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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

[CURRENT ISSUE] Sims 4 Unable to Start, Already Running

Overview jump to:  Workarounds 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  It can also be triggered by outdated or...
null
crashing
guides
launching
Emprou's avatar
Emprou
Seasoned Newcomer
10 months ago

Hello,

 

I previously had a cracked version of The Sims 4 installed on my system. I have completely removed it and installed the official licensed version via the EA App.

 

However, every time I try to launch the game, I get the error:

“Unable to start: The Sims 4 is already running.”

 

I have already tried the following steps:

 

  • Uninstalled and reinstalled the EA App
  • Terminated all EA-related processes via Task Manager and Command Prompt
  • Deleted all folders related to EA and The Sims 4 under AppData, ProgramData, Documents, and Prefetch
  • Cleared all registry entries with CCleaner
  • Deleted lastsession.lock and cache files under the EA App directories
  • Performed a clean boot disabling all third-party services and startup programs

 

 

Despite all these steps, the EA App still believes the game is running even though it is not. There are no processes like TS4_x64.exe or EALauncher.exe in the background, and nothing appears in Task Manager.

 

I would appreciate any help or official guidance to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance.

Croi10191's avatar
Croi10191
Rising Novice
1 month ago

This can be caused if you made an mklink and the folder destination changed. It should be the folder with this symbol under it (normally white square with blue arrow)↗️.
For example if I created a mklink so the folder in my C drive would go to my D drive instead, delete the C drive folder and re-establish the link in the cmd prompt.
If this doesn't work then I'm not sure.

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