How to install this client:

0: First, you need Origin, EA's distribution platform. Download it here.

1: Launch Origin.

2: Check your Origin settings (click the 'cog' icon near the top right of the Origin screen and select 'settings' from the drop-down menu).

3: In the settings, note the directory for 'downloaded games'. By default it is "C:\Program Files\Origin Games" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games" depending on the version of Windows you have.

4: Close Origin by clicking the cog icon and selecting 'exit' from the drop-down menu. You need to exit entirely, not just minimise the program.

5: Extract the archive contents to the directory you identified at step 3.

6: Once the extraction is complete, rename the 'Battlefield 3 Open Beta' directory to 'Battlefield 3 Beta' (if it's not already).

7: Check that the archive extracted properly. You should see a directory C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3 Beta (or similar, depending on step 3) that has 6 files including bf3.exe and 4 sub-directories including Core and Data.

8: Start Origin and log in. You should now see Battlefield 3 as 'Ready to Install'. Click on that orange 'Ready to Install' button.

9: Done!

About the beta:

Running until October 10th, the Battlefield 3 Open Beta is your chance to play the game early, try out our free social platform Battlelog, and help us make the game even better by sending us your valuable feedback.

If you pre-order Battlefield 3 (PC digital download version) on Origin before September 25th, or if you have registered your first-hand copy (by activating its Online Pass) of Medal of Honor: Limited Edition/Tier 1 Edition, you will get 48 hours early access to the Beta, meaning you can start playing Tuesday, September 27th. The full details on how you will be granted early acess is available on our new Beta section.

Minimum System Requirements
OS: WINDOWS VISTA (SERVICE PACK 2) 32-BIT
PROCESSOR: 2 GHZ DUAL CORE (CORE 2 DUO 2.4 GHZ OR ALTHON X2 2.7 GHZ)
MEMORY: 2 GB
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB
GRAPHICS CARD (AMD): DIRECTX 10.1 COMPATIBLE WITH 512 MB RAM (ATI RADEON 3000, 4000, 5000 OR 6000 SERIES, WITH ATI RADEON 3870 OR HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
GRAPHICS CARD (NVIDIA): DIRECTX 10.0 COMPATIBLE WITH 512 MB RAM (NVIDIA GEFORCE 8, 9, 200, 300, 400 OR 500 SERIES WITH NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT OR HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
SOUND CARD: DIRECTX COMPATIBLE
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
DVD ROM DRIVE

Recommended System Requirements
OS: WINDOWS 7 64-BIT
PROCESSOR: QUAD-CORE CPU
MEMORY: 4 GB
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB
GRAPHICS CARD: DIRECTX 11 COMPATIBLE WITH 1024 MB RAM (NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 OR ATI RADEON 6950)
SOUND CARD: DIRECTX COMPATIBLE
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
DVD ROM DRIVE