Sims 4 Crashing & Black Screens Since September Update

@SulSulDUCK  Your dxdiag lists some crashes of the Windows USB 3 driver, which typically aren't serious but should be addressed.  So please disconnect all USB 3 devices, or if you want to be thorough, everything that isn't your keyboard and mouse, and restart your computer.  You can reconnect the devices after the restart.

Your dxdiag doesn't contain any Sims 4 errors, but some of the other errors point to a possible issue with the graphics driver, and black screens are often related to this driver too.  So please do a clean uninstall and reinstall of the driver, as described here:

https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/02/clean-re-install-of-graphics-drivers-with-display-driver-uninstaller-ddu.html

If you get another crash, please look for new errors in the Reliability Monitor.  Hit Windows key-R and enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes, and you'll see a chart of errors and updates with a column for each day.  Today is on the right.

Look for an error that happened at exactly the time of your most recent Sims 4 crash.  If you find one, double-click it to see more details, then copy that info and paste it into a reply here.  If you don't see a new error, check back in an hour or so—the Reliability Monitor doesn't always update right away.

I have followed your suggestions:

1. I disconnected unnecessary USB devices and restarted my computer.
2. I also performed a clean uninstall and reinstalled the latest version of my graphics driver, as you recommended.
3. Additionally, I removed all mods and attempted to launch the game, but it crashed immediately upon loading to the main menu.

I am sharing the error report for the most recent crash below. Since my interface is in Chinese, I’ve included the English version for your reference. To ensure accuracy, I've also attached the original screenshot of the error.

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Source: The Sims™ 4
Summary: Application has stopped working
Date: 10/8/2024 4:08 PM
Status: Report sent
Description:
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 4\Game\Bin\TS4_x64.exe

Problem Signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: TS4_x64.exe
Application Version: 1.109.207.1020
Application Timestamp: 66f5af09
Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.0.19041.4842
Fault Module Timestamp: e6d00f33
Exception Code: e06d7363
Exception Offset: 000000000003b699
Operating System Version: 10.0.19045.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID: 1028
Additional Information 1: 9be5
Additional Information 2: 9be59f44a46f3c972ebea7744be7f4d0
Additional Information 3: a8d2
Additional Information 4: a8d2b08cd5bfc48b3e734ba9cf93b218

Additional Problem Information:
Bucket ID: c7a22485e5bfebc0c381ff74ec5b3d4b (1405685436362997067)

------

I hope this information helps in resolving the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance!

@puzzlezaddict 

I'd like to report my recent findings regarding the crashes and black screens.

While playing on DX11 and using MSI Afterburner for monitoring, I observed the following:

• GPU temperature ranged from 65-75°C
• GPU usage was around 60%
• CPU usage was around 30%

However, I noticed significant fan noise from the GPU, and despite having all mods removed, the game crashed within 5 seconds after just rotating the camera slightly.

Due to the severity of the crashes, I reverted the game back to DX9 mode. In DX9, the game ran smoothly with no crashes or black screens, and there was no noticeable fan noise from the GPU.

Based on these observations, I have a few questions:

• Driver and DX11 compatibility: I'm currently using the latest graphics driver, but I'm still experiencing crashes and black screens on DX11. Would you recommend rolling back to an older driver version? If so, is there a specific version of the NVIDIA driver that you think would improve compatibility with DX11 for The Sims 4?
• Hardware performance with DX11: My system seems capable of handling DX12 according to the Dxdiag report, but crashes persist in DX11 while everything runs smoothly in DX9. Do you think my hardware might not be sufficient for DX11, or should I consider upgrading? Here are my current specs:
  • Memory: 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200
  • Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB NVMe SSD
  • GPU: Gigabyte Vision OC GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-12700 2.1 GHz 12-Core
  • CPU Cooler: Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B 39.44 CFM CPU Cooler
  • Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS WIFI D4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
  • Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

@SulSulDUCK  Your computer is more than powerful enough for Sims 4 in any mode, and I don't think the hardware has anything to do with this issue unless it's somehow defective.  But in that case, you'd likely see crashes in DX9 mode too.  DX11 mode does have its issues, but it's not particularly unstable anymore on supported systems, and I've only seen a few reports of significantly worse performance.  That doesn't mean it isn't happening, only that it's not the norm.  Black screens are certainly not common either.

The error you've posted points to a component of Windows as the faulting module.  It's unlikely that this particular resource is corrupt given how fundamental it is to the OS, but it's worth running a couple of basic checks of your Windows system files:

• Hit Windows key-X
• Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
• Inside the window that appears, copy and paste “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without quotes, and enter
• The system will start validating soon. If it throws an error, please list it here
• After it reaches 100%, hit Windows key-X again
• Again, choose “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator)”
• Inside the window, copy and paste “sfc /scannow” without quotes, and enter
• Post the message you receive here

Restart your computer, hit Windows key-i, select Update & Security, and click the box to check for updates.  If any install, restart again afterwards.

If you want to test your hardware in general, download the free demo of 3DMark from Steam and run Time Spy.  You can access the results without creating a separate account; just post a screenshot if you want to share.  For best results, restart your computer immediately beforehand and don't open anything other than Steam and 3DMark.

@puzzlezaddict Hi,

Thank you so much for your patience and for providing such clear steps in your previous response. I followed your instructions carefully, but I am still experiencing consistent crashes and black screens when running The Sims 4 in DirectX 11 mode. Interestingly, the game runs without any issues in DirectX 9 mode.

To troubleshoot further, I performed the following tests:

1. 3DMark Time Spy benchmark test: My hardware performed very well with a Time Spy score of 15,991. This indicates that my GPU (RTX 3080) and CPU (i7-12700) are functioning optimally.

2. Windows system health checks (DISM & SFC): I ran a DISM image restore and an SFC scan, both of which returned no issues with the system integrity.

Despite this, the game crashes within seconds when using DirectX 11, while it runs normally in DirectX 9. Based on this, I suspect the issue may be related to a software or compatibility conflict specifically when using DX11.

I have attached all the relevant test result screenshots for your reference.

Could you provide any additional guidance or potential fixes for this? I have tried updating my drivers and repairing the game, but the issue persists.

I truly appreciate your continued assistance and look forward to any suggestions you may have.

@SulSulDUCK  Your Time Spy results look fine, as you already know, and I think you're right that the next thing to look for is conflicting software.  ReShade and GShade currently have issues with DirectX 11 mode, at least some of the time.  (I believe there's an update for each one, but it doesn't install automatically.)  The associated errors are pretty specific and not what you're seeing, but still, if you use either one, please remove it and repair the game again.

I would also check that your antivirus isn't objecting to Sims 4.  The DX9 and 11 modes use different executables, so you'd need to set an exception for TS4_x64 specifically.

If that doesn't help, please try playing in a clean boot:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

The one service to leave enabled is the EABackgroundService, which the EA App needs in order to run.  Disable the rest as described.

When you reboot your computer, go through the Task Manager's background processes list shutting down any service that doesn't absolutely need to be running, for example anything from MSI Afterburner to RGB software might still be enabled.  If you accidentally kill a critical process and it doesn't restart on its own, just reboot your computer again.

Don't open anything other than Sims 4 and the EA App while testing, not even a browser window.  If you get another crash, repeat the test except with your computer offline.  You can sign into Steam and the EA App and put them in offline mode, then disable wifi and/or disconnect the ethernet cable before pressing Play.

If this helps, selectively reenable services until you find the problem, and you'll know what to leave disabled or uninstall or update.