Unable to start Sims 4 Nov 2020
Every time I try to start the Sims 4 after the new patch update and downloading the new expansion, the game doesn't even open. I get a pop up box that says, "Unable to start: Initialization error at ...
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@34Mustang13 Please try the steps listed here:
https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2014/09/unable-to-start-initialization-error-at-startup/
So that worked, then my game wouldn’t move past CAS. Quit the game and tried to start it again aaaaand now I’m back to it not launching whatsoever with the same error message as before
@34Mustang13 Which step initially fixed the issue for you? Did you try the others as well?
I allowed Origin and Sims through the firewall. They’re allowed through my security already, and didn’t try uninstalling & reinstalling Origin. Sims has already been uninstalled & reinstalled & repaired numerous times
@34Mustang13 If you have a third-party antivirus, setting exceptions for the game and Origin may not be enough—some programs have additional features that don't respect the exceptions you've set. So please disable your antivirus entirely, just long enough to find out whether that's really the issue.
If that doesn't help, please move your entire Sims 4 folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop. When you launch the game, if it launches, a clean folder will spawn with no content. Don't add anything to that folder yet; just see whether you can get far enough to start a new save and play in live mode for a bit. And if you can, save your progress, quit, restart your computer, reload the game, and make sure it still works.
If you can't play in a clean folder, either before or after the restart, please run a dxdiag, upload it to a third-party filehosting site (pastebin.com works if you don't want to create an account just for this), and link it here. This site's virus scanner is currently not working, so all uploads are getting blocked.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/
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