Initilization error at start up [135dec40:90f690cf:00000075:495f32a0]

@Liriel_N  You've done pretty much everything I'd have suggested already, but one step you haven't tried is a repair install of Windows.  This is the cleanest version of Windows you'd get without wiping your system, and it shouldn't take too long.  Here's how to do it:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html

This shouldn't delete any of your data, but if you get to step 13 and are NOT asked to keep personal files and apps, back out and start over.

I would also suggest running a virus scan, for good measure.  I'm not saying your computer definitely has a virus, only that it's a possibility worth investigating considering the other troubleshooting steps that haven't helped.  Download Malwarebytes (the free trial is fine) from here:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download

Open it, click Scan > Custom Scan > Configure Scan, check all the boxes both for all scan types and for your C drive (this is a separate box), and let it do its job.  This could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of data and whether the scan finds anything., so you may want to set it to run while you're doing something else.  Feel free to attach the report if you'd like me to take a look.

If that doesn't help, I'd suggest you try a few of your previous steps, together:

• Uninstall Sims 4 and the EA App, this time with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine).  If you don't want to lose your saves, rename the Sims 4 user folders to something that doesn't include "Sims 4" in the name first.
• Disable your third-party antivirus entirely, or Controlled Folder Access if you're only using Windows Defender.
• Create another new admin Windows account, and make it local, as in, not connected to your Microsoft account.
• Install the game while in the new account.
• Don't reenable antivirus until you've tried to launch the game once.

The idea here is that something could be corrupting the Sims 4 install, or your new Windows account, before you have a chance to play, and only trying one step at a time hasn't addressed the root cause.

Thank you very much for the detailed reply. I will try all that later today and report back. It's great that you are taking the time for this!

No. It still does not work. ='(

I installed Malwarebytes and did a full scan of my system and my files. It only found a potentially unwanted firefox extension, but nothing relevant. I quarantined that and uninstalled Malwarebytes afterwards.

I made an ISO and re-installed Windows 10 (after saving a system image to an external harddrive), keeping my apps and files. Using my normal windows account, I logged in, started the EA app, and got the same error.

Then, I tried to uninstall Sims 4 from the EA app, but that just doesn't do anything (doesn't even give an error). I deleted the whole Sims 4 folder from the windows explorer instead. I downloaded Revo uninstaller. That didn't find Sims 4, but it did find the EA app. I uninstalled the EA app and, with the help of revo, removed everything that was associated with it, including registry files. Then I logged out and logged into the my fresh administrator local windows account. There are no antivirus programs and Controlled Folder Access is not activated. I disabled all of windows' antivirus features. I stopped onedrive. Then I downloaded the EA app, installed it, and downloaded Sims 4. Then I tried to start it - but nope, the same error.

@Liriel_N  Part of the point was to install Sims 4 with Revo, not the EA App.  Revo is much more thorough, removing hidden files as you saw, and there are hidden Sims 4 files that may be relevant here too.

Yeah, I was attempting that, but Revo did not find The Sims when it was installed. It didn't appear in the list. It also doesn't appear now.

@Liriel_N  Does Sims 4 show up with Revo now?  Is the game listed under Apps in the Windows Control Panel?  Also in the Control Panel, please take a screenshot (use Windows key-shift-S) of the entire list of Visual C++ Redistributables and attach it to your reply.

You mentioned trying to install Origin as well.  Did it actually install, or did you only get an error?

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I attached screenshots showing how the Sims is installed in EA Games, but doesn't appear in Revo nor in the Control Panel. Also, a screenshot of the list of Visual C++ Redistributables, and this one from Revo as well because it shows the full names.

I tried to install an older version of Origin that was not telling me to switch to EA, but have not had success so far. I uninstalled the EA app and The Sims, downloaded an older version of Origin and installed it, but it did again prompt me to upgrade to the EA app. I haven't tried anything more in that direction (instead, tried all the things you proposed with the EA app again, after uninstalling Origin).

Is it worth a try?

Thank you again!

Apprently I can only attach 3 images. Here are the other two I meant to attach.

@Liriel_N  In your two screenshots showing that Sims 4 isn't listed, you need to scroll down a bit.  The game would be listed under T, as in The Sims 4.  If it's definitely not there, let me know; but in case it is, it would make things simpler for us.

Yeah, sorry for not being more clear with the screenshots. It's not under "The" either, and also not under "Die Sims" (The Sims in German), unfortunately. Neither in the windows Apps list nor in Revo.