Sims 4 - Unable to start Initialization error at startup

OK, this is very important for us to note, crinrict.

When I first encountered this message, I tried manually deleting and re-installing Origin.

Nothing changed.

Then I tried clearing out my registry and deleting the install files, and manually deleting Origin, and started it all from scratch.

Still nothing.

Then I tried a clean boot.

Nothing.

I put TS4 into Windows XP SP3 compatibility mode with administrative rights.

Then something weird happened...  Origin would show the game started, the button greyed out, then it reverted back to the play button.

So I tried it in Vista SP2.  Same thing.

Then I tried removing compatibility, but leaving administrative rights on.

That's when Origin stopped allowing me to press the play button.

So i disabled administrative rights, and at about the same time, two weird things happened.  My video card driver crashed, and Avast! Internet Security stopped working.  I had to delete my drivers with the latest ones, and re-install Avast!, and restart my computer.  When it restarted, Avast! loaded, but had all of its protective services disabled for some unknown reason, and Windows 7 warned me of it.  I had already started Origin and TS4 to try again, and this time it WORKED!! 

So for me, it was 3 issues in 1-  Origin needed re-installing, my drivers were out of date, and my Internet Security/antivirus suite needed to be disabled.

I recommend that everyone try disabling your antivirus/security software at first, then update your drivers, and if that fails, manually delete Origin, TS4 and its registry files, and reinstall Origin and TS4.