[CURRENT ISSUE] Sims 4 already running
Overview
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This is a common error that is usually caused when Sims 4 cannot access the user folder in Documents > Electronic Arts. It can also be triggered by outdat...
Forum Discussion
I downloaded the new EA app and I went to play the sims and it won’t come up. But EA keeps saying it’s already open. I tried resetting my sims folder, making an exception, deleting it in my task manager, all that. Still will not pop up. Someone help pls!
I was having the same issue i contacted support and it seems like a lot of people are having the same issue they told me their team is working on it and to keep an eye on their twitter for updates!
@fairyr0re What antivirus do you use? Some of them have extra settings that need to be adjusted. And when you reset your user folder, did you ever try to play without adding anything to the new folder? If not, please do so now and let me know whether it works.
You can also try playing in a new admin Windows account, as a test. Make it a local account, as in, don't sign into Microsoft, and don't sync with any other services you normally use. You'll be able to sign into your existing EA account and won't need to reinstall Sims 4, but your saves and other content won't be available. That can be addressed later; for now, just let me know whether the game loads properly.
@Da_Anxiety_45 You can try the suggestions above as well. But it's definitely not an issue that anyone at EA is working on; I don't know why that support rep would say it was. This is always a system issue, with something blocking Sims 4's access to the user folder, so with the exception of adjusting to a new operating system or something similarly global, this is not the responsibility of EA to fix.
@madison00ulo I've merged your post with another thread on the same issue. Please try the suggestions in this article:
https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/crin-error/game-already-running/
and then the other suggestions above.
I tried creating a new user it still didn’t work but it keeps telling me it’s open and I don’t know what antivirus I have
Hi , i seen that you were able to help others with this issue i am having. my game worked perfectly fine two days ago, once i tried to open it yesterday it said my game was already running when it wasnt , earlier that day i installed new mods, once the error began to occur , i deleted the new ones that i added , all my other mods are already up to date. i tried eeverything , deleted the app entirely , added it to my exceptions for the virus rasnsomware in my settings. I cannot add it to my desktop because i have no space on there , the game is within my external hard drive , i also tried playing on another desktop account but that didnt work either . I ran the dxdiag and of course i dont understand it. can you please help me ?
@Nyythajointt Thanks for the dxdiag, which shows the immediate problem: your C drive is almost completely out of space. Given how small the drive is, you really can't have anything on there except for Windows and a few small apps: browsers, game launchers (but not the games), Spotify, that sort of thing. Everything else needs to be on your external drive. If you need help moving files or apps, let me know what they are and what's giving you trouble about the process.
Once you've cleared as much space as possible, let me know whether you're still getting the same Sims 4 error, and we can go from there. Please also list the current free space on C, which you can see by opening a File Explorer window and clicking This PC in the left panel.
How do i know my antivirus is blocking it? where do I go? I have a windows computer.
@Katsimmer0119 The first step is figuring out what antivirus you use, if any. Open Windows settings, choose Update & Security (or maybe Privact & Security), then Windows Security, then Virus & threat protection. Let me know which program(s) you see.
I am literally having this problem and i just wanted to play sims
@ZeroSoulss Did you try the suggestions in my post earlier in the thread? If they don't or didn't help, please let me know what antivirus you use.
Please also make sure you're restarting your computer—a full restart through the menu in the lower-left corner of the screen—after each step.
I am also having this issue (3/26/23 and 3/27/23). I hope EA is able to fix this issue, I have also tried everything and I'm so sad.
@kitty2ooo What antivirus do you use?
Hello! I am having the same issue. I have tried your suggestion but with no luck.. I have Windows Defender as my antivirus.
frrr its been like this for months already
@2125999 Did you try the suggestions earlier in this thread?
"The Sims 4 Premium Edition is already running. Go ahead and start playing. It's a good one." I have been having this issue since March 2023. I am running Windows 11. I tried all the suggestions that were noted on the tread, I have cleared out my cache and even uninstalled all packs, uninstalled the EA app and reinstalled everything again and the issue remains. I tried playing off-line and all I get is a message saying "The app couldn't connect to the servers. We'll keep trying to reconnect you. Meanwhile, you can restart the app or play a game that doesn't require an internet connection." click to play and the EA launchers pops up then nothing. Look on Task Manager and nothing. All three games I have installed on the EA are, The Sims 4, The Sims Medieval and SimsCity 2000, all tried in off-line mode and the same message.
I purchased the two add-on's that were released yesterday, paid and installed them with no issues on my Windows 11 machine. ran updates and tried to launch The Sims 4 and same message. Logged out and jumped on my old machine that runs Windows 10 (now daughter's machine) logged in and ran an update and also installed the new add-ons, clicked Play and The Sims 4 worked with no issues!
This Windows 11 is a gaming machine and have been playing The Sims 4 on this same machine the past 8 months prior to this with no issues, purchased for The Sims 4, I have been playing since original release in 2000! Yes, I have been playing for 23 yeas!
I use Trend as my security software and used it for years with no issues. When message is noted, I look on the Task Manager to see if The Sims 4 is running and it is not listed.
I even tried playing the SimCity 2000 out of curiosity, updated it on my Windows 11 machine (was just sitting there un-played for ages) the exact same message as The Sims 4 pop's up!
Purchased and installed The Sims Medieval on my Windows 11 machine back early April 2023, same already running message popped up also. These all run with no issue on the Windows 10 machine!
I play on steam also with other games and none of them are having loading issues. Is this a Windows 11 issue?
As of 6/9/2023
I have been experiencing this issue.
I've uninstalled, reinstalled, cleared my cache, saves, and mods. Deleted, uninstalled, and reinstalled the Ea App. I do not have Origin downloaded like I was suggested to do by the EA Team. This is insane.
it keeps throwing the code:
unable to start:/ the sims 4 is already running./ [ea35e0ea:29f00e76:00000000: 18a1dd51]
Please Help!!!!!!!
@Courtneyyyy365 Is OneDrive running on your computer? If so, try pausing syncing before you try to launch the game. Right-click the cloud icon in the lower-right corner of your screen to see the option.
If that's not the issue, what antivirus do you use, and does it helo to set exceptions for TS4_x64.exe and EADesktop.exe?
Same issue I am having, just blows
