Processing The Startup Configuration Script Exclusive — Sims 4 Unable To Start There Was An Error

If resetting the options file does not work, or if the error returns immediately after you change settings, there is a known conflict with certain motherboard and GPU control software. The most common culprit is MSI Dragon Center (specifically the "Eye Rest" or "Gaming Mode" features).

Steps:

If the error persists, a specific script may be corrupted.
Navigate to:
[Game install folder]\Data\Simulation\Game\
Look for startup.lua, main.lua, or any .py script. If they are 0 KB or unreadable, repair the game again (Step 2).
Do not manually edit these files—the repair will replace them. If resetting the options file does not work,

| Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | Broken or outdated mods/CC | A script mod (e.g., UI Cheats, MC Command Center) conflicts with the current game version. | | Corrupted game configuration files | Files like GameVersion.txt, Default.ini, or Python scripts in the game data are damaged. | | Antivirus or ransomware protection | Security software blocks the game from reading/writing its own scripts. | | Incomplete update or repair | The game updated improperly, leaving mixed file versions. | | OneDrive or folder sync interference | Cloud sync locks or overwrites config files while the game tries to access them. | | User folder permissions | The game lacks “read” or “execute” permission for its own script folder. |

The EA App itself can hold exclusive access to the configuration parser. If the error persists, a specific script may be corrupted

The startup script is partially controlled by Default.ini in the install directory.

Severity: High (game cannot launch).
Fixability: High (cache clear solves most cases).
EA’s fault level: High – poor implementation of startup script handling. The startup script is partially controlled by Default

If the above fixes fail, the last resort is switching to the legacy Origin workaround (third-party tools like OriginWorkaround – not officially supported but widely used) or playing via Steam + EA App link, which bypasses the faulty script handler. Otherwise, waiting for an EA App update is the only passive solution.