The Sims 4 won’t load, crashes or shows error 110 after an update? EA’s official fixes: mods, error codes 102–131, backup and reset, 64-bit

Video: “The Sims 4 Base Game Update #sims4”, official The Sims YouTube channel (@TheSims), published February 2, 2026 (61 seconds). It previews the base game update announced for February 3, 2026; it is not a troubleshooting video. The fixes below come from EA Help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsoi5GKAgmM

After a game update, The Sims 4 may refuse to load, fail to open a save, show an in-game error code, or behave strangely (Sims walking up walls, menus that won’t open). EA Help keeps several official pages for these cases. Here are their steps, in a sensible order, as read on November 11, 2026. EA says there is “no single way” to tell if mods are the cause, and TricknFix did not test these steps: they are EA’s instructions, not a guarantee.

1. Understand why your mods were turned off

• When The Sims 4 updates, the game disables Mods and Custom Content. EA explains that it does not screen or support any mods, so a mod that worked before an update can cause problems after it.

• A mod may need to be fully reinstalled to work with the latest patch, and creators can take time to update their content. Mods are only available on PC and Mac, not on PlayStation or Xbox.

2. Check the game first, with mods disabled

• Launch The Sims 4 with mods disabled, choose Resume or Load Game and play in Live Mode to check that everything works. Your Custom Content will not appear during this test.

• Then close without saving: Menu (top right in Live Mode) > Exit Game, and confirm Exit Game again. EA warns that choosing Save and Exit before re-enabling Custom Content and Mods may remove content from your saved game.

3. Update your mods, then re-enable them

• Check each mod creator’s site to see whether the mod works with the latest update, and follow their instructions to replace outdated versions.

• Re-enable mods in Game Options > Other > Enable Custom Content and Mods, then exit and relaunch the game.

• Your game version number is shown at the lower left of the Main Menu: EA suggests including it if you report a broken mod to its creator.

4. What the mod error codes mean

• Error 102, 123, 125, 127, 129 or 131: according to EA, these usually point to a problem with the game’s script, so a script mod could be the cause.

• Error 110: usually appears after a game update and is caused by outdated mods.

5. Find the faulty mod with the 50/50 method

• Remove all mods from the Mods folder (Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods), then add them back in batches, launching the game after each batch.

• When a batch brings the problem back, remove half of it and test again; keep halving until you find the culprit.

• Remove Game Mods (which change how the game works) before Custom Content: EA says they are more likely to cause issues.

• Many mods can also slow the game down. To speed up loading, untick Show at Startup in the mods list pop-up that appears when the game loads.

6. Back up, then reset your Sims 4 folder

Important: resetting deletes The Sims 4 folder in Documents, which holds your saves and mods. Make the backup first.

• Back up (Windows): Documents > Electronic Arts, right-click The Sims 4 folder > Copy, paste it on your Desktop and rename it (for example “Sims 4 Backup”). On Mac, do the same from Finder > Documents > Electronic Arts.

• Reset: delete The Sims 4 folder from Documents > Electronic Arts, empty the Recycle Bin (or Trash) and restart your computer.

• Test: launch the game. It starts without your saves and mods. If it now runs normally, the problem is in your saves or in content downloaded from the Gallery. If it still fails, the folder was not the cause: delete the new folder and put your backup back (rename it to The Sims 4 and paste it into Documents > Electronic Arts).

• Find a corrupt save: copy the saves folder from your backup into the new The Sims 4 folder, replacing files, and launch. If the game fails to load, copy saves back one by one; the last one added before the failure is the problem file. EA says to delete it from both folders.

7. General crash and freeze steps (all EA games)

• Close background apps, then try a clean boot of Windows.

• In the EA app: Library > The Sims 4 > Manage > Repair. If that fails, reinstall the game and the EA app.

• Cap your frame rate or enable V-Sync (in the game’s graphics settings or your graphics card’s software).

8. Use the 64-bit version on PC

• EA says that with 64-bit Windows and 4 GB of RAM or more, you can use the 64-bit version of The Sims 4, which “can help your game run better”. Check System type in your PC’s system information. The Mac version has always been 64-bit.

What is not known

• EA’s pages are general guides: they do not tie crashes to a specific Sims 4 patch, and they do not list specific mods or hardware. The pages show relative update labels (for example “Updated 5 months ago”) rather than a precise changelog.

• If your problem started after a specific update, tell other players which one, and which mod was involved, in the discussion.

More PC game fixes on Windows 11: #windows-11 (https://tricknfix.com/tags/windows-11/).

Sources

• EA Help, “The Sims 4: Mods, game updates, and error codes”, page dated May 7, 2026 (last update), read November 11, 2026 (https://help.ea.com/en/articles/the-sims/the-sims-4/mods-and-the-sims-4-game-updates/).

• EA Help, “How to back up and reset your game in The Sims 4”, page dated May 13, 2026, read November 11, 2026 (https://help.ea.com/en/articles/the-sims/the-sims-4/backing-up-and-resetting-the-sims-4/).

• EA Help, “How to install Mods in The Sims 4”, page dated June 16, 2026, read November 11, 2026 (https://help.ea.com/en/articles/the-sims/the-sims-4/how-to-install-mods-the-sims-4/).

• EA Help, “What you need to know about the 64-bit version of The Sims 4”, page dated April 20, 2026, read November 11, 2026 (https://help.ea.com/en/articles/the-sims/the-sims-4/when-to-use-the-sims-4-64-bit-or-32-bit-version/).

• EA Help, “Troubleshoot PC, PlayStation, and Xbox crashing or freezing”, page dated June 30, 2026, read November 11, 2026 (https://help.ea.com/en/articles/platforms/fix-crashing-and-freezing/).

• Video “The Sims 4 Base Game Update #sims4”, The Sims channel, February 2, 2026 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsoi5GKAgmM).

• Image: official The Sims 4 screenshot from Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222670/The_Sims_4/), © Electronic Arts / Maxis.