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

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.

@Liriel_N  Please look for Sims 4-related entries in your computer's registry.  Hit Windows key-R, enter  regedit in the run box in the lower-left corner, and then look for these entries:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Maxis\The Sims 4

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4

I'm not asking you to post what you find, only whether you see these two "The Sims 4" entries at all.

If you don't, please search the registry (under File) for "The Sims 4" (exactly that), and make sure you're limiting the search to entries the entire string, or you'll get a lot of unrelated results too.  Here, let me know what locations you see for the base game.  For any related to packs, you don't need to list them; just list where you see them (like the paths above) and whether anything from the base game is in the same location.

Hi, thanks again. Just for context, I am doing all this under the newly created administrator account, where I currently have the EA app and The Sims installed.

Under "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\" there is no Maxis, but it is in the second path you gave, "...\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4"

They contain the installation directory, a language code, and there are sub-keys for my expansion packs.

I also searched for the string "The Sims 4" exactly, as you said, and it jumped to exactly that location. The screenshot shows the notifaction saying "Searching of registry is finished". I used the 'search more' option, but after two minutes, it just says that nothing else was found.

So that info in the registry seems to be all there is, related to Sims 4.

@Liriel_N  First I want to say thank you to @holger1405 , because this was his excellent idea, and I wouldn't have known where to look.

The two sets of Sims 4 entries, with WOW6432Node in the path and not, are identical when created properly.  So you're going to duplicate the entries you have and import them to where they're missing.

Open the registry again, and in this location:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis

Click the "The Sims 4" folder, so it's highlighted.  Click File > Export, and save the file to your desktop.  Right-click the file and select Edit.  You should see the file path to this Sims 4 entry at the top.  Delete WOW6432Node, so the file path looks like this:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Maxis\The Sims 4

Make absolutely sure there is no extra character in there, not even a \.  If you see some junk below the last entry, delete it; the last line should start with "Install Dir" and then have two blank lines below it.  When you're sure you've edited it correctly, save your work, close the file, and double-click it to import the entries to the new location you've specified.  You can double-check the registry itself for the new entries.

I want to say that in general, editing your computer's registry is a dicey prospect, prone to serious errors if it's not done properly.  But I tested this myself, twice, and it worked fine both times.  I also reproduced the initialization error when I deleted the registry entries you're missing without replacing them.  So the point is, be careful, and don't go editing or deleting other entries unless you know exactly what you're doing and why.

Please let me know whether this works, and because I want to triple-check, whether Windows and Revo now see Sims 4 as installed.

Just to make sure I am editing it correctly, a question:

In my case, the registry file I export after highlighting the Maxis folder, there are a lot of entries.

I am not entirely sure if I should replace *all* paths, including those for DLCs, and one with "InstallOptSelect" at the end?

Or should I delete the DLC entries and only keep the three non-DLC entries?

I have attached the exported registry and in order to do that, changed the file extension to ".txt", of course the file I am editing is actually a ".reg".

The file starts like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4]
"Install Dir"="C:\\Program Files\\EA Games\\The Sims 4\\"
"SIMS_LANGUAGE"="0407"


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4\DLCs]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4\DLCs\The Sims 4 Backyard Stuff]
"UninstallerPath"="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Common Files\\EAInstaller\\The Sims 4\\The Sims 4 Backyard Stuff\\Cleanup.exe\""
"UninstallerArgs"="uninstall_pdlc -autologging"

(then a few more DLCs)

and finally:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4\InstallOptSelect]
@="1"

My guess what I should look like:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Maxis]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Maxis\The Sims 4]
"Install Dir"="C:\\Program Files\\EA Games\\The Sims 4\\"
"SIMS_LANGUAGE"="0407"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Maxis\The Sims 4\InstallOptSelect]
@="1"

I am not sure if the DLCs should be deleted or kept, and what to do with the SIMS_LANGUAGE key and the InstallOptSelect section.

Thank you again for your extreme patience and persistence!

@Liriel_N  I rethought the instructions (this is my first time trying this exact approach) and edited them a bit.  Please check again now.

For reference, my "The Sims 4" exported/edited file looks like this:

You do not need entries for the DLC in this location.  I don't have any in either location, which is why I first wrote that you could import the Maxis entry, but there's no reason to add extra entries if the game doesn't need them in order to work.

@Liriel_N 

This is how it should look like in for your German installation.

Everything below the "Install Dir"=xxx" line can be ignored.

Okay, I did that!

I attached screenshots of what the registry looks like and what Revo and the generic Apps window are showing.

In Revo, nothing appears. In Apps, it appears at the bottom of the list, without a name, but with the icon.

@Liriel_N 

Please post a screenshot of your [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis] node.

I attached screenshots of the WOW6432Node\Maxis and the WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims 4 node.

@Liriel_N 

You went to a windows repair installation successfully, right?

If so, please repair the game inside EA app again > Restart your PC. 
Then look if the registry entries changed.

Yes, this is all after I did a repair installation of windows from an .iso based on my system.

Afterwards, I created the new local administrator user, and installed EA and The Sims for that user, and that's where I am currently, following along your instructions.

So now I started the EA app (took ~3 minutes of not reacting until it opened, no idea why).

Repaired The Sims.

Restarted the PC.

Checked the registry again. It looks like both locations have the same entries as before, which are the same, except that the one in the "WOW6432NODE" location has the additional DLC and InstallOptSelect keys.

I attached screenshots.

I added the keys in the registry (screenshots attached).

I restarted the PC, and indeed it now starts!

Wow! I am surprised, my hopes have not been very high. But that's great 🙂

Revo and Windows Apps show the same as before:

- Revo doesn't show Sims (by any name, with 'the' or 'die' etc.) at all

- Windows Apps shows it with icon, but without any name

I haven't properly tested Sims yet, I just verified that it starts. I would need to install it under my main windows account, copy back the profile with the saves, etc.

Do you recommend that I do anything to fix the underlying problem that you suspect? Or am I good to go?

(As far as I can tell, I have not had any other problems with my PC and registry entries, and virus scans with Malwarebytes have come back pretty unsuspicious...)

Thank you for all your efforts!

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@Liriel_N wrote:

I added the keys in the registry (screenshots attached).

I restarted the PC, and indeed it now starts!

Wow! I am surprised, my hopes have not been very high. But that's great 🙂

---

That is good to hear. 👍

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@Liriel_N wrote:

I haven't properly tested Sims yet, I just verified that it starts. I would need to install it under my main windows account, copy back the profile with the saves, etc.

Do you recommend that I do anything to fix the underlying problem that you suspect? Or am I good to go?

---

And that is a very good question. 😉
I like to talk about that with @puzzlezaddict first, and it is the middle of the night for her. 

If you not already tested the game toughly you should certainly do so.
You will hear from one of us in a few hours.

I tried it some more, and it seems like everything works as it should!

Thank you so much!

@Liriel_N 

OK, that sounds good. 👍

If you like, we can try to find the culprit that caused the problem in the first place.
But we can't promise that we will be able to, or that it will be of much benefit.

On the other hand, it is clear that there is a problem in your system.
So this is your decision.

You (both) have already spend a lot of time helping me, so I can't really ask for you to do more. But if you are up for it, and want to find out more, I would also be curious what we can find out!

@Liriel_N  I'm still interested, and I'm pretty sure Holger1405 is too.  So please post a new dxdiag.  Please also list the antivirus you originally had, the one you removed when troubleshooting.  And let me know whether you're using any other security software at all.

I attached the new dxdiag.

The antivirus finding that malwarebytes had was PUP.Optional.OffersOlymp, aka a spam firefox extension trying to push some online shopping ads. I think it was not activated or didn't work "correctly", as I never saw any ad (I use adblockers) and didn't notice that the unwanted extension was even there.

---

@Liriel_N wrote:

I attached the new dxdiag.

The antivirus finding that malwarebytes had was PUP.Optional.OffersOlymp, aka a spam firefox extension trying to push some online shopping ads. I think it was not activated or didn't work "correctly", as I never saw any ad (I use adblockers) and didn't notice that the unwanted extension was even there.

---

So the only Antivirus you used was malwarebytes? 
Do you use other security software?

No, I only have the things that are part of the operating system. No other antivirus software.

Same for malwarebytes - I did not have it originally. After sims didn't start anymore, I downloaded the free version and did the scan.

@Liriel_N 

Are there "unknown device" (Or not working devices)  listed in your device manager? (Geräte Manager)

If so, please provide a screenshot of the device manager. (Nodes with unknown devices open)

Please also upload the "InstallLog.txt" from under  "C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 4\__Installer\"

Device manager looks completely fine - no "unknown" or not working devices. I also expanded all sections and checked them.

I attached the InstallLog.txt.

I notice are some notes stating "Game has been previously installed." in there.

I suspect that I never fully managed to delete The Sims completely. It did not appear in revo nor in the windows apps list, and there was no "uninstall" option in the EA app, so all I could do was delete the installation folder, move and rename my profile folder, and then later do the whole re-installation of windows on top of that. But I wouldn't be surprised if something was still left over from there. So I only got it removed as much as I could.

@Liriel_N 

It comes down to this lines:

20:06:07 Game has been previously installed. Retrieving installed info.
20:06:07 Installing Firewall exception ...
20:06:07 Start Adding Application To Exception List
20:06:07 Successfully installed Firewall exception
20:06:07 Locale has changed. Removing existing shortcuts ...
20:06:07 Installer finished with exit code: 1
20:06:07 Shutting down data reader.

The "Installing firewall exception" failed on the previous two attempts, but worked on the last one.

But after that, the registry entries should be created, and that is not happening on your system, and in the end the installer finished with code 1, it should be code 0.

So it's as I expected, the installer can't write to the registry for some reason.
The most likely reason is permissions issues, but this is just a guess.

From here it is very, very difficult to troubleshoot without "hands on" the system.
If anything works to your satisfaction, there is no need for immediate action.

In the long run a complete fresh install of the OS might be in order.