The Sims 4: How To Fix Crashing Errors Like Game Freezes

Find out in The Sims 4 how to fix crashing errors like game freezes. If your game freezes every few seconds, at random or even at launch, we’ve got some tips and tricks for you to solve The Sims 4 problems!

METHOD #1: Turn on Automatic Updates for The Sims 4:
• Go to Origin’s “Application Settings” menu and set Automatic Updates to Enabled. From then on, The Sims 4 will automatically update (if a new patch is available) to the latest version of the game every time you open the Origin client. Which is easy, because you always have to sign into Origin before starting the game anyway.
– Important: Read about all the already fixed errors in The Sims 4 on our “The Sims 4 Patch Fixes Game Crashes & Bugs” page.

METHOD #2: Here’s how to fix crashing errors like The Sims 4 freezing issue and more yourself:

The Sims 4 Installation Issue:
Are you having issues installing the game from disc? Worry no longer, because your game disc comes with a Registration Code in the box/case. You’re allowed to input your Registration Code in Origin and download the game without needing the game disc. Handy!

– Step 1: In Origin, select “Redeem Product Code”.
– Step 2: Enter in the code found in your The Sims 4 box/case.
– Step 3: Click on The Sims 4 tile and select Download.
– Step 4: The game disc is only ever needed for installation, although you should always keep the disc and Registration Code in case you need it again in the future. But you won’t need it after the installation is complete to play the game, especially if you followed these steps and downloaded it off Origin instead.
– Note: Also make sure you are logged in as Window’s Administrator (the main user) to be able to install the game in the first place.

The Sims 4 Launch Freezing / Restart Issue:
Does the game keep freezing at launch or forces you to restart while playing? The Sims 4 can be played in windowed mode or full screen mode. Windowed mode performs better on some systems that are having launch issues.

– Step 1: Windowed mode can be activated from the in-game menu by going to the menu (the “…” in the top right of your screen while playing).
– Step 2: Once in the game menu, go to “Game Options”, and then go to “Graphics”.
– Step 3: In the “Graphics” section you should look at “Select Display Type” and set it to “Windowed”.
– Step 4: Resume playing. Your game should no longer play slowly / perform badly anymore.
– Alternatively, to stop the graphics from freaking out, you can also turn off “Post Processing Effects” in the same Graphics menu.

The Sims 4 Launch Graphics Issue:
Are you having game launch graphics issues? If your game is crashing at start-up or you are seeing a black or white screen and then you are unable to play, you may want to try starting the game in Windowed mode instead. You can do so by following these instructions:

– Step 1: In Origin, right click on the game tile and choose “Game Properties”.
– Step 2: Add -w to the “Command Line Argument” field.
– Step 3: Click on the “Apply” button to save your change.
– Step 4: Lastly, you can start the game. Problem solved!

The Sims 4 Old PC or Laptop Slow Loading Issue:
Are you encountering slow loading on an older computers or when playing on laptops? You might have issues running the game, or only being able to run is very slow. This is because older computers may have lower power graphics hardware. In these cases Laptop Mode will put the game into a reduced rendering mode designed to run the game more efficiently for better frame rate and battery life.

– Step 1: To turn on/off Laptop Mode, you must first click on the “…” icon in-game to get to the menu.
– Step 2: Click “Game Options”, and there check the option box for “Laptop Mode”.
– Step 3: Click on the “Apply” button to save your change.
– Step 4: Resume playing. Your game should no longer have slow loading times while playing. Yay!
– Alternative: Check if you have a lot of programs open in the background besides The Sims 4, closing the programs you don’t need will speed up The Sims 4 by a lot!

The Sims 4 Crashes To Desktop Issue:
Does the game keep giving your errors or kicking you out back to your computer desktop? Then your computer may not be fast enough to run The Sims 4. There is a very easy way to check if your computer is good enough to play The Sims 4.

– Go to the System Requirements Lab page. That page automatically checks your computer specs and tells you if you can run the game.
– Note that we’ve got “The Sims 4 System Requirements” list as well for you to compare to your computer to, if you do know what’s inside it.

The Sims 4 Missing DLL Error:
Are you one of The Sims 4 players unable to start and play the game and instead receive a DLL Error indicating that msvcp120.dll is missing?

– Step 1: If you’re unable to launch The Sims 4 and have been told you’re missing msvcp120.dll, try downloading and installing the appropriate Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013 from Microsoft’s Download Center.
– Step 2: Select your language and click the Download button, then choose either vcredist_x64.exe if you’re running a 64-bit version of Windows, or vcredist_x86.exe if you have a 32-bit Windows OS. And install that to make it work again.
– How To Find Out If You Have 32-bit or 64-bit: If you’re not sure what sort of operating system your version of Windows is, right-click on “Computer” or “My Computer” and select “Properties”. Under “System” you should be able to find 64- or 32-bit Operating System.
– Helpful Links: To find out how more about your system, learn how to find your MSInfo, where to read your DXDIAG, and check your network connection with UOTrace. These are all EA Help links to official pages.

I hope these tips and tricks helped (keep) you out of trouble.

Please check out our other “How To” guides to enjoy The Sims 4 more! 😀

Index of The Sims 4 Pages: