Sims 4 - Unable to start Initialization error at startup

[soxfan9298]

Just an extra confirmation: If anyone is having the error code 1966.13:200, download HotSpot and enable its protection. Then you can download and update the game correctly. Just stop the protection and delete HotSpot afterwards. Then uninstall Origin and delete the folders named Origin in the directories C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming. After that, install Origin again and start up The Sims 4. Thank you all posters for your help! You are all a thousand times better than the EA Support! :P

[lunabug2008]

Same problem for me

[playerVShobbies]

Received this error after installing latest patch that was to fix demon babies.  Restart didn't fix.  Trying uninstall and reinstalling Origin and Sims4.

[LonestarProxy]

Alright guys, so far I've played around 17 hours of Sims 4 but I've 'redownloaded' the game 4 times. This is frankly very frustrating and I wonder what EA has to say about this?

So I've been following u guys instructions and this is what I've been doing each new download.

1) Uninstall Origins
2) Delete Sims 4 data from Origin Games folder in Program Files x86
3) Reinstall Origins on C Drive
4) Redownload Sims 4, install and play.... for 3-5 hours and then the error hits again and I have to repeat the process. This is a cycle of hatred and I need some help.

[LonestarProxy]

Someone's been talking about a clean boot, so I'm going to try that and see if I can get my game going for more than 3-5+ hours without having to go through the cycle. Will post results.

http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-4/Sims-4-crashes-just-after-launch/m-p/3439437#M6019

[neyomi96]

I get the same initialization error every time. I tried reinstalling Origin, a cleanboot, deleting all folders, clearing registry and installing Sims 4 again. Nothing works.

[JoshFinch]

I been having the same problem...

I rang EA Help up directly and they told me to follow this...

http://sims4.crinrict.com/en/2014/09/unable-to-start-initialization-error-at-startup/

Followed instruction, nothing worked.

Currently downloading via Origin and not using a disc in order to see if there is an error with the disc

[LonestarProxy]

Confirmed!

Basically just:
1) Uninstall Origins completely
2) Delete the data from Orgin Games folder in Program Files x86
3) Reinstall Origins
4) Reinstall Sims 4
5) Do a clean boot
6) Have your antivirus allow python33.dll to run/exist, might be why the game works fine until a time and then you antivirus decides to delete that. (Maybe mods can take a look at this point and see if it's true?)

Things that also might've helped:
1) Playing on laptop setting
2) Playing in windowed mode (with taskbar showing)

Game works wonderfully without problems!

[BamRex_Tasha]

I followed all those step and it's still not working. Not really sure what to do now. But this is very frustrating.

[paltoras]

I had the same issue, but found out that after installing the button still said install, so I did the following:

1. Go into regedit with admin rights and check the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Wow6432Node/Maxis/The Sims 4

In there I only had on string value with the name GDFBinary and the value: D:\Games\Origin\Games\The Sims 4\__Installer\GDFBinary_da_DK.dll

What I then did was add the following:

2. Add string value of "Install Dir" with the value of GDFBinary except \__Installer\GDFBinary_da_DK.dll

So the value will be: D:\Games\Origin\Games\The Sims 4

3. Add a new string value with the name "Locale" and put in the value of whatever the locale of your GDFBinary is. eg. Mine is da_DK, yours might be en_UK and so on. I put in the value da_DK

4. Now I am able to run the game!

So to recap I now have the following three string values:

GDFbinary with value: D:\Games\Origin\Games\The Sims 4\__Installer\GDFBinary_da_DK.dll

Install Dir with value: D:\Games\Origin\Games\The Sims 4

Locale with value: da_DK

Hope it works for you