[INDEX] List of Common Errors
Find your error on this list to get quick help.
Overview
Below are lists of links to threads covering various common errors. The links are grouped by the software that's causing the error: the EA App, Windows, or Sims 4. Please read the first post or accepted solution of the relevant thread for help, or post in that thread if there is no fix or workaround or it doesn't work for you.
EA App errors
Windows errors
Sims 4 errors
Miscellaneous errors
Here are an EA App error on the left and a Windows error on the right:
Here are examples of Sims 4 errors:
You can also search this page (ctrl-F in Windows, cmd-F in macOS) for keywords. Any error that doesn't look like the above images is probably not Sims 4-related, but feel free to create a new thread in the PC tech forum or Mac tech forum to ask about it anyway.
EA App errors
- "Game ownership disabled or deleted"
- "You don't have access"
- "Something went wrong"
- "The app couldn't connect to the internet"
- "Game license is invalid"
- "The game license has expired"
- "Failed to launch game" (1)
- "DisplayName field missing from registry"
- "The Sims 4 is already running"
If you're seeing an EA App error not listed here, please create a new thread in the EA App tech forum. Attach a screenshot of the error to your post.
Windows errors
- "Initialization error at start up."
- "The Sims 4 is already running."
- "Cannot start because game data is missing or damaged."
- "The requested operation requires elevation."
- "There's a problem with your game's setup. Please reinstall your game."
- Any error that includes "Link2EA": Uninstall and reinstall the EA App.
- "Can't run The Sims 4 with the video card in this system": Post in the PC tech forum, attach a dxdiag to your post.
- "The game has run out of memory": Post in the PC tech forum, attach a dxdiag to your post.
- Any error that includes "breakpoint": Post in the PC tech forum, attach a dxdiag to your post.
- "The cloud file provider is not running": This is a OneDrive-related error. See the Managing OneDrive guide for info and help.
If you're seeing a Windows error not listed here, please create a new thread in the PC tech forum. Attach a dxdiag and a screenshot of the error to your post.
Sims 4 errors
- "Unrecognized Video Card": This error has no negative impact and can be ignored. (2)
- "Sims Delivery Error" with or without other symptoms when there is no current SDX content available. (3)
- "Sims Delivery Error" when there is an available SDX: Open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 and delete the Content folder. If that doesn't help, see this thread.
- "The game failed to load. Error code: 800/801"
- "The game failed to load. Error code: XXX:XXXXXXXX": Refer to this guide.
- "Game Data Incomplete": Some of your content isn't loading. Load a new save and look around. If you're missing EA content (DLC), refer to this guide. If you're missing mods or custom content, post in the Mods & CC forum.
- "Items Removed": See "Game Data Incomplete" above.
- "The game failed to Save.... Error code: X": Refer to this guide.
- If you want help with a LastException, follow the instructions in this guide.
- LastCrash files are mostly indecipherable to anyone outside of Maxis. You don't need to provide one unless you're specifically asked to do so.
Some game bugs that produce error codes are listed in this post in the Bug Reports forum.
If you're seeing a Sims 4 error not listed here, and it happens with no mods or custom content present, please create a new thread in the Gameplay Issues forum. Attach a screenshot of the error to your post. Mod-related errors belong in the Mods & CC forum.
Miscellaneous errors
- "Mods have been disabled" after you reenable them: See this thread for help.
- Any error that mentions a mod by name: Post in the Mods & CC forum for help.
- Any error coming from your console (Playstation/XBox): Post in the Console tech forum for help.
- Any error that refers to ReShade or GShade: Ask for support on the forum for that software.
(1) Even though this message comes from the EA App and states that the problem is on EA's end, it's a generic catch-all error that is usually caused by something on the player side.
(2) The Unrecognized Video Card error means your GPU's device ID is not in Sims 4's database, so the game has guessed what your graphics settings should be. It doesn't affect how the game runs otherwise, and you can change the default graphics settings if you want.
(3) EA typically announces a Sims Delivery update, so check wherever you get your Sims news. SDX content is included in the next update, so the previous SDX will no longer be provided for download on its own.
