Every time there is an update I get an initialization error and the game won't start. This is bull sh**. I never know if this game is going to play or not and half the time I lose the work I had done. Wth? And how do I fix it?
The Sims TeamHey kellenvh,
We have some basic troubleshooting steps that tend to resolve most of these issues post-patch, could you confirm that you've tried them all please?
I've done all these every single time. They haven't worked so far.
Guys... This worked for me... The mods don't have ANY problem...
I started a new game and renamed my saves folder to saves2. Started a new game and saved. Then I copied my save slots from saves2 to saves and then I ran the game and loaded my old save file and IT WORKED!!!!!!
The saves is definitely the problem as I removed my saves and started a new game and it loaded up. Unfortunately when i put my old saves into the new folder, when I try to load them up, the game still crashes.
just copy the save slots and not the other folders automatically created on the saves folder
I've tried your steps, and I'm still having the initialization error as well.
it worked for me. but I'm running the game on a Mac but I supposed that if the game saves was the issue that the solution would be the same for Mac and PC users
I'm on Windows. This has been going on for over a year. It will play just fine, then one day it doesn't. This time after an update. At first, I spent weeks figuring out how to do all the things suggested. None of them worked. Then one day, it just played again. Then it stopped again. It won't work for a month or two, then it magically works again. And I've done nothing different. It's really annoying to lose the game for a month or two every month or two, never knowing what causes it, or fixes it. Whatever it is, it's never been my computer. 😠
If it helps, this is the error message.
I appreciate you trying to help, but I've done this and the firewall and it doesn't help. Changing my computer has never been the solution. Something happens on the EA side which suddenly makes it stop loading and then, a month or two later, it magically loads again. I've done nothing on my side to effect this.
I appreciate you trying to help, but that doesn't help either. To my point, the game is now running today and I've changed nothing. 😶 But how long will it run before I get the initialization error again?
I really appreciate you trying to help, but this never worked either. And now, the game is running today with no problems. I changed nothing. This confirms my belief that the situation is on EA's side, not my computer. However, I don't know how long it will work until it stop again. This is what is frustrating.
OK. In Steam, I deleted my expansion packs and it ran, but it coudn't run without the expansion packs. It also brought up an old save that was previously completely deleted. I reinstalled the expansion packs, but I'm getting weird error messages and all my work has been deleted. Lots that were placed and characters created are all gone. This is the second time it has deleted all my work. I'll post photos of what I'm seeing to help. This is what changed it's behavior:
This is what I first see, including the error message in the upper right corner and the weird WWWWWWs in the upper left.
When I click on Resume game, most of the worlds are missing as well as all the work I did. My houses and characters are gone. I exit back out without saving.
kellenvh For the Sims Delivery error, please try the suggestion in the accepted solution here:
SDX error, white sim portraits, corrupted save, etc. | EA Forums - 11820162
I realize you don't think it's your computer, butt this particular error is always on the user side. The fact that the game starts working again could be because you repair or update, or because your antivirus updates to stop blocking Sims 4; it's difficult to tell. But you'll still need to set exceptions for TS4_x64, TS4_DX9_x64, and TS4_Launcher_x64, or the Bin folder they're in, to avoid the problem in the future.
The firewall is not typically involved, only the antivirus.
Once the game opens, please create a new save and see which packs are loading. You can open CAS or Build/Buy and try to filter by pack; the ones that aren't loading will show as unowned. Please list all the packs you own that aren't working, and whether you own them through Steam or the EA App.
I deeply resent having to play computer programmer to play your game. That is your job. I have no idea what CAS is or how to "filter by pack". It's also not my job to determine which one of YOUR packs is not working. I'm also tired of it always being about my computer. One day it works perfectly, I change nothing except the update it does on its own, now it doesn't work. That's not my computer. I also have not done a computer virus update or another kind of update, except the Sims 4 update. I did nothing to my computer expect try to uncheck the packs.
I paid for a working game and working packs. If they don't work I think it's your responsibility to figure out why, not mine.
There are also numerous other people reporting the same problem. We can't all have faulty computers we have messed up.
kellenvh For the record, it's not my job: I don't work for EA. I'm just trying to help you get back into your game, preferably sooner rather than later. EA employees have work hours and off hours, not to mention other responsibilities, but I'm here now and you presumably would like to play today rather than tomorrow.
I understand you think it's not your computer, I really do. But I see these errors all the time, and I know what solves them, and it's always something on the user side. Plus, when the game has not changed, but it suddenly stops working, or starts working again, then the problem (or fix) has to be something outside the game itself. That's just simple logic.
Your antivirus could have updated itself. Windows Defender DOES update itself almost daily. You wouldn't even notice unless you knew where to look.
As for the other people reporting this error, most do not have the initialization error. Their games start to load and then crash with no error message, and the problem is their saves. EA is currently looking into that, but it has nothing to do with your issue.
