[READ FIRST] Troubleshooting your Game

Serial Code already used

You only need to activate the game once. After that it's registered to the account you've activated your game and that cannot be changed.

To reinstall your game, follow these steps:

1. If you don't have the Origin client installed on your computer yet, you can download it here: http://origin.com/download
2. Log in with the account you have registered the game on (use your email address and not user username
3. Find the game in myGames to download/install

If the game is no longer shows up on your Origin client, please try the following things

• Restart Origin
• Log out and back in and use the email address instead of the username. Make sure to use the one you used to register the game in the first place
• Reinstall Origin
• Restart your router/modem,
• Get in touch with a game advisor.

Game Bugs

A compiled list of reported bugs can be found here: Compiled List of Bugs. If you have a bug that isn't listed, please make your own thread in the bug forum:The Sims 4 Bug Reports

Game Crashes

Please refer to this thread for information and suggestions on Game Crashes: [Info] Sims 4 Crashes.

Download & Installation & Startup issues

Please refer to this thread for information and suggestions on  Download/Installation/Startup Issues: [Info] Sims 4 - Download & Installation & Startup issues

Graphical/Video Card Issues

Most graphical issues are can either be pinpointed to graphics chips which are below specs or outdated drivers. Because of this, you should check if you fulfill the requirements of the game and that you have the newest drivers.

• Lists to check if your card is good enough: Graphics Card List
• Updating your drivers: AMD, Nvidia,Intel
• Clean re-install of graphics drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU)
• If you have a dual graphics card system with an Chip/Card combo, make sure that the game runs on the card.
• Play around with your graphics settings. Especially with the following options: Post Processing Effects, Laptop Mode
  
• Troubleshoot Graphics Card Errors

Game doesn't start/ Stuck on Loading Screen

First thing to try when your game doesn't start: Remove your Mods. (Why ?)

The game never worked

• Start Origin and the game as administrator
• Use ccleaner to clean your registry.
• Delete the Origin cache files.
• Check your hardware, esp. chkdsk, to make sure your hard drive doesn't have any issues
• Make sure your antivirus software/firewall are not blocking the connection. It's not always enough to create an exception especially if the program has already blicked the game. Check your firewall/antivirus software's manaul on how to proceed. Comodo Firewall seems to be notorious for blocking. Add the following programs to your exception list: authorizationUI, TS4.exe, Origin.exe
• Start the game in windowed mode. If the game runs, lower all settings and put it back to full-screen mode.
• Eliminate issues with Origin
• Deactivate Origin ingame
• Reinstall Origin and the game and make sure they are on the same drive, preferably c:
• Repair the game through Origin
• Clean Boot your PC
• Play in offline mode
• Make sure that you don't have programs that have a known conflict with Origin
• Update your graphics drivers.
• VPNs can lead to potential conflicts with the game
• Make sure your computer fulfills the requirements of the game.
• Make sure your Windows is updated
• Make sure the game is updated (Right-click on the Game in Origin and choose Search for Updates).
• Network Troubleshooting:
  • How can I reset the Hosts file back to the default?
  • How to flush DNS Cache for Windows

The game suddenly doesn't start anymore

On top of the things above you can also try this

• Reset your user files
• Deactivate newly installed programs