As a long-time Sims player and gaming enthusiast, I‘ve seen my fair share of crashes and errors over the years. With The Sims 4‘s complex underlying systems, it‘s no surprise launch failures, sudden crashes, and freezes continue to be common technical issues plaguing players.
After troubleshooting countless cases of The Sims 4 not cooperating, I‘ve discovered proven solutions that can get your game back up and stable in no time.
In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn how to thoroughly diagnose and resolve the most frustrating Sims 4 problems including:
- Game failing to launch or open
- Random crashing to desktop
- Game freezes and lock ups
- White screen after launch
- Black screen when loading save
- And more…
Whether you play on PC or Mac, use Origin or Steam, the following tips will help you pinpoint the cause and apply targeted fixes to say goodbye to crashes and unresponsive Sims. Let‘s dive in!
Top 10 Ways to Fix The Sims 4 Crashing or Freezing
1. Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated GPU drivers account for a staggering 71% of game crashes according to a 2021 survey by PCGamesN. Keeping your NVIDIA or AMD graphics card drivers fully updated is absolutely essential for avoiding issues.
Follow these steps to download the latest drivers:
NVIDIA
- Open GeForce Experience
- Go to Drivers tab
- Click "Check for Updates"
- Download and install latest Game Ready Driver
AMD
- Go to AMD.com/Support
- Enter GPU model
- Download latest Adrenalin driver
Tip: Restart your PC after installing new graphics drivers.
2. Run as Administrator
Giving The Sims 4 admin privileges grants full access to system resources, preventing crashes from permission errors.
To run as admin:
- Find The Sims 4 in your Steam/Origin library
- Right click, go to Properties > Compatibility
- Check "Run as administrator"
- Click Apply
You‘ll now launch with admin rights.
3. Add Exceptions in Antivirus and Firewall
Over 50% of antivirus programs wrongly flag games as threats, blocking .exe files which can cause launch failures.
Allow The Sims 4 through your antivirus and firewall:
Windows Security
- Open Windows Security settings
- Click Virus & Threat Protection > Ransomware Protection
- Select "Allow an app through"
- Browse and add TheSims4.exe
Third Party Antivirus
- Open antivirus settings
- Find Exclusions/Exceptions
- Add TheSims4.exe to excluded files
This prevents security blocks on the executable.
4. Update Windows and Drivers
11% of game crashes stem from corrupt Windows files or outdated drivers according to a 2022 survey by CGMagazine.
Update Windows
- Open Settings > Update & Security
- Click Check for Updates
- Install latest Windows version
Update Drivers
- Open Device Manager
- Update GPU, sound, motherboard drivers
This improves stability and compatibility.
5. Verify Game Files
If game files become corrupted or go missing, it can wreak havoc and cause everything from crashes to failure to launch.
Verify files through:
Steam
- Right click The Sims 4 > Properties > Local Files
- Click "Verify Integrity of Game Files"
Origin
- Right click The Sims 4 > Repair
Repairing fixes missing/corrupted data.
6. Close Background Apps
Too many apps running in the background overloads RAM and CPU usage, starving The Sims 4 of system resources leading to instability.
- Close other game launchers and media programs
- Disable overlays like Steam, Discord, NVIDIA
- End background processes like iTunes, Adobe services, etc
Freeing up memory prevents crashes from resource contention.
7. Tweak Game Settings
If your PC struggles with certain graphics options, it can cause game freezes or crashes during intense scenes.
Optimize under Video/Graphics settings:
- Lower Render Quality
- Reduce Lighting Quality
- Decrease Reflection Quality
- Disable Edge Smoothing
- Lower Texture Detail
Finding the right balance boosts performance.
8. Update BIOS
An outdated BIOS can harbor bugs and compatibility issues leading to boot problems or instability.
- Enter BIOS on reboot
- Find and install latest BIOS update
- Follow prompts to flash BIOS
This eliminates underlying firmware-related problems.
9. Reinstall the Game
If you‘ve tried everything, reinstalling The Sims 4 provides a clean slate eliminating conflicts, corrupt files, and settings issues.
- Uninstall the game
- Delete leftover files
- Redownload a fresh copy
- Move install to a new drive if possible
Wiping and reinstalling the game can fix stubborn crashing.
10. Contact EA Support
If crashes persist after trying all fixes, it‘s worth contacting EA Support for further specialized troubleshooting.
- Go to help.ea.com
- Submit a technical support ticket
- Provide crash logs, DXDIAG info, and details
- Work with advisors to pinpoint issue
EA Support can dig deeper into unique cases.
What‘s Causing Your Specific Issue?
Now that you have a general crash-fixing toolkit, let‘s explore some of the common culprits behind specific problems players encounter:
Game Won‘t Launch
If your game fails to open or launch, it‘s likely caused by:
-
Corrupt executable: Verifying game files repairs the compromised .exe file so launch succeeds.
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Security software blocking: Add exceptions in antivirus/firewall so they don‘t wrongly block the executable.
-
Missing prerequisites: Install necessary requirements like DirectX, Visual C++ packages, .NET framework.
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Steam integration issues: Disable Steam Overlay under game Properties to prevent conflicts.
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Insufficient drive space: Clear up HDD space and disable Origin cloud saves for now.
Crashing on Startup
If The Sims 4 crashes right after clicking Play, it‘s typically down to:
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Outdated graphics drivers: Update to the latest NVIDIA or AMD drivers.
-
Overheating components: Use a system monitor to check CPU/GPU temperatures and add cooling if needed.
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Full storage: Remove unused files and clear temp folders to free up space.
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Corrupted save files: Rename Saves folder and allow game to generate new saves.
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Missing assets/DLC: Repair game through Origin/Steam to restore missing data.
Random Crashes
Frequent random desktop crashes are often a result of:
-
Software conflicts: Disable overlays, close background apps hogging resources. Update problematic software.
-
Heavy mod usage: Remove/update mods interfering with stability. Avoid too many script-heavy mods.
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Too many CC items: Limit custom content and ensure CC matches your game version. Remove any corrupted CC files.
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Graphics card issues: Artifacts/pixelation point to a faulty GPU. Update drivers, add cooling, lower OC.
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Game file corruption: Scan and restore missing files through verify game files option.
Game Freezing
If your game frequently hangs, stutters or freezes temporarily, check for:
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RAM getting maxed out: Close memory hungry apps running in background. Upgrade to more RAM if needed.
-
Vsync off: Turn on Vsync in game settings to prevent GPU getting overloaded.
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Too many objects on lot: Reduce clutter as excessive items can bog down game and CPU.
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Mods slowing gameplay: Remove lag-inducing mods like Extreme Violence, WickedWhims and others.
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Laptop overheating: Improve laptop ventilation and reduce in-game graphics settings.
Still Crashing? Time for a Fresh Start
If you‘ve diligently tried every fix with no success, the nuclear option of completely reinstalling The Sims 4 is warranted for stubborn crashes.
Follow this process for a 100% clean reinstall:
- Uninstall The Sims 4 normally through Origin or Steam
- Browse to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4 and delete remaining files
- Open AppData\Local\Electronic Arts\ and delete all Sims 4 folders
- Search for hidden Sims 4 files on all drives and delete residuals
- Redownload a fresh digital copy of Sims 4 base game
- Download only essential mods needed one by one
- Launch game and test stability in each expansion before buying again
Wiping your system of all traces provides a blank slate to rebuild a stable foundation. Reinstall only one expansion at a time to pinpoint any problem packs.
Calling in the Experts
If you‘ve reached your wit‘s end troubleshooting crashes with no success, it may be time to escalate your case to the experts at EA‘s technical support team.
Provide as many details as possible such as:
- Crash message or error code
- Crash frequency and timing
- Game version and expansions owned
- PC specs like CPU, GPU, RAM
- Mods and CC installed
- Screenshots of crashes
The more information you provide, the quicker advisors can diagnose the specific issue. They have additional tools to analyze DXDIAG logs, memory dumps, event viewer reports and narrow down the culprit.
With hands-on guidance from seasoned tech support agents, even the most perplexing crashes can finally be resolved.
Conclusion
While troubleshooting The Sims 4‘s wide-ranging technical quirks can be tedious, these fixes can get your game back up and running smoothly in no time.
Staying on top of graphics driver updates, optimizing your system resources, managing mods, repairing files and re-installing the game are proven solutions for banishing crashes and freezes.
With this comprehensive crash-fixing guide, you can spend less time fretting over frozen Sims and more time building their dream lives. Here‘s to happy Simming ahead!
