Sims 3 won't start - launches EA app (13th gen)

@poptart52  Most of the Sims 3 errors in your dxdiag reference a component of the 2005 VC++ runtime, which Sims 3 uses.  So it's a good idea to uninstall and reinstall the runtime.  Hit Windows key-i, select Apps, scroll down to the Microsoft Visua C++ Redistributables, click the 2005 version, and uninstall it.  (It's the x86 version but doesn't say so in its entry.)  You can download a fresh copy from Microsoft:

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

You only need the x86 version, not the other two.  Restart your computer after installing and before trying to play.

If that doesn't help, please force Sims 3 to launch in windowed mode.  Go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3, open options.ini, search for fullscreen , and set it to 0 (zero).  Then try again to play.

And just in case you were wondering, yes, you do need the Alder Lake patch, and your dxdiag lists one error that's the result of not having applied it.  So if you uninstall and reinstall again at any point, or repair the game, or the EA App repairs it for you, you'll need to reapply the patch.

The error in your screenshot says the patcher couldn't find an element of the patch itself; it doesn't have to do with anything on your computer.  That could be because the file was renamed, in which case delete any downloads of the patch you currently have saved and download a new copy.  Or it could be because your antivirus blocked access, in which case you can temporarily disable it, run the patch, and reenable it.  There are other causes too; those are just the ones that come to mind.

Thank you so much! I'll try this now and update you!

Ok. So, I did both of the things you suggested. I uninstalled the 2005 C++ thing, and reinstalled it, restarted. Then my game a launcher was blank (only on the first page, not on downloads or expansions). Game didn't work. I changed to windowed mode, also didn't work. Ran another dxdiag. Unsure if I am missing something in my steps or what?

I appreciate you and your help! I am not as computer savvy as I used to be lol

@poptart52  The launcher issue is separate from everything else and can usually be cleared up by clearing Edge's Internet Explorer data.  Even if you never use Edge at all, let alone in IE mode, the launcher does for some purposes.  Please see the end of this article for instructions on clearing the data:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge-00cf7943-a9e1-975a-a33d-ac10ce454ca4

Please also update your laptop's Nvidia graphics driver.  MSI offers a slightly newer one than the version you have installed, so please use that—when they're recent enough, the laptop manufacturer's drivers are a better option than standard drivers from other sources (Nvidia, Intel, etc.) because they may be tuned for your laptop model.  You can get the driver here:

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Katana-15-B13VX/support?sub_product=Katana-15-B13VEK#driver

If prompted, select model B13VEK and Windows 11, choose Driver, then Graphics, and you'll see the Nvidia driver.  Run it as an admin: right-click the download and select "Run as administrator."  Choose the Custom, not Express, install option if you can, and check the box to perform a clean install.  Restart your computer afterwards.

Your newest dxdiag lists two new errors relating to the 2005 VC++ runtime and one relating to the Alder Lake issue.  That might just mean that you tried to play after running the second dxdiag and before applying the fixes, but let's find out.  First, try to open Sims 3 a couple of times, and then wait a few minutes.  Then hit Windows key-R and enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes, and you'll open the Reliability Monitor, which shows a chart of errors and updates with a column for each day.  Today is on the right.

Look for any errors with timestamps that match the most recent attempts to launch Sims 3, I mean after you installed the graphics driver.  If you find any, double-click them and look for either MSVCR80.dll (the 2005 VC++ component) or exception code cx00000094 (the Alder Lake issue).  For example, the latter error looks like this:

Faulting application name: TS3.exe, version: 0.2.0.32, time stamp: 0x568d4bac
Faulting module name: TS3.exe, version: 0.2.0.32, time stamp: 0x568d4bac
Exception code: 0xc0000094
Fault offset: 0x005511f2
Faulting process id: 0x5624
Faulting application start time: 0x01d7ea093f0ac59b
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3.exe
Report Id: ffde230a-067e-4819-b9d1-b6aa267e5fac
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

If you're still seeing the Alder Lake issue, please use the Task Manager method, applied to TS3.exe (without the W) since you have an EA App install.  This is the most reliable intervention of the three available, and I want to see if you can get past this problem.  If you're seeing the MSVCR80.dll errors, please move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop and try again to play.  This will remove all installed user content, which is the point; you can restore it later.

Ok, I wasn't able to get to this until now. 

Did all of that, I ended up with the.dll errors so I removed the folder to desktop, and my game opened. You are right none of my downloaded content is there. So does this mean there's a mod or a broken download from the Sims 3 store, or a save or something that is preventing my game from opening?

@poptart52  It's very unlikely that a save or Library item would prevent the game from loading at all because none of that data should be read until later in the loading process (saves) or perhaps not until you're in Edit Town (Library files).  Store content is also unlikely to have any effect as long as you've installed it the legitimate way.  However, downloads from the Exchange are third-party content, even though they're hosted by the Store site, and they can definitely cause issues once installed.

When Sims 3 won't launch at all, the problem is usually a mod or cc item, so I'd start there.  Two somewhat common problems are having NRaas Cupcake without also having the Store bakery set installed (and loading properly), and having NRaas MasterController's Progression module present without both the MC and StoryProgression base mods.  So please make sure neither is the case for you.

Once you've tested your mods and cc, you can start moving your other content from the old Sims 3 folder to the new one.  Here's a description of everything in the user folder:

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

Where the game will create a new file or folder, it's best to use that rather than the old version.  That also goes for folders where you're transferring the files inside, for example move the contents of Library rather than the entire folder.  You can probably just transfer your installed Store content: .ebc files in DCCache, ccmerged.package in DCBackup, files in Library and InstalledWorlds.  But if you run into trouble again, try only moving the Sims3Packs in Downloads and reinstalling the Store content from scratch, a few items at a time.

Leave your saves for last, when you've sorted through everything else.