sims 3 won't open !!

Hi guys. My sims 3 launcher opens but when i click the start button, a black screen pop ups and it just quits the game. what can i do to fix this?☹️ ty already!🤒

technical issues

puzzlezaddict
1 year ago
@asyaogrunc You can start rebuilding your user folder, as in, adding back your old content to see what works and what doesn't. The first culprit is your custom content, so start there. Here's what to add back:

https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/faq-user-files.html

If you'd like a more thorough guide to rebuilding the folder, you can use this one, which is about handling Store content but applies to you as well. You don't need to reinstall the Store stuff if it works; just move it over:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Store-Issues/Read-First-Sims-3-Store-guide/m-p/13479922#Clean

6 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
1 year ago
@asyaogrunc If your computer has a 12th-gen or newer Intel processor, please see the accepted solution of this thread:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-won-t-open-Alder-Lake-Intel-12th-gen-CPU/td-p/11057820

Otherwise, please run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/
asyaogrunc
1 year ago
hi my computer has a 11th-gen Intel processor. :/ yesterday i tried some of the solutions on the thread but none worked. here's the dxdiag
Dxdiag.txt138 KB
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
1 year ago
@asyaogrunc Please try launching the game in windowed mode. Go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3, open Options.ini, search for fullscreen , and set it to 0 (zero).

If that doesn't help, please uninstall and reinstall the 2005 VC++ runtime, which Sims 3 uses and which is mentioned in the game crashes in your dxdiag. Hit Windows key-I, select Apps, scroll down to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables, click on the 2005 x86 version (it won't say x86, but it's NOT the x64 version), and select Uninstall. Don't touch any other version. You can download a fresh copy here:

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

You only need the x86 version; ignore the other two. Restart your computer after installing and before trying to play.

If that doesn't help, please move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto the desktop, and try again. This will remove, but not delete, your saves and other user content. Let me know whether the game starts. You may need to force windowed mode again.
asyaogrunc
1 year ago
hii thank you sm after i moved the sims 3 folder to desktop and it opened!! but now all my custom content and families.. etc. is gone☹️ what can i do?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
1 year ago
@asyaogrunc You can start rebuilding your user folder, as in, adding back your old content to see what works and what doesn't. The first culprit is your custom content, so start there. Here's what to add back:

https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/faq-user-files.html

If you'd like a more thorough guide to rebuilding the folder, you can use this one, which is about handling Store content but applies to you as well. You don't need to reinstall the Store stuff if it works; just move it over:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Store-Issues/Read-First-Sims-3-Store-guide/m-p/13479922#Clean
asyaogrunc
1 year ago
hi thank you sooo much for the help<3<3 it worked! have a nice day❤️