How do you repair The Sims 4?

How to repair The Sims 4

In the EA app, open The Sims 4, select Manage (or the three dots on the game tile) and choose Repair. On Steam, open the game's Properties, go to Installed Files and click Verify integrity of game files. If problems stay, clear the cache, update the game and reset your Sims 4 folder.

Pack: Base game.

Steps

PC and Mac

Close The Sims 4.
EA app: open the EA app and find The Sims 4 in your Library.
Select Manage on the game page, or the three-dot menu on the game tile, and choose Repair.
Wait for the repair to finish, then start the game again.
Steam (PC): right-click The Sims 4 in your Library and select Properties.
Open Installed Files and click Verify integrity of game files. Steam replaces missing or damaged files.

PlayStation and Xbox

Consoles have no Repair button. Restart the game or the console first.
If the game still fails, delete The Sims 4 from your console and download it again.
After the install, restart the game or console so it checks for game updates.

How to clear the Sims 4 cache (PC and Mac)

Close the game. Open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4. The path is the same on PC and Mac.

Delete localthumbcache.package. The game makes a new one the next time it starts.

Open the cache folder and delete the files inside it, but keep the folder. Do the same in the cachestr folder. If you see an onlinethumbnailcache folder, you can delete it.

Delete only these cache files. Do not delete the saves, Tray or Mods folders.

How to reset your Sims 4 folder

A reset makes the game build a new, clean Sims 4 folder. Open Documents > Electronic Arts and move The Sims 4 folder to your desktop, or rename it, for example to Sims 4 Backup. Your saves, Tray and Mods stay safe in that backup.

Start the game. It makes a new folder with no saves or mods. If the game now works, the problem is in your old files. Copy your saves folder back first, then the Tray folder, testing after each one. Add mods back last.

If the folder copies instead of moving, OneDrive may be syncing it. Pause OneDrive syncing and try again.

How to update The Sims 4

The game version shows in the lower-left corner of the Main Menu. Compare it with the latest patch.

If the EA app does not update the game, or gets stuck in an update loop, clear the EA app cache (Help > App recovery > Clear cache), then run Repair. Repair also downloads the latest version.

On console, restart the game or the console so it checks for updates.

Common problems

The game crashes even after a repair

Mods are a common cause. Move the Mods folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 and delete localthumbcache.package, then test. If the game works, find the broken mod with the 50/50 method.

There is no Repair option in the EA app

If you installed the game through Steam, repair it in Steam with Verify integrity of game files. Otherwise clear the EA app cache and try again.

The game says it is already running, or it will not start

Restart your computer. Check your antivirus for recent actions on the game and add exceptions for TS4_x64.exe and the EA app (EADesktop.exe).

A Sim is stuck, not the whole game

Open the cheat console with Ctrl + Shift + C (PC), Cmd + Shift + C (Mac), L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 (PlayStation) or LB + LT + RB + RT (Xbox). Type resetsim Bella Goth with your Sim's first and last name and press Enter.

Cheats on this page

Open the cheat box with Ctrl + Shift + C on PC, Cmd + Shift + C on Mac, or all four shoulder buttons on PlayStation and Xbox. See every Sims 4 cheat.

resetsim Bella Goth Resets a stuck Sim, named by first and last name: they stop what they're doing and reappear. More on resetsim

In the Sims 4 database

More how-to guides

Play your Sims somewhere new

LifeSim is a free life sim in your browser, set in real cities. It can bring in a household from your Sims 4 Tray files or a save: import a Sims 4 household. It doesn't change your Sims 4 game.

Sources

Checked on November 5, 2026.

Questions

How do I restart The Sims 4?

Open the menu in the top-right corner and select Exit Game. Save first if you want to keep your progress. Then start the game again from the EA app, Steam or your console.

Does repairing The Sims 4 delete my saves?

Repair fixes the game files. Your saves, Tray and Mods are in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4, apart from the game files. Back up that folder before you reset anything.

How do I clear the Sims 4 cache?

Close the game. In Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4, delete localthumbcache.package and the files inside the cache and cachestr folders. Keep the folders themselves.

How do I repair Sims 4 on Steam?

Right-click The Sims 4 in your Steam Library, select Properties > Installed Files and click Verify integrity of game files.

How do I update The Sims 4?

The EA app updates the game when updates are on. If it does not, clear the EA app cache and run Repair. Check the version in the lower-left corner of the Main Menu.