Hello, Since I did the last update on my game I can't open the cheat console anymore. Actually I forgot to remove my mods folder before doing the update. I don't know if it affected the update and if this is a reason why I can't open the cheat console anymore. I tried every solutions I found on this forum and on some others too. I did every of them twice but this still doesn't work. That's why I'm writing this post. I can't play without cheats, I'm wondering if it could be useful to reinstall my game or if it's completly another problem? Thank you. I play on PC / Windows 10

@alicestylisim_ The fact that the cheat console works in a clean boot means it's very likely that a background program is using the cheat console key combo and blocking Sims 4 from responding to it. The clean boot shuts down all those background processes. What you can do, if you'd rather not go through the clean boot process every time you want to play, is start in a clean boot and then selectively reenable some processes (using the same approach as a clean boot but in reverse). Enable half of them and test the game, and if the problem is still gone, enable half the remaining ones and test again. If the problem is back, disable half the ones you just reenabled and test. In this way, you can quickly narrow down the source of the problem, and then you can decide whether to leave that app disabled when you play or just change whatever key binding is getting in the way.

Cheat console doesn't open | EA Forums

6 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago
@alicestylisim_ Reinstalling your game is probably not necessary. If you want to find out whether the issue is mods or maybe something else to do with the update, move your entire Sims 4 user data folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop. Launch the game to create a clean folder, start a new save, and try to open the cheats console.

If it doesn't work, repair the game in Origin—open your game library, right-click on the Sims 4 icon, and select Repair—and test again.

If that doesn't help either, try testing in fullscreen, windowed fullscreen, and windowed modes. Sometimes cheats work in one mode but not the others.

The other possibility, although it wouldn't have anything to do with a game update, is that another program running in the background is using the same key combination as the cheat console, and your computer "thinks" you're trying to use that other function instead. If you run other programs while playing, please test without them. If you have an AMD graphics card, make sure none of its functions are bound to crtl-shift-C.

You can also try clicking crtl-shift-Windows key-C, which helps on computers with certain motherboards, or probably more accurately with the software installed with those boards.
alicestylisim_
5 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Hello, thanks for your help, this is what helped me https://help.ea.com/en/help/faq/how-to-clean-boot-your-pc/ and now it's working, actually not in windowed screen. I don't mind because I always play in full screen so everything is fine now 🙂
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago
@alicestylisim_ The fact that the cheat console works in a clean boot means it's very likely that a background program is using the cheat console key combo and blocking Sims 4 from responding to it. The clean boot shuts down all those background processes.

What you can do, if you'd rather not go through the clean boot process every time you want to play, is start in a clean boot and then selectively reenable some processes (using the same approach as a clean boot but in reverse). Enable half of them and test the game, and if the problem is still gone, enable half the remaining ones and test again. If the problem is back, disable half the ones you just reenabled and test. In this way, you can quickly narrow down the source of the problem, and then you can decide whether to leave that app disabled when you play or just change whatever key binding is getting in the way.
silllylion
Seasoned Newcomer
4 years ago
For future players that see this: In my case, I was playing in windowed mode. Switching to fullscreen mode resolved the problem with CTRL-SHIFT-C not opening the cheat console.
But I would also not be surprised if there is a shortcut conflict with another program such as the graphics card program.
guardpixie
4 years ago
@puzzlezaddict in my life I never would've thought of the graphics card being the problem (I'm not super tech savvy so I didn't even know the graphics card could have key bindings until now). But I opened the program and did some clicking around, and that's what it was! THANK you for mentioning that in your answer!!
EA_David
Community Admin
4 years ago
Great catch, and thank you for the confirmations. There's also a thread for cheat console issues/questions here: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/FAQ-How-to-use-Cheats/m-p/8778797#M167355