Crash on Game Load screen

[yoblack]

Game keeps crashing on the game load.  Any advice on how to fix this?  I have repaired the game and its still crashing on the load screen. 

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@yoblack  Try loading a backup save in the new folder.  Use the manual method described here:

https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2014/09/recover-backup-save-game/

[puzzlezaddict]

@yoblack  Please move your entire Sims 4 folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop.  When you launch the game, a clean folder will spawn with no content.  Don't add anything to it yet; just see whether you can load a new save and play in live mode for a bit.  Let me know either way.

If that doesn't help, please run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

[yoblack]

I removed the folder and was able to save a new game and enter it without crashing.  So what does that mean? 

[puzzlezaddict]

@yoblack  That means that something in your old user folder is the issue.  The most likely culprit is a mod, so test those first; you can use the 50/50 method if you have a lot of them to sort through.

https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Finding_Problem_Custom_Content#The_50.25_Method

Once you've sorted through your mods and custom content, you can add back the contents of the saves and Tray folders.  Other than that and possibly your screenshots, you can discard the other files and folders, and the game will regenerate them as necessary.

[yoblack]

When I move my save over to the new folder the same crashing happens when I try to load it.   

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@yoblack  Try loading a backup save in the new folder.  Use the manual method described here:

https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2014/09/recover-backup-save-game/

[yoblack]

That worked, thanks.  Perhaps the save was bad or corrupted?  My Sim has 36 million in simoleans would hate to lose that. 

[puzzlezaddict]

@yoblack  It's possible something went wrong with only the newest version of the save, hopefully something that won't happen again.  It's still a good idea to preserve a copy of the backup save you restored though, and make newer backups periodically as well.  That way, if you run into the same issue in the future, you won't have to worry about losing everything.

[yoblack]

How do I make a backup?

[puzzlezaddict]

@yoblack  You right-click on a file, or the entire saves folder, and select Copy.  Then you right-click where you want the backup to go and select Paste.  Ideally, the backup would be on an external hard drive, but you can also upload the files to cloud storage (zip the folder first) if you want.  That way, even if your computer crashes and you lose your data, you'll still have a copy elsewhere.

You can of course delete the oldest backups and only keep a few more recent copies if you want.  You can also back up the Tray folder if you want to keep old builds or households but don't want them cluttering up your game right now.