Got to the main menu by switching to a backup copy folder! Everything looks to be intact! Thanks again @puzzlezaddict , I hope it can be that simple haha
@jaspershorns The Sims 4 crashes in your dxdiag reference a component of the 2015 and newer VC++ runtimes, which the game uses. So please uninstall your current versions, if you have them, and install fresh copies. Hit Windows key-i, select Apps, scroll down to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables, click on any version from 2015 or later, and select Uninstall. Don't touch the older versions. You can download the newest runtimes directly from Microsoft:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170
You'll need both the x86 and x64 versions of the 2015-2022 runtimes, but you can skip the ARM version, which is for a different class of device. Restart your computer after installing and before trying to play.
I would also suggest running a virus scan, as your dxdiag lists a few crashes from something that looks like free software run amok. I'm not saying you definitely have a virus, only that it's worth checking. Download Malwarebytes (the free trial is fine) from here:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download
Open it, look for the Custom Scan option (it keeps moving around), click Configure Scan or similar, check all the boxes both for all scan types and for your C drive, and let it do its job. This could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of data and whether the scan finds anything., so you may want to set it to run while you're doing something else. Please attach its report so I can take a look.
Redownloaded VC++ 2015-22 and restarted as instructed. Still crashing.
Initial (not custom) scan found and quarantined a few PUPs. Custom scan with C: included came back totally clean. First scan attached.
@jaspershorns The initial scan isn't as thorough as the custom one, but it can of course find some problems, and maybe all of them in your case. The fact that the custom scan came back clean is great.
Please try playing Sims 4 in a new admin Windows account. Make it local, as in, don't link it to your Microsoft account; you'll need to set up some security questions instead. You'll be able to (try to) launch the game without reinstalling anything, but your saves and other user data will of course not be available, which is fine for the purpose of this test.
If the game still crashes in the new account, please post a new dxdiag.
Game seems to work fine in new admin account.
