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Elzi-xo's avatar
Elzi-xo
Not applicable
2 years ago
Solved

Sims 4 won't lauch

Hello,  For the past few months I've been having difficulties with Sims 4 making it impossible to play!  I've tried everything that I can see on these forums.. i.e. taking the mod folders out and p...
pc
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    2 years ago

    @Elzi-xo  If playing in windowed mode works in the new account, that's probably the best course of action here.  You can also try "windowed fullscreen" (i.e. Borderless) if you want the look of fullscreen mode; if the game won't open again, there's a windowedfullscreen setting in Options.ini you can set to 0 to disable it again.

    To transfer your saves and other user data, go back to your main account and drop the files, or the folder they're in, into C:\Users\Public.  This is accessible from any account.  While in the new account, grab the individual files and move them into the corresponding folders within Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4.

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

@Elzi-xo  Thanks for the dxdiag, which does help and would have been my first request.  It shows that your laptop's graphics driver is three years old, and that may be the reason you can't play now.  Lenovo doesn't offer a newer driver for your laptop, but Intel does:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/196603/intel-core-i51035g1-processor-6m-cache-up-to-3-60-ghz/downloads.html

You'll want the driver dated February 1.  Run the installer as an admin: right-click the download and select "Run as administrator."  If you see the option to clean-install the new driver, choose that; I don't know whether Intel offers the option or not.  Restart the computer after installing and before trying to play.

As a side note, removing the Mods folder and putting it back doesn't accomplish anything.  The reason to remove mods before an update is not to prevent the mods from being altered or damaged, it's because the update itself may render mods broken or obsolete.  So the idea is to remove the mods and not put them back at all, test the game to make sure it works, and then test the mods to see whether they're still compatible.

xokimixo's avatar
xokimixo
Not applicable
2 years ago

Hi,

I have a similiar issue, I can start The Sims but I can't load my saved game - sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't.

I installed the intel as you said, I tried moving the TS4 folder on the deskop, then it runs but it feels like there's something wrong with the save. The mods aren't the issue either.

Could you please help? dxdiag attached. I love playing it and I invested quite a lot of money to it... the issues are since the update before last... ☹️

Thank you very much!

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @xokimixo  First of all, it's never a good idea to install a driver suggested for someone else.  You were lucky here in that the driver is also compatible with your processor and graphics chip, but that easily could have not been the case, and you could have ended up with a driver that's technically compatible but not the right choice for your machine.  If you're not sure, it's always best to ask for advice for your own system; the info in your dxdiag would make it clear which driver(s) you needed.

    Your dxdiag shows a few generic Windows errors, so 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.

    The EA App also crashed a couple of times, so please uninstall it with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine), and restart your computer before reinstalling.

    For Sims 4 itself, how does the game run immediately after you restart your computer, with nothing else open except the EA App?  Please test with the App in offline mode as well.  You won't be able to use the Gallery, but this is a helpful way to reduce the App's resource use.  And test with no mods or custom content present at all, at least for now.

    Finally, please let me know how the game runs, not just that "it feels like there's something wrong" but exactly what it's doing that isn't normal.

    • xokimixo's avatar
      xokimixo
      Not applicable
      2 years ago

      Hi,

      thank you for your reply. I was willing to try anything so that's why I tried it...

      I have an issue with step 3, it says what is in the attachment. When I tried to find it in the folders and I don't have the folder Online there.

      And for clarification - I can load the first screen where I can choose which game to play, once I click on the save it starts loading with the usual blue screen with the green diamond, but that's where it stays, just loading. I can't even start a new game as it's white screen only. Once I moved the TS4 folder to the deskop, It loads and I can easily start a new game. Once I put just the save to the folder, it's the same issue as before, that's why I think there's something wrong with the save, not sure why though or how to fix it. The only solution is to probaby to save the family and delete this save and start the family anew, right?

      Thank you!

      • puzzlezaddict's avatar
        puzzlezaddict
        Hero+
        2 years ago

        @xokimixo  You left out the spaces in the DISM command.  Please copy and paste what I wrote.

        For the save, can you load a different household instead?  If so, can you play them forward for a bit, then switch back to your main household?  Can you move your main household to a different lot and play them there?  The problem could be their main lot, or one of the sims, or something stuck that would resolve if you played other sims for a sim-day or so; the point is to test and find out which is the case.

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