February 2020
I've downloaded The Sims 4 via origin and when I try to start the game for the first time it comes up with an error stating "Unable to start: Cannot start because game data is missing or damaged. If you have Mods installed please remove them and try again. If not, please repair or reinstall the game via Origin. [de4ee14f:29f00e76:00000000:4b0d852b] "
I have no mods installed, no custom content installed and no expansion or any additional content. I have downloaded the base game ONLY. I don't understand what data is missing?
I do not have a folder named Documents \ Electronic Arts. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the game multiple times, as well as repairing the game, however I still get the same error. This is on a windows 10 Laptop and I know my laptop meets the recommended requirements to run this game.
February 2020
@soldier5991 Please create a new admin user account on your computer, and try to launch the game from there. (You can login to Origin under your current account and launch the game normally.) Make sure the account's name uses only letters and numbers, no special characters.
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/
February 2020
I have run a diagnostic and this is what it is showing. I have downloaded the legacy edition and that version runs, however as I own the Discovering University expansion then the legacy edition is of no use to me, would really like to get the 64-Bit version running to be able to play all expansions :/
February 2020 - last edited February 2020
@soldier5991 Did you try a new user account? This still sounds like it might be a permissions issue, and a new account usually makes that obvious.
Your dxdiag lists a number of errors, but none related to the standard version of Sims 4. (There's one Legacy Edition entry, but that doesn't count.) So either the game isn't getting far enough to error out, or you have so many newer errors that the old ones aren't listed anymore. Either way, the new user account is a useful test.
The dxdiag does list a number of system errors though. So it's a good idea to run a couple of checks of your Windows system files. Here's how:
After you've run the commands, if they run fully, please manually run Windows updates as well. Click the Windows icon in the lower left corner of your screen and select Settings > Update & Security, then click the button to check for updates. If there are a number of them, it may take a few tries to run them all.
February 2020
I have made a new user account and the game is working on there so it must be a permissions thing as you said...
I ran both checks, the first one came back all clear, the 2nd one said that there was a system repair pending and that I needed to reboot. I've rebooted my laptop, updated windows as it asked, and ran the check again and it stated that "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them."
I ran it a 2nd time and it came back clear
Thank you for all your help on this, it was a lot better then the google search I did for a solution