How to Fix Sims 4 Won’t Open Issue [Latest 2021]

Life simulation games are quite popular among millennials around the world. When talking about such games, we cannot miss Sims 4. It gives you a chance to unshackle your imagination and create a unique Sim world.  You can make your Sims do various things, form relationships with others, and the game allows you to experience emotions like humor through your own world of Sims. It is among the most loved and stable games in its category. However, due to certain issues, Sims 4 won’t open for some users.

If Sims 4 is not opening for you, then do not worry, as this post shares some easy and quick workarounds to get rid of this issue. But before we move to the solutions, it is crucial to understand why this problem occurred in the first place. A clear diagnosis of causes helps to solve the problem better.

Why won’t the Sims 4 Open

Below are the top reasons why Sims 4 is not opening on your computer.

• Out of date and corrupt Origin files.
• Conflicts with antivirus.
• Your computer does not meet the system requirements of Sims 4.
• Outdated graphics card driver.

Above was the answer to one of the most frequently asked questions, i.e., “Why is my Sims 4 not opening?” Now, after knowing the causes of the issue, let us discuss how to fix it.

What to do if the Sims 4 won’t Open

If Sims 4 is not responding on your computer, you can employ the below solutions to fix the problem.

Fix 1: Ensure your Computer Meets the Game Requirements

If there exists a conflict between the system requirements of the game and the specifications of your computer, then certainly the Sims 4 won’t open. Thus, make sure your device matches the below specs.

System Requirements of Sims 4 (Windows)

OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (64 Bit)

CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent

RAM: Not less than 4 GB

Hard Drive Space: Minimum 15 GB

Video: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better

DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0, 10, 11

System Requirements of Sims 4 (Mac)

OS: macOS X10.11

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Processor or better

RAM: Minimum 4 GB

Hard Drive Space: At least 15 GB

Video: NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro or better. Video RAM of 256MB or better

If your computer matches the above specifications, still the game is not launching, then jump to the below fix.

Fix 2: Repair Sims 4

A damaged installation is also among one of the prominent causes of Sims 4 not opening or crashing. Therefore, you need to repair the game to fix this issue. We share the steps to do it on both Windows and Mac platforms.

• Launch Origin. 
• Navigate to the Game Library. 
• Locate Sims 4 and right-click on it.
• Choose Repair from the popup menu.
  

Fix 3: Give your Registry a Cleanup

In some cases, a hogged-up registry can also result in gaming issues. Thus, it becomes essential to remove the old and unneeded registry entries. In the case of Windows 10 computers, you can use the best registry cleaners to get the job done.

Fix 4: Clean Boot the Computer

Certain software issues can lead to problems like Sim 4 not opening. Therefore, you may need to perform a clean boot to solve the issue. Below is how to do it on both Windows and Mac.

Steps to Clean Boot Windows

Below is how you can clean boot your computer if Windows 10 won’t open Sims 4.

• Use the keyboard shortcut Windows+R to initiate the Run box.
• In the box that you get, type msconfig and click on OK.
  
• Navigate to the Services tab, click on Hide all Microsoft Services, and choose Disable All. 
• Go to the Startup tab and Open Task Manager.
  
• Select and disable each startup item one by one.
• Exit the Task Manager, click on OK, and reboot the PC.

Steps to clean boot Mac

You can follow these steps to clean boot Mac if Sims 4 won’t open on it.

• Go to System Preferences and then select Users & Groups.
• Click the lock to make changes and if you are prompted, enter the account password.

  

• Select Login Options and turn off the Automatic Login.
  
• Shut down your Mac.
• Turn on the device.
• Press Option, Command, P, and R keys in unison.
• Input your login password, hold the Shift key, and hit Enter. 

Fix 5: Remove the Origin Cache Files

Old, corrupted, and unuseful Origin cache files cause gaming issues like Sims 4 not working on Origin. That’s why you need to delete the unnecessary cache from Origin by following these steps.

Steps to delete Origin cache on Windows

• Press the Windows and E key on your keyboard to activate the File Explorer.
• Navigate to the View tab and choose Hidden items.
  
• Follow the path C:\ProgramData\Origin and remove all the files and directories apart from LocalContent. 
• Now, go along the path C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local directory, find the Origin folder, and delete all its files.
• Navigate to C:\Users \<username> \AppData\Roaming, find Origin, and remove all its files and directories.

Steps to delete Origin cache on Mac

• Launch the Finder app.
• Double click on the Macintosh HD tab.
  
• Launch the Library folder and follow the Application Support > Origin path.
• Send the folder named DownloadCache to Trash.
• Empty the Trash folder.

Fix 6: Resolve the Conflicts with the Antivirus

Some antivirus programs interfere with the working of the game. Therefore, you should check and whitelist the game if it is blacklisted. If this does not solve the problem, then switch to another top antivirus. Many good computer security programs even come with a dedicated gaming mode to make sure the antivirus does not affect the games.

Fix 7: Update the Graphics Card Driver on Windows PC

All Windows computers need a software called the driver to communicate with peripherals like your video card. If there is no driver installed or the driver you have is outdated, then the computer cannot implement your instructions the way you want. Therefore, it is highly advisable to keep the drivers up to date. Below we share both manual and automatic ways to perform a driver update.

Manual way to update the graphics driver

Tech experts do not suggest the manual method as it takes a lot of time and may not always be successful. However, if you want to give it a try, then follow these steps.

• Use the combination of Windows and X keys to initiate the Quick Access menu.
• Select Device Manager from the menu you get on the screen.
• Now, click on the Display adapters category to make its contents visible.
• Right-click on your graphics card and select the Update driver option from the given menu.
• Give Windows your consent to Search automatically for updated driver software. 
• Wait for a few couples of hours till the updated driver is found, downloaded, and installed.
• After the process is completed, reboot your computer.

Automatic way to update the graphics driver (Recommended)

Instead of following the lengthy and not-so-successful manual process to update the graphics driver, you can perform the task intelligently with Bit Driver Updater. It is software that updates all the outdated drivers instantly with just a click without requiring any tiring effort from you. We have reviewed the software in detail. You can read the review to learn more about it. Below we share how to use it for updating the graphics card driver.

• Click on the Download Now button to get the software installation file downloaded.
  
• Click on the software setup that you downloaded in the above step and install Bit Driver Updater.
• After installing the software, wait for a few seconds till it scans your PC.
• Lastly, click on the Update Now button adjacent to the graphics driver to install its updated version.

If you wish, you can update all the problematic drivers on your computer and get rid of other issues by choosing the option to Update All drivers.

Fix 8: Disable Origin In-Game

Many users reported that disabling Origin In-Game fixed the problem for them. You can also try this hack if Sims 4 is not opening on your computer. Follow these steps to do it.

• Launch Origin. 
• Open the Application Settings and turn off the Origin In-Game toggle.

  

Fix 9: Update your operating system

An outdated computer is often buggy and unsupportive of many games. Out-of-date operating systems can be one of the reasons why Sims 4 is not opening on your computer. Below is how to update the OS and fix this issue.

Steps to update Windows

Follow these steps to update your Windows OS.

• Use the Windows+I command to launch Settings.
• Choose the Update & Security option.
  
• Select the Check for updates tab.
  
• Download and install the update that Windows suggests for your OS.
• After the above steps are complete, restart the PC.

Steps to update macOS

If you use Mac and Sims 4 won’t open on it, then follow these steps to update your OS.

• Go to the Apple menu and select Software Update. 
• Click on Update Now to install the available update. While doing this, you may be prompted to input your admin password.
• Restart your Mac after completing the process.

Fix 10: Update Sims 4

Updating the game fixes the common problems that you may be experiencing. Therefore, it is also one of the hacks you can try to fix the launching issues with Sims 4. Below is how to update Sims 4.

• Activate Origin. 
• Select My Game Library.
• Right-click on Sims 4.
• Select Update Game from the given options.
  

Fix 11: Try Resetting the Game

Corrupt or faulty game files are also among the factors causing the issues why Sims 4 won’t open on your computer. Resetting the game can fix the problem. However, ensure to create a backup of the game before proceeding further, otherwise, you will lose the game houses. After creating the backup, follow these steps to reset the game.

Steps to reset Sims 4 on Windows

Follow the below steps to reset the game on your Windows computer.

• Click on This PC on your desktop and select Documents. 
• Go to Electronic Arts.
  
• Locate and right-click on the Sims 4 folder.
• Choose Delete from the available options.

  

• Remove the Sims 4 folder from the Recycle Bin.
• Lastly, boot your PC again.

Steps to reset Sims 4 on Mac

You can follow these steps to reset the game on Mac.

• Click on the Finder icon to open the Finder app.
• Launch the Documents folder.
• Activate the Electronic Arts folder.
• Click on the Sims 4 folder.
  
• Hit Command/Apple and Delete.
• Confirm your intention to delete the Sims 4 folder.
• Clear the Trash and reboot your Mac.

Fix 12: Reinstall Sims 4

If the above hacks did not work for you, then the next way to fix the Sims 4 issues is to reinstall it. Below is how you can do it.

• Launch Origin. 
• Go to My Game Library. 
• Right-click on Sims 4. 
• Select Uninstall from the list of alternatives.
• After completing the uninstallation, log in to Origin.
• Navigate to the Game Library. 
• Select Sims 4. 
• Click on the Download option to get the game.

Sims 4 Won’t Open Issue Fixed Successfully on Windows and Mac

Through this article, we helped both Windows and Mac users fix the Sims 4 not opening problem. Now you can create sims, control them, and live the life of your dreams through them. Before you begin your gaming session, be sure to subscribe to this blog, so you do not miss out on any of our posts.