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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
7 months ago

[Current Issue] Sims 3 doesn't open, Windows 7

After the January 13, 2025 update for Sims 3, a few players have reported that the Sims 3 launcher won't open when playing in Windows 7.  This only applies to Windows 7 and EA App installs.  If you have a different OS or install type, you likely have a different issue.

For affected users, please try uninstalling and reinstalling your 2005 x86 VC++ runtime.  Open the Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Programs and Features, select the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable (it won't say x86, but that's what it is), and click Uninstall at the top of the list.  If you see multiple versions of the 2005 runtime that do NOT say x64, uninstall them all.  You can get a fresh copy here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26347

You only need the x86 version, not the other two.  Restart after installing and before trying to open the game.

If that doesn't help, please provide a dxdiag.  Click Windows key-R, enter dxdiag in the run box, wait for the scan to finish, click "Save all information," and save the file to your desktop.  From there, you can attach it to a reply using the paper clip (Attachment) icon included with the other formatting buttons.

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  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 months ago

    csapiba​  No judgments here, and sorry for the late reply.  I just found your post in General Discussion and moved it to Tech.

    Anyway, have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the 2005 x86 VC++ runtime?  That fixes the issue for most players on Windows 7.  Here's how:

    [Current Issue] Sims 3 doesn't open, Windows 7 | EA Forums - 8323489

    If that doesn't or didn't help, please look for related errors in the Reliability Monitor.  Hit Windows key-R and enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes, and you'll see a chart of errors and updates with a column for each day.  Today is on the right.

    Look for an error that happened at exactly the time of your most recent attempt to open Sims 3.  If you find one, double-click it to see more details, then copy that info and paste it into a reply here.  If you don't see a new error, check back in an hour or so—the Reliability Monitor doesn't always update right away.

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