deleted partitions or repair boot issues if your PC fails to start.
  • No steep learning curve; perfect for beginners.

Steps to Back Up Files Using 4DDiG Partition Manager

  • Download and install 4DDiG Partition Manager on your computer. Open the program, go to "Backup", and choose "File Backup".

    select file backup
  • A file backup task will be created. Choose the folders or files you want to back up, then click “Next".

    select files and folders to backup
  • Choose where you want to save the backup, then click "Start". You can also open "Backup Settings" at the bottom left to set the compression level or enable shutdown after backup.

    customize backup settings and start backup
  • Wait for a few moments until the process is finished. When it’s done, you’ll see a message confirming that your backup is complete.

    complete file backup
Pro Tip:

Back up your data weekly, especially if you play competitive games or mod your system frequently. This small step can save you hours of reinstallations and troubleshooting if Easy Anti-Cheat crashes your PC again.

Part 4: More Tips for Solving Other EA AntiCheat Errors

Besides crashes and BSODs, players also encounter other frustrating Easy AntiCheat errors. Here are two common ones and how to fix them:

Error 1: EA AntiCheat Detected an Incompatible Driver

This error occurs when EA AntiCheat finds a driver file it considers incompatible or unsafe. This usually happens with RGB control software (MSI Mystic Light, ASUS Aura, etc.) or hardware monitoring tools (MSI Afterburner, HWiNFO, etc.).

Fix 1: Uninstall the Conflicting Driver

  • Press Win + R and type appwiz.cpl, then press “Enter” to open the Programs and Features panel.

  • Look for any RGB control apps, MSI monitoring software or tools known to conflict with anti-cheat systems (such as MSI Dragon Center or Mystic Light).

  • Select the software and click “Uninstall".

  • Reboot your PC and try launching the game again.

Fix 2: Rename the Driver File (Temporary Bypass)

If uninstalling isn’t an option (e.g., you need the software), you can temporarily disable the driver:

  • Open File Explorer and go to the driver’s installation folder.

  • Locate the specific .sys driver file (such as ene.sys drive) flagged by EA AntiCheat.

  • Rename it by adding .bak at the end (e.g., driver.sys → driver.sys.bak).

  • Reboot your system and launch the game.

Error 2: EA AntiCheat Has Detected an Unacceptable Configuration

This error means EA AntiCheat thinks your system configuration violates its security policies. Common culprits include background software, tampered game files or certain overclocking tools.

Fix 1: Disable Conflicting Software

  • Close apps with overlays like Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, RivaTuner or MSI Afterburner.
  • Temporarily disable third-party antivirus or system monitoring tools that may block anti-cheat processes.

Fix 2: Verify Game Files

  • Open your game launcher (EA App, Steam or Epic Games).

  • Go to your library, right-click on the game title, and choose either “Repair” or “Verify Integrity of Game Files".

    verify integrity of game files to fix ea anticheat detected unacceptable configuration
  • Allow the launcher to scan and replace missing/corrupted files.

This should resolve most configuration issues and ensure you’re running the correct, unmodified files required by EA AntiCheat.

People Also Ask about EA AntiCheat (EAC)

Q1: Is EA Anticheat a kernel?

Yes. EA AntiCheat is a kernel-level anti-cheat system. This means it runs with high system privileges to prevent cheats from manipulating game files or memory.

Q2: Is EA Anticheat safe?

Yes, EA AntiCheat is safe and officially developed by EA. It only runs when an EA game is active and does not collect personal data beyond what’s necessary to detect cheats.

Q3: How to disable EA Anticheat?

Uninstall using EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe in C:\Program Files\EA\AC. But disabling it will prevent EA games from launching.

Q4: What to do if EA Anticheat is not working?

Restart your PC, reinstall EA Anticheat, allow it through your antivirus and run as admin. Updating usually fixes most issues.

Q5: What is the best alternative to EA Anticheat?

There is no alternative to EA games. EA Anticheat is required to play EA titles, unlike BattlEye or Vanguard which are used by other publishers.

Conclusion

If you see EA Anticheat encountered an error, don’t worry. Most of the time it’s a quick reinstall, admin permission fix or update. Always keep your system and drivers updated, whitelist EAAC in security software and back up your data. For persistent issues like Battlefield 1 EA Anti Cheat error or FC 25 EA AntiCheat service encountering an error, try a clean reinstall of both EA Anticheat and EA App. And remember: a weekly backup using 4DDiG Partition Manager can save hours of reinstallations and lost progress.

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William Bollson (senior editor)

William Bollson, the editor-in-chief of 4DDiG, devotes to providing the best solutions for Windows and Mac related issues, including data recovery, repair, error fixes.

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