Re: There's a problem with your game's setup. Please reinstall your game. 1.109

@Tinaangel1130  I've merged your post with the master thread for this error.  Even though forcing DirectX 9 didn't help you, it's still the same problem.  And you did find the correct location in Steam.  (The option only shows up in the EA App if you've installed the game through the App.)  I'm not actually sure whether the command is case-sensitive, but -dx9 should work regardless.

Your mods shouldn't have caused this issue, and even if you were using an unusual mod that affected the program files, repairing the game in Steam ("Verify integrity of the game files") should undo any mod-related changes.  One possible problem though is a file in ConfigOverride, so please empty that folder if there's anything inside.

Do you remember the last time the game worked?  If not, you should be able to see the modified dates on various files in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4.  Some may have updated when you tried to launch the game again, but not all, for example the dates on your saves or Tray files should be accurate.

Please also let me know if it would be a burden to test an EA App install of Sims 4.  The App might let you install the game using your own account, but if not, you could borrow an account from someone else.  Since the base game is free, it's not a big deal to add it.  You'd of course not have access to your Steam-owned packs either way, but this is for testing purposes, not a proper solution.

If you do uninstall, please use Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine) to do so.  Here's a guide I wrote, including how to make sure your user data doesn't get deleted:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/PC/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-4-DLC-shows-as-installed-won-t-load-in-game/m-p/12942151#uninstall

Thank you kindly for your help! I appreciate it very much... okay, I've followed your instructions thus far. I installed the Revo Uninstaller - here's a screenshot of what I saw while doing this Revo Uninstalling, if it helps. Don't know if it's unusual or it means anything.

Unfortunately, my old Save files are long deleted, along with Tray, mods, and anything else to identify the day it went wrong. I believe this is because I must've mass wiped everything in my attempt to hopefully obliterate whatever file might've been the core issue in the process.

It could've been anywhere from September 2024, to November 2024, based on my re-estimate of the time I was taking a break from the game, but there's no telling exact dates, I apologize. I'd checked my browser history for trace of the last mod I tried to download, though, so I'm sure it's around that time. Maybe a significant update occurred around then?

This deletion is no huge worry to me though. I'm the type to bore quite easily, so I likely would've made a new legacy anyhow - I also have no issues recreating my Sim family, I might even have a save file of them laying around somewhere in my backup files...

Oh, I did check to verify the game files - we're all clear on that front! No override file in sight, so I figure we can check that off, too.

So, I uninstalled the EA App and The Sims 4.

Oddly, upon restarting, and then going to download the EA App again as instructed, a pop-up  told me that the "EA App was already on my laptop" still...? Curious. Hope that doesn't affect anything ,or that it went wrong somehow by just refusing to undownload. I'm willing to re-try it later if need be in case something was missed...

It also told me something about the changes applying when I restarted, so, I assumed this meant that the EA App and its installer would be fully deleted by Revo when I restarted.

I'll attempt to re-do that and try harder to delete the EA App after closing Revo if I run into a problem? I didn't want to mess with it in case it made it do the job wrong.

Was unsure what to do about the fact that The Sims 4 was still on Steam despite me uninstalling it in Revo, so, I also had uninstalled it from there, and... I think it removed itself from the EA App automatically though. I don't know if uninstalling on Steam  after Revo negatively affected anything either...?

This is what it told me after deleting the EA App files on Revo before it restarted, by the way, I've attached another screenshot... this is what I meant what I said I got a pop-up from Revo that the changes would apply after the next restart.

I'm now re-downloading on the EA App after restarting. That worked out.

Downloading Sims 4.

This is what my file location looks like in the screenshot that I attached: I was sure to be thorough, and set it two levels deep! (I assume that's what you meant).

As you can see, I no longer have it in Documents, as I previously always did - nor in Downloads - hopefully that will result in changes? I'll now wait to see. For what it's worth, I have no expansion packs on The Sims 4, so this is easier for me at least.

...Okay, this time, it asked me to insert my display name and all - which used to be what it did before each time I played, which was normal.

It still gave me the same error though. Re-trying the instructions from the beginning.

So I did that over again...

The EA App Uninstaller still persists in existing under my Lenovo and Downloads after restarting despite deleting it from Revo... I found a whole bunch of files in my trash bin, too. Perhaps their remaining there is causing an issue with the subsequent Sims 4 download? I deleted them, but one called ProductIcon remained. I'm restarting again now to see if it's completely removed. Hopefully I'm overthinking that and it's got nothing to do with it.

...The EA App Uninstaller remains there. I deleted it myself out the trash bin, since it doesn't show up in Revo. Okay, all of that clear, now reinstalling EA App anew as instructed... and it says it was already installed. What. That pest won't delete and let me start over from scratch, haha. I clicked repair and rolled with it. Installing Sims 4 in the same new space. Hope that doesn't cause an issue.

Okay, finished all of that, followed instructions as closely as I could, and it didn't work again. I'm baffled.

Alas, I've no friends to borrow an account from for testing purposes. Thank you again for continuing to help! Not sure where this will go from here, but I'd open to any other solutions. 🙂

@Tinaangel1130  It's fine to install Sims 4 almost wherever you want as long as it's not in Documents.  The user folder will be in Documents > Electronic Arts once you can start the game again, but that's completely separate from the program files.

Did you reapply the -dx9 command?  If not, please do so again.

Otherwise, since you saw evidence of the EA App and Sims 4 still being installed after running Revo, I'd try uninstalling both again, and then opening Revo again to make sure it doesn't find evidence of either one.  If you reinstall the EA App and are told it's already present, install it and then Revo it again just to be thorough.  It has so many hidden files these days, and any one of them could theoretically be a problem.

If that doesn't help, or you want to try something quicker first, try playing in a new admin Windows account.  You'll be able to (try to) launch the game without reinstalling anything.