The safest way to stop The Sims 4 from crashing is to test the cause in stages: back up your Sims 4 folder, remove Mods and Custom Content, delete localthumbcache.package, repair or verify the installation, test a new save, then investigate graphics drivers, overlays, and Windows if necessary. Do not start by deleting the entire game or user folder.
- Restart Windows and update the game, Windows, and your official graphics driver.
- Move the
Modsfolder out ofDocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4and deletelocalthumbcache.package. - Repair the game in the EA app or verify its files in Steam.
- Test a new save before changing or overwriting your existing save.
- Cap the frame rate, enable V-Sync, and disable overlays.
- Back up and reset the Sims 4 user folder if crashes continue.
First, identify when The Sims 4 crashes
The timing of the failure determines which fix is most useful. Record what happens before changing anything:
| Symptom | First test | Likely area |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes immediately after a patch | Remove Mods and Custom Content; delete localthumbcache.package |
Outdated or incompatible Mod/CC |
| Crashes before the main menu | Clear the EA app cache, repair files, and test a clean user folder | Launcher, installation, settings, or user files |
| Only one save crashes | Try a new save and an older version of the affected save | Save, household, lot, Gallery download, or Mod state |
| Crashes entering or leaving Create-a-Sim | Test without CC and lower graphics settings | CC, script Mods, driver, or graphics settings |
| Crashes after several minutes | Cap FPS, enable V-Sync, check temperatures, and disable overlays | Heat, driver, memory pressure, or background software |
| Black screen or display-driver reset | Update or roll back the official GPU driver and disable overlays | GPU driver, DirectX, or overlay |
| The whole PC restarts, shuts down, or blue-screens | Investigate Windows, temperatures, power, and hardware | System-level problem rather than a normal game crash |
A crash to desktop, a frozen window, a black screen, and a complete system restart are different failures. Treating all of them as a damaged Sims 4 installation can lead to unnecessary file deletion.
Check requirements and free space
EA lists 64-bit Windows 10, an Intel Core i3-3220 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor, 4 GB of RAM, DirectX 11-compatible graphics, and 25 GB of free drive space as minimum PC requirements. EA recommends 8 GB of RAM and 50 GB of free space, plus at least 1 GB for Custom Content and saves. See the official Sims 4 system requirements.
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Minimum requirements describe baseline compatibility, not guaranteed stability with many packs, large saves, high-resolution CC, high graphics settings, or several background applications.
- Windows version: Settings > System > About.
- CPU and RAM: Task Manager > Performance.
- GPU: Task Manager > Performance > GPU, or press
Win + R, typedxdiag, and press Enter. - Free space: open File Explorer > This PC.
Remove Mods and Custom Content safely
Mods and CC are particularly important suspects after a game update. EA disables Mods after updates because previously compatible files may no longer work. An incompatible Mod can prevent the game from starting, stop a save loading, or cause less obvious gameplay crashes. Read EA’s Mods and game updates guidance.
- Close The Sims 4 and the EA app or Steam.
- Open
DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4. - Move the entire
Modsfolder to your desktop. - Delete
localthumbcache.packagefrom the Sims 4 folder. - Start the game and test a new save or a copy of the affected save.
Do not save over a Mod-dependent save while Mods or CC are disabled. The game may remove or alter content that the save expects.
If the unmodded game is stable, check each creator’s site for a version compatible with your current patch. Replace old files rather than restoring the whole folder. Add content back in batches, starting with script and gameplay Mods before cosmetic CC. Use the 50/50 method: restore half the files, test, and keep narrowing the failing group. Also check for duplicate files, old versions, and files hidden in nested folders. A Mod manager or conflict detector cannot prove that content is compatible or safe.
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Re-enable content only after the unmodded game works, using Game Options > Other > Enable Custom Content and Mods.
Repair or verify the game installation
EA app
- Open the EA app and select Library.
- Find The Sims 4.
- Select the Manage icon.
- Choose Repair and wait for it to finish.
EA’s crashing and freezing guidance recommends repairing game files as a standard PC step.
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Steam
- Open Steam and right-click The Sims 4 in your Library.
- Select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files.
Repairing or verifying replaces damaged installation files. It does not update third-party Mods, repair a save, fix a graphics driver, or remove an overlay.
Clear the EA app cache
Cache clearing is most useful when the EA app will not launch, update, download, show your library, or enter offline mode. It is not a universal solution for a game that crashes during gameplay.
In the EA app, open the menu in the far-left corner and select Help > App recovery > Clear cache. If the app will not open on Windows 10 or 11, open Start > All Apps, expand the EA folder, choose App Recovery, and select Clear Cache. EA’s current steps are documented in its cache-clearing guide.
Reset the Sims 4 user folder
A clean user-folder test is safer and more informative than immediately reinstalling the game. It separates the installed game from saves, Mods, settings, thumbnails, and downloaded content.
Back up before resetting
- Close The Sims 4 and the EA app or Steam.
- Open
DocumentsElectronic Arts. - Copy
The Sims 4to the desktop or another safe location. - Rename the original folder to something such as
The Sims 4 - backup. - Restart Windows and launch the game.
The game will create a fresh Sims 4 folder without your old saves or Mods. Test a new game before restoring anything. EA explains this process in its backup and reset guide.
If the clean folder works, the problem is probably in the old user data. Restore selectively:
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savesTrayScreenshots- Mods and CC last, in tested batches
Do not copy the entire backup back at once, or the test loses its diagnostic value. Never delete the old folder until you have confirmed that your saves and Tray content are safe.
When only one save crashes
If a new save works but one existing save crashes, the installation and basic graphics stack are less likely to be responsible. Possible causes include a damaged save slot, corrupted household or lot, Gallery content, an outdated script Mod, or a save that became unstable after a patch.
- Use Save As to preserve the original before testing.
- Try another household and lot.
- Test the affected save with Mods and CC removed.
- Look for older files in
DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4saves. - If the save loads, immediately create a new copy instead of overwriting your only backup.
Reinstalling the game generally does not repair a damaged save because saves are stored separately from the installation.
Fix graphics, DirectX, and frame-rate crashes
Update Windows and install the official driver for your NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU. Use the manufacturer’s site or your PC maker’s support page rather than third-party driver-updater tools. Restart after installation. If the crash began immediately after a driver update, testing the previous stable driver can be reasonable; the newest driver is not automatically the best match for every system.
Temporarily remove overclocks and undervolts. Then lower the game’s:
- Resolution or resolution scale
- Object detail
- Lighting and visual effects
- View distance
- Reflections and other display-heavy settings
Enable Laptop Mode on a weak or thermally constrained laptop. Cap the frame rate and enable V-Sync, both of which EA recommends for crashing or freezing games. Try windowed or borderless mode if fullscreen causes failures. See EA’s PC graphics troubleshooting.
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Use DX9 only as a diagnostic
The current PC requirements specify DirectX 11 compatibility. EA forum troubleshooting material documents a temporary -dx9 launch argument for players who cannot reach the graphics options. The exact launch-option menu can vary by EA app version.
If the game launches under DX9 but crashes under DX11, investigate the GPU driver, Windows graphics components, overlays, and incompatible settings. This does not prove that DirectX itself is corrupted, and DX9 should be treated as a temporary fallback rather than a permanent fix. See the EA forum PC crashing guide for the documented fallback discussion.
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Close or temporarily disable overlays and monitoring tools, including:
- Discord, Xbox Game Bar, EA, Steam, NVIDIA, and AMD overlays
- MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner
- RGB, motherboard, and hardware-monitoring utilities
- Screen-capture software
- Third-party antivirus game modes
- Cloud-sync software writing to the Documents folder
Do not leave security software disabled. If a controlled exclusion test is necessary, follow the security vendor’s documented procedure and restore protection afterward. Cloud synchronization can sometimes complicate file access or save writes, but it is a possible failure mode rather than a universal cause.
Use a Windows clean boot
If simply closing programs does not identify the conflict:
- Open Start, type
msconfig, and open System Configuration. - Use the Services and Startup controls to disable non-Microsoft background services and startup programs.
- Restart Windows and test The Sims 4.
- Re-enable items in groups until the conflicting program is identified.
A clean boot affects other applications. Restore normal startup when testing is complete by returning the disabled services and startup items to their previous settings. See EA’s clean-boot instructions.
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Advanced Windows checks
Use these commands only when the crash evidence points to damaged Windows components, such as repeated d3d11.dll faults, Visual C++ errors, access violations, or other system-level failures. Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator, run each command, and restart afterward:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowThese commands do not repair every Sims 4 crash. For EA app installation or runtime problems, use official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables when EA’s troubleshooting instructions identify them as necessary; start with EA’s EA app error and launch guide.
If the computer blue-screens, restarts, shuts down, or shows display resets, check Windows Event Viewer, temperatures, power delivery, and hardware stability. That symptom should not be treated as an ordinary save or Mod problem.
Reinstall only after the earlier tests
Reinstalling is a later step, not the opening recommendation. Before doing it, back up DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4, remove Mods and CC from testing, repair or verify files, clear the EA app cache, check free space, and restart Windows.
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- Back up the Sims 4 user folder.
- Uninstall The Sims 4 through the platform where it was installed.
- Restart Windows.
- Reinstall from the EA app or Steam.
- Launch once with a clean user folder.
- Restore saves and Mods only after the clean installation is stable.
If you own the Steam version, the EA app may still be involved in account and launch functions. Reinstalling the game will not automatically repair a damaged save, incompatible Mod, overheating system, or defective GPU.
What to send EA if nothing works
Before contacting EA, collect:
- Windows version, CPU, RAM, and GPU
- Whether you use the EA app or Steam
- The game version shown on the main menu
- Exactly when the crash occurs
- Whether a new save works
- Whether Mods or CC are installed
- A DxDiag report
lastCrash.txtor other crash details if requested- The troubleshooting steps you already completed
This information helps separate a game-wide crash from a save, Mod, graphics, launcher, or Windows problem. Use EA’s technical-issues hub for current reporting and diagnostic instructions.
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