UAC Error

[RobynLaveau]

DIAG FILE ATTACHED

Again, I am having issues running my game. A few weeks ago this same problem happened and I tried absolutely everything. Someone suggested turning off realtime and that worked and my game started. 
Last night Origin updated and I cannot play my game again. I tried the real-time thing again and it doesn't work now, I tried turning off all my antivirus and firewalls and removing my mods, saves and trays, even the entire Sims 4 folders hoping a new one would be created. This is getting ridiculous as I was playing and now I can't after an Origin update.  Not even Sims.

[puzzlezaddict]

@RobynLaveau  What happens when you try to play?  Do you get an error, does the game start to load and then crash, and if so, what do you see?

Your dxdiag lists a few errors related to the driver for your graphics card.  So it's a good idea to do a clean uninstall and reinstall of the driver.  Download Display Driver Uninstaller from here:

https://www.wagnardsoft.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3300

Get a fresh copy of the newest Nvidia driver here:

https://www.nvidia.com/Download/driverResults.aspx/167108/en-us

Next, take your computer completely offline—disable wifi and/or pull the ethernet cord—and double-click the DDU.exe.  Take note of where the file will land, and click Extract.  If it's easier, you can copy the path and then paste it into the address bar in a File Explorer window.  Open the folder and then launch Display Driver Uninstaller.exe, and you'll get a message that you're not in Safe Mode.  Click OK, then go to Options and enable Safe Mode dialog.  Here's a screenshot of what your options should look like; make sure the box in red is checked:

Close options, and the DDU, and then open the DDU.exe again.  For launch options, choose "Safe Mode (Recommended)," and then click Reboot to Safe Mode (you'll need your password, so find it before rebooting).  Once you login, you'll see this:

In the blue box, choose GPU, then Nvidia if it's not already showing.  Then click Clean and Restart (red box).

Once your computer has rebooted, now back in normal mode, run the driver install .exe in custom mode.  Select "perform a clean installation" and install ONLY the GPU driver and the PHYSX software.

Reboot again, go back online, and see whether the game works normally.  If not, let me know.

[RobynLaveau]

@puzzlezaddict Hey, so I did all this, I tried to open the game with Origin and the exact same thing happened. I tried to run it with GeForce and my Origin pops open and says "ACTIVATION REQUIRED" and asks for my game code and that the game is "Unidentified" ... What.. What is happening?? I enter in the code for the game and it doesn't work

[puzzlezaddict]

@RobynLaveau  The issue with playing through GeForce Experience has been around for a while and is unrelated to everything else.  What exactly happens when you try to launch through Origin, while running Origin as an admin?  (Right-click on the Origin shortcut and select "Run as administrator.")  Does the game start to open, do you see an error, etc.?

Please also look for new errors in the Reliability Monitor.  Hit Windows key-R and enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes.  You'll see a list of errors and updates, with a column for each day.  (Today is all the way on the right.)

For any errors that happen when you're trying to open Sims 4 from after you reinstalled your graphics driver, click "View technical details," then copy the information and paste it into a text document.  (Notepad is fine.)  You can attach the file to a post as you did with your dxdiag.  Sometimes the Reliability Monitor doesn't update right away, so if you don't see any related errors, be sure to check back an hour or two.  The timestamp on the initial chart can also be off by up to an hour, so that's not an entirely reliable metric, but the one within the technical details should be accurate.

[RobynLaveau]

This is whats happening now when I run as admin and press play for sims

[RobynLaveau]

Alright, the error message in the previous message, is gone. I reinstalled Origin after googling the error code and now the same thing as before happens. When I click to play Sims in Origin a popup from User Account Control and asks if I want to allow to run the game (see the photo attached) I click yes and it thinks for a second then Origin opens and the orange button that says "Play" lights up again. This happened before and someone suggested I turn off my Real Time whatever, I've done that. I've done all that you posted earlier. I've turned off all my virus and firewall applications and removed my mods, trays and saves...

[puzzlezaddict]

@RobynLaveau  The initialization error is being a bit stubborn right now and not responding to the usual interventions.  But for the UAC issue, it's interesting that the prompt lists the game as being from an "unknown publisher."  Try deleting TS4_x64.exe and repairing the game.  (This is quicker than uninstalling and reinstalling everything.)  Perhaps the .exe will be recognized again once it's redownloaded.

Unless you changed the default install location in Origin, the full file path will be:

Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 4\Game\Bin

To repair, open your Origin game library, right-click on the Sims 4 icon, and select Repair; do it with your antivirus disabled or at least without its realtime protection.

[RobynLaveau]

Good morning, 

So last night, I repaired the game and it still happened. I uninstalled it and am now reinstalling it. It's not all completely done but it will allow me to press play as the base game is ready to play but the error is still coming up. 

-- update, it didn't work. I also deleted the TS4_x64.exe file and repaired the game and it is still giving me the same popup from User Account Control

-- Last update -- I ran Origin as Admin and it works now.. SMH, I don't understand this at all.. Thank you for all your help @puzzlezaddict 

[puzzlezaddict]

@RobynLaveau  I'm glad to hear it works now.  It might be that the combination of steps was necessary, both reinstalling (or at least downloading a new TS4_x64.exe) and running Origin as an admin.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were the case.  It's good info to have though, so thanks for the update.