7 Ways You Can Fix The Sims 4 Not Launching on a Windows PC

Players widely report many Sims 4 startup issues on the EA and Steam support forums. Some Sims 4 players report seeing error messages that say, “Unable to start” or “The game failed to load.” However, in many other cases, Sims 4 can fail to start without throwing up any error message. Players cannot play Sims 4 regardless of how it crashes at launch. This is how you can fix The Sims 4 not launching on a Windows 11/10 PC.

Select to Repair/Verify the Sims 4 Game

Selecting to repair or verify The Sims 4 can fix startup issues caused by corrupted or missing game files. You can select an option for verifying/repairing The Sims 4 game files in the EA, Steam, or Epic Games client software with which you installed the game. These Epic Games and Steam help pages include instructions for verifying games with those gaming clients. This is how you can repair The Sims 4 with the EA desktop app.

1. Open your EA gaming client.
2. Select Library to see your games.
3. Click on Sims 4 to select it.
4. Press the Manage button for Sims 4 to select Repair.
   
   

   The Repair option for Sims 4

Apply New Compatibility Settings Your Gaming Client Software

Some players have fixed The Sims 4 not launching by setting new compatibility options for their gaming client software packages. To be more specific, that means setting the gaming client to run in compatibility mode with administrator rights. So, try applying new compatibility settings to your EA, Steam, or Epic client software as follows.

1. Right-click the Steam, EA app, or Epic Games shortcut on the Windows desktop area to select Properties.
2. Click Compatibility to access the settings on that tab.
3. Select Run this program in compatibility mode and select Windows 8 on the drop-down menu for that setting.
4. Next, click on Run this program as an administrator to add a checkmark to that option’s box.
   
   

   The Compatibility tab

5. Select Apply > OK to set your selected options.

Remove Sims 4 Mods

Corrupted mod files often cause Sims 4 startup issues to arise. Do you have lots of Sims 4 mods? If so, removing them could be the fix for Sims 4 not launching that you need. This is how you can remove Sims 4 mod files by cutting them from the game’s Mods folder.

1. Open File Explorer and the Mods folder at this directory path: This PC\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods.
2. Select all files inside the Mods directory by pressing Ctrl + A.
   
   

   The Mods folder

3. Right-click and select the Cut option.
4. Next, right-click somewhere on the desktop to select New and Folder.
   
   

   The New and Folder options

5. Name the new folder Mods 2.
6. Open the Mods 2 folder on the desktop.
7. Right-click inside the Mods 2 folder and select Paste. All your mod files will now be in the Mods 2 desktop folder.
   
   

   The Paste option

8. Try starting Sims 4 again.

If the game starts after removing the mods, one of those files was causing the issue. You can try restoring individual mods by cutting and pasting them back into the Sims 4 Mods folder if you wish.

An alternative way to apply this resolution is to drag and drop the Mods folder from The Sims 4 directory onto the Windows desktop. Sims 4 will automatically recreate a new Mods folder within its directory. You can then cut and paste mods from the folder on the desktop into the new Mods folder.

Clear the EA App Cache

Some players say they fixed Sims 4 not launching by clearing the EA app cache. You can do that by selecting the option for clearing the cache in the EA app like this.

1. Run your EA app.
2. Click the menu button at the top-left corner of the EA app.
3. Select Help on the menu.
4. Click the App recovery option.
   
   

   The App Recovery option

5. Select the Clear Cache option.
   
   

   The Clear Cache button

Create a Sims 4 Antivirus Exception

Antivirus interference can cause startup issues for many games, including Sims 4. So, preventing antivirus apps from flagging Sims 4 game files could be a possible solution for some players. Try adding the Sims 4 installation folder to Windows Security’s exclusion list as covered in this Microsoft Windows help page. Or add the game’s installation folder to your third-party antivirus app’s exceptions list.

The Add an exclusion button

Set Windows 11/10 to Clean Boot

Performing a clean boot will disable third-party startup apps and services on your PC. Some of those apps could conflict with The Sims 4. However, applying this potential resolution will at the very least free up system resources for the game. Follow the instructions on this Microsoft help webpage to clean boot your PC, and try playing Sims 4 again.

The Services tab in MSConfig

Reinstall the Game Client Software

Some players might need to fix issues with their game client software to kick-start Sims 4. One of the best ways to do that is to reinstall your EA, Steam, or Epic Games client software for launching Sims 4. You can uninstall those software packages via the Windows Programs and Features tool, as covered on this Microsoft support page.

Other Possible Ways to Fix The Sims 4 Not Launching

Although more widely confirmed methods, the potential resolutions certainly aren’t the only ways to fix Sims 4 not launching on a PC. These are some other possible ways to fix The Sims 4 not launching:

• Reinstall the Sims 4 game via the EA app, Steam, or Epic Games.
• Install the latest graphics driver available for your PC’s GPU.
• Select the high-performance GPU option for The Sims 4 via the Settings app.
• Select the EA app’s Repair option, which you can access by clicking the Uninstall option for that app in the Programs and Features applet.

So, try applying those potential resolutions to fix The Sims 4 not launching on a Windows PC. They will probably fix that game not starting in most cases. If you still can’t start Sims 4 after applying those fixes, consider contacting EA’s support service from the EA help site.