ActivationUI.exe system errror

Hi everybody.

First, If I am doing this post incorrectly, or if it does not belong here, I heartily apologize.  

Second, if anyone can be of assistance, I would be very very grateful.  The sims have been keeping me sane through this whole thing.  You know....I can go into my game at 10 am and suddenly it's 7 pm and my bladder meter is nearing red and maybe I should turn on a light?  I'm sure I'm not the only one.....

So, here we go

Today I started getting the error code above: 

ActivationUI.exe system error  (The code execution cannot procede because QTWebkit4.dll was not found.  Reinstalling the program may fix the problem).

I was trying to load my Sims4 game.  I have a Dell Inspiron computer running Windows 10.

I've been playing with no real problems since the end of March.  I have Cats and Dogs, Get Together, Parenthood, Realm of Magic, and the Toddler stuff pack.

just before this happened my game pretty much completely crashed, it started to load, got as far as the Sims 4 screen, but wouldn't get past that, I eventually used Ctrl/alt/Delete to get to task manager to close it that way because it gave me no other way to close it.  the screen went white, but that was it, it wouldn't close to the blue screen to give me the option to get to task manager.  I ended up having to do a hard reboot.

When I got back in I tried again and that's the first time I got that error.  I thought the problem was with origin so I followed the instructions on the origin page to uninstall origin "the hard way"  going into all the different folders exactly as instructed.

I reinstalled origin.  It downloaded all of my games....it downloaded all the expansion/game/stuff packs I had for Sims 3 and Sims 4, but didn't download the games themselves.

I tried to run Sims 4.  I got the same error.

I tried to run Sims 3, just to see if the problem was the fact that origin didn't download the base games themselves.  Sims 3  loaded fine.  Started up without a problem.  I didn't try to play, but let it get to the screen where you pick which sim to play.

I looked here, but didn't find it.

I googled it.  apparently it's primarily something specific to ea games. it has never been found to contain a virus or malware by any of the main sites that track those things. I found a link to a website where you can download and install the QTWebKit4.DLL.  it says "In the vast majority of cases, the solution is to properly reinstall qtwebkit4.dll on your PC, to the Windows system folder. Alternatively, some programs, notably PC games, require that the DLL file is placed in the game/application installation folder."  

I checked my sims4 folder first in the ea folder in documents, since that's where I'm used to going. That was the wrong place to look.

I double checked in my origin games file and sims 4 is there. 

I did a search in the sims 4 folder for the DLL file.  It is there in C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\OriginGames\TheSims4\Game\Bin_LE\Core

I ran a full search on my computer (which I think would also have found any that were in the recycling bin?).  the search found one copy in each of my origin games folders.

I did go into origin and try to delete my sims4 game in preperation for reinstalling it and it warned that that would permanently delete all content connected to the game, etc......wasn't sure that's what I wanted to do.  😉

I tried to contact tech support at origin, they're not open of course, and now.....Here I am.  I did a search for the error code again here before I posted this.

other info:  I do have cc and mods on the sims 4, including the most recent version of .  

earlier in the day I had run ccleaner and then did an additional part to search for duplicate files.  I tried to have it delete all but one copy of each file that it found, It did this for some, but not for others.  I have not emptied the recycling bin since I did this, so (I think) any files that it deleted would still be there?  (you know, for a geek, there's some basic stuff I really should know.  lol....I would like to be more tech advanced than I am, but, well, I'm currently not, so...there's that.  lol)

Anyway.  Thank you so much in advance, for any any assistance.

hope everyone is getting through this crazy time and staying safe.

Mezorigi