Sims 4 download - Visual C error

@aliciabuche  Please uninstall your current versions of the 2015 and newer VC++ runtimes, 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 download Sims 4.

If that doesn't help, do the same with the 2013 runtimes:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784

And then the 2010 runtimes if necessary:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26999

Here again, you need both x86 and x64 but not the ARM or IA versions.  And to be clear, uninstalling and reinstalling is more thorough than repairing, as you've already done.

If one of these helps, please let me know which one; I'd like confirmation that this exact error points to a specific runtime rather than telling people to try reinstalling all of them.

Hi @puzzlezaddict 

Thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately it didn't work.

As you said I started with 2015 - 2022. uninstalling and then making new install with *64 and *86.

then with 2013 and 2010 version.

After all that I also tried with 2012 and the following link : https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=30679

but still nothing... (I made a restart after each new install).

Do you think it has to be done in a specific order ? 

I can try to uninstall all of them before starting the new install in chronological order ? 

@aliciabuche  There's no need to install the VC++ runtimes in any particular order, or to uninstall all of them before reinstalling.  They're all independent of each other, aside from the 2015 and newer versions, where the newest ones cover everything released from 2015 onward.

Instead, please run 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.

Then try again to download Sims 4, and if it doesn't work, let me know whether you get the same error or something different.  Among other things, sfc should repair some resources that interact with the VC++ runtimes and which may be the actual issue here.

Hi @puzzlezaddict ,

I followed the steps you gave.

I could reach the 100% without error for the system restorehealth.

Here is the message I received for the scannow :

"There is a system repair pending wich requires reboot to complete. Restart Windows and run sfc again".

So I did as told and executed a second time after the restart. Here is the message :

"Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

I have no more windows update and I get the same error message when trying to install the sims.

I enclosed all print screens if it can help.

@aliciabuche  Try uninstalling the EA App with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine).  Restart your computer, reinstall the App, close it, and open it again as an admin: right-click the desktop shortcut and select "Run as administrator."

Since this computer is new, I'm wondering whether it might be simpler for you to do a clean install of Windows.  That depends on how much other data you've installed or created, of course—it's probably not worth the trouble if you've been using it for several weeks.  And I'm not saying you need to, at least not at this point.  But in terms of overall time spent troubleshooting this problem, a clean install plus redownloading a few apps may be faster than trying to solve an issue that's already failed to respond to the usual interventions.

This is entirely your choice, and I'll try to keep helping whether you want to reinstall Windows or not.  Let me know what you decide.

HI again @puzzlezaddict ,

Thanks for trying to help me it's very kind.

I tried to uninstall the EA app and download it again + execute as an administrator.

Still the same error message.

Could it be because there is an add-on to install ? It's written that they want to add "The Sims 4 get to work" I don't care about this add-on, would it be possible to by pass it ?

for windows I think it will be complicated to make a new install. This computer belongs to my company and the process takes something like 4/5 hours and can't be done alone.

Can it be link to windows ? 

I also tried on my previous computer 3 months ago and I got the same message. 

Hi @puzzlezaddict ,

Thanks a lot for your help, you're a real hero :D

So I could finally download and install the game !!

Here are the steps and the error I faced so it might help other people later :

- nothing worked with the EA app so as you said I tried to use steam

- steam website wasn't accessible(c'ant reach error)>> I tried several things and one of them was to add it to my trusted sites list. It worked once and I could download the file. I don't know why but after it wen't back to the can't open error.

- I got the exe file but I couldn't install it. I received the "Steam Needs To Be Online To Update" message. I tried all steps on the following link but it was a failure : https://thegeekpage.com/steam-needs-to-be-online-to-update-error/

- Finally I tried to disconnect from my VPN and it worked

Then It launched the EA app and i Could proceed to the sims install on it.

So now I'm finally able to launch and play the sims.

Thanks again for all the time you took to help me 🙂

I have been trying to download my sims 4 with add Ons and it just keeps saying download error I did the three steps and still nothing please can some help me or tell me what to do that works my laptop is brand new I have no downloads and my laptop is a gaming laptop. help me please!

@nicnac9600  Please post a screenshot of the error.