How to Troubleshoot Sims 4 Error Code 3?

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If you are also playing Sims 4 and are irritated with the regular bugs in the gameplay, you are not alone. There are many players who report many issues in the game each day and when the game is so heavy on its features, there are so many things that can go wrong as many things need to work perfectly in sync for the game to function properly.

In this article, we will discuss the Sims 4 Error code 3.

This is an issue that shows up when the game’s files have a problem. The issues with the game files can range from missing files to even the corruption of important ones.

In the next section, let’s discuss all the aspects of the Sims 4 Error code 3. Let’s get into it without any further delays.


How to get rid of the Sims 4 error code 3?


Fix 1: Restart your device

The device that you are playing on can cause issues for the gameplay if it is facing a technical snag.

In this case, you need to shut down all the processes on the device and then restart the game in a fresh manner. The easiest way to do this is a power cycling session.

Just restart the device and see if this eliminates your issue.


Fix 2: Verify the integrity of the game files

The easiest way to check if there is an issue with the game files is to verify the integrity of the game files through the game client. 

Since you can access the Sims 4 game through the Origin client, you need to verify the integrity of your game files through Origin. Here is the process to do this.

  • Launch the Origin Game Client
  • Now open the game library on Origin. This will display a list of games that you have downloaded through this game client.
  • Find Sims 4 on the list and right-click on it.
  • Now click on Repair.

Now sit back and relax as the game client checks your files and replaces the corrupt or missing files for the game database.


Fix 3: Make sure that you are not running any mods or custom content

There have been some compatibility issues on Sims 4 regarding custom content or the usage of mods.

Many players have reported that this is the main cause behind the error code 3 in the game. This is because the files for the custom content can interfere with the normal files of the game ad cause conflict.

Here is how to remove the custom files from the database.

  • Recognize the mods or custom files on your device and move them to a different folder. Make this a temporary transfer to a temporary folder.
  • Now launch the game and see if the issue is resolved.
  • If you no longer experience the error code, start adding the files from the temporary folder back to the game folder.
  • This way, you will be able to identify exactly what custom file is causing issues for the gameplay.
  • Once you recognize the file, delete it from the database and your game should work fine without any interruptions.

Fix 4: Delete the game and reinstall

There are certain issues with the game files that might not get resolved even after the verification of the game files.

In this case, to get rid of the corrupt files from the system, you will need to delete the game altogether. This will delete the entire database of the game’s files and the files that are broken will be flushed out from the device.

After this process is complete, reinstall the game, restart the device, and check if the issue is resolved.


Fix 5: Update the graphic card driver

When you play games like Sims 4 on your device, it is very important that the graphics card on your device is functioning optimally.

If the driver of the graphic card is not updated to the latest version of firmware, the device will malfunction causing issues with the game.

Check for the latest version of your graphics card driver and update it. Now launch the game and see if this gets rid of the error code 3.


Fix 6: Change the compatibility mode on the game

There are different compatibility modes that you can choose on the game to enjoy different versions of the gameplay.

In some cases, switching the compatibility mode on the game can help you get rid of the error code.

Here are the steps to switch the compatibility modes on the game Sims 4.

  • Launch the Origin Game client
  • Click on the game library
  • Find Sims 4 in the library.
  • Right-click on the game Sims 4 to reveal the options for the game
  • Now click on Properties
  • You will now see different tabs. Click on the Compatibility tab
  • Click on the option that reads “ Run this program in compatibility mode for:”
  • Select an older version of the operating systems on the compatibility list.
  • Click on Apply
  • Click on Ok

This will change the compatibility mode of Sims 4 for your device.


Fix 7: Check for the amount of free space on your hard drive

If your device’s hard drive is occupied with a lot of material and files, it will not have enough space to run certain programs. Especially, heavy games like Sims 4.

You need to take a look at how much space is free on your hard drive. If you find out that the hard drive is occupied with a lot of files, you need to clear the space on the hard drive so that you can continue with your gameplay of Sims 4.


Fix 8: Disable the Origin in-game facility

There are certain features that you can use on Origin games when you are using the Origin in-game feature.

This allows you to chat with friends, manage the game library, view the activity of your friends, make purchases for new games, and also stream your gameplay.

If these are the effects that are not necessary for you, you can disable the in-game feature of Origin.

Here is how you can do this.

  • Launch the Origin game client
  • Click on Application Settings
  • Now uncheck the box next to Enable Origin in-game

This feature will now be disabled. Many players have reported that they have successfully got rid of the error code 3 after they turned off this feature.


Fix 9: Run the game in windowed mode

This is a workaround that players have suggested on player forums. They have noticed that sometimes, you can get rid of the error if you play the game in a window on your desktop and give up the full-screen experience.  

This will certainly not solve our issue but if you are in a rush, it can very well work as a workaround.


Fix 10: Contact the game support team

If none of the above solutions were able to get rid of the issue and you are still stuck with error code 3 in the game, this might be an issue that is present on a deeper level.

For this, you need to contact the game support team. They will help you make sense of the situation ad also suggest you some solutions for the same.


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Falguni Rana is a technology writer who has expertise in software and hardware troubleshooting. She publishes how-to and troubleshooting guides for different apps, websites, games, and consumer hardware products.