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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

Re: 6/27/22 insane lag after update (tried everything)

@Ages6AndUp  First, your C drive is somewhat low on free storage.  12 GB is enough for Windows to maneuver under normal circumstances, but it's not enough for a feature update, and running other applications at the same time can create enough temporary files to bog down the system overall.  Another 10 GB free, so over 20 in total, should be sufficient.

Your dxdiag shows a number of generic Windows errors, so please run a couple of basic checks of your Windows system files:

  • Hit Windows key-X
  • Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
  • Inside the window that appears, copy and paste “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without quotes, and enter
  • The system will start validating soon. If it throws an error, please list it here
  • After it reaches 100%, hit Windows key-X again
  • Again, choose “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator)”
  • Inside the window, copy and paste “sfc /scannow” without quotes, and enter
  • Post the message you receive here

Restart your computer, hit Windows key-i, select Update & Security, and click the box to check for updates.  If any install, restart again afterwards.

Next, please update the Nvidia graphics driver.  Try the newest one from Dell first; you can find it here:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/g-series-15-5587-laptop/drivers

If you see the option, choose the Custom (not Express) install option, and check the box to perform a clean install.  Restart your computer when you're done.

If that doesn't help, you can try the newest driver Nvidia offers, but the one from Dell is new enough that it should be fine, and it's generally best to use the driver from the laptop manufacturer as long as it's relatively new.

Once you've done all this, try again to play Sims 4.  If it still lags, start a new save in one of the base game worlds, for comparison's sake and let me know how it runs.

9 Replies

  • Ages6AndUp's avatar
    Ages6AndUp
    2 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict this the message i got after doing all the powershell stuff "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
    For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at
    windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline
    repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag."
    I'm about to update my driver now. thanks so much for your help
  • Ages6AndUp's avatar
    Ages6AndUp
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict okay, I followed all those steps and started a new game with one sims and its still laggy! I'm stuck, I don't even know what else to do. I got my C: drive to 20.4 gb of free space. The game itself is on my D: drive so I'm not sur

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Ages6AndUp  Please test in a clean user folder: move the entire Sims 4 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, which will allow the game to create a new one.  If you get an error when trying to move the folder, or it copies instead of moving, stop here and let me know.

    Otherwise, start another new save in one of the base game worlds and see how it runs.  Don't add back your mods or custom content, and don't run anything alongside Sims 4, other than the EA App of course.

    If you still get lag, restart your computer, and before doing anything else, open the Task Manager.  Wait five minutes, then let me know how much memory is in use by the system overall.  Start Sims 4, but nothing else, let the game clock run for a few sim-minutes, then put it in windowed mode (but don't minimize it) and look at the Task Manager again.  This time, I'd like a screenshot of what you see.  Make sure the Task Manager is in detailed mode and showing the Processes tab.

  • Ages6AndUp's avatar
    Ages6AndUp
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddictno lag this time! I have noticed when I'm playing Sims, my memory is almost maxed. I've included a screenshot (which doesnt even have all of what is running). I have no idea what tasks I can end and what tasks are necessary to make my computer work My next problem is, how do I make it so my main save doesn't lag? Or do I just need to start from scratch? Again, thank you so much, you are a lifesaver.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Ages6AndUp  The real question here is definitely what else doesn't need to be running.  As you can see, Windows and other programs are using more than half your installed RAM, and while your new save is only using 2.3 GB, your more-progressed currend one probably has significantly higher memory use, perhaps enough to cause the lag.

    Please open the Task Manager's Startup tab and post a screenshot of what you see.  There may be a number of programs you can disable at startup.  That doesn't mean the apps won't work, only that they won't launch themselves with Windows and start eating RAM without your permission.

  • Ages6AndUp's avatar
    Ages6AndUp
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict Here's what shows under the task manager startup screen. I tried to disable Avast but it won't let me.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Ages6AndUp  In order to disable Avast, you'd need to either use its built-in settings, if there's a setting for that at all (I don't actually know), or uninstall it.  I'm not telling you to do either since I don't know how you use your computer and whether you need or want Avast at all.  I will say that Windows Defender is overall as good as the free version of Avast, but neither is perfect, and your use case may make Avast the better choice.  It's up to you.

    For the rest, you can disable Edge, DellMobileConnectWelcome, and probably Waves MaxxAudio on startup.  For Waves, if you notice any sound issues, reenable it.  Then restart your computer and see how much RAM is in use.  Windows itself shouldn't use more than 2.1 GB or so, and if overall memory use is above 3 GB, then it's worth disabling Avast just as a test.  It's not that you need to lower memory use to the minimum, but bringing it down to the 3 GB range will free up the RAM that your existing save needs to run well.

    If even disabling Avast doesn't lower RAM use enough, try a clean boot:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

    The one service to leave enabled is the EABackgroundService, which the EA App needs in order to run.  Disable the rest as described.

    When you reboot your computer, check memory use again—it should be significantly lower.  Then try playing your main save and let me know how it goes.

    The clean boot isn't a long-term solution overall, but if it helps where the previous interventions didn't, you may end up leaving some of those services disabled over the long term.  For example, I have a few game client-related services, basically the EABackgroundService for other launchers, permanently disabled, and I only enable them one I want to use its game launcher.

    If there are other services you only use very rarely, this may be a good strategy for you too, provided you remember that you did this.  It's not necessary to memorize everything you disabled; just know that if some other app doesn't start properly, you might need to go back and reenable an associated service through msconfig.

  • Ages6AndUp's avatar
    Ages6AndUp
    2 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict So after doing a clean boot it brought down my memory to ~40% but I tried to run sims and it works! No more lag from what I can tell. Thanks so much for all of your help!!
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Ages6AndUp  That's great to hear.  If you find that some other app isn't starting correctly, you may need to go back into msconfig and reenable an associated service.  But most of the rest can be disabled most of the time, if you'd prefer not to go through the clean boot process every time you want to play.  A lot of those services and the apps they belong to are basically bloatware.

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