The Sims 2 Not Working on Windows 11 [Solved]

Reports of The Sims 2 not working on Windows 11 are common. For users who managed to get the game running, the process consisted of a series of tweaks, including the Graphics Rule Maker.

Though it doesn’t have to be that complex! When The Sims 2 is not opening or crashes at launch, it’s usually an outdated graphics driver, missing Visual C++ Redistributables or DLL files, or third-party apps triggering conflicts to blame.

What can I do if The Sims 2 is not working on Windows 11?

Tip

If you are facing issues installing The Sims 2 on Windows and get the This app has been blocked for your protection error, disable Windows Defender SmartScreen.

Before we start with the slightly complex solutions, try these quick ones:

• Make sure you have the 4GB patch and all the game components installed.
• Download any available Windows updates. This also helps with The Sims 2 DirectX error.
• Disable any third-party antivirus installed on the PC.

1. Run Sims 2 in compatibility mode

1. Right-click on the The Sims 2 launcher (.exe file), and select Properties.
2. Go to the Compatibility tab, tick the checkbox for Run this program in compatibility mode for, and select Windows 7 from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on Apply and OK to save the changes.

If this doesn’t work, try out the other iterations listed in the dropdown menu.

2. Update the graphics driver

1. Press Windows + X to open the Power User menu, and select Device Manager from the list.
2. Expand the Display adapters entry, right-click on the active graphics adapter, and select Update driver.
3. Click on Search automatically for drivers and wait for Windows to install the best available driver on the PC.
4. Once done, reboot the Windows 11 PC.

When The Sims 2 won’t launch on Windows 11, update the graphics driver. And if Windows can’t find a newer version, search for it on the manufacturer’s website and manually install the latest driver.

This also helps when The Sims 2 crashes on Windows 10.

3. Disable the integrated GPU

NOTE

This solution only applies when you have multiple GPUs. If there’s only one, head to the next fix.

1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type devmgmt.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.
2. Double-click the Display adapters entry.
3. Now, right-click on the integrated graphics, and select Disable device.
4. Click Yes in the confirmation prompt.

4. Clear the game cache

1. Terminate any instances of The Sims 2 in the Task Manager or restart the computer.
2. Now, press Windows + E to open File Explorer, paste the following path in the address bar and hit Enter: Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection
3. Delete the following two files:
   • Groups.cache
   • Accessory.cache
4. Relaunch The Sims 2 and check whether it’s now working in Windows 11.

5. Disable OneDrive and other cloud storage services

1. Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray. If it’s not there, open OneDrive via the Search menu, and the icon will appear.
2. Click the gear icon near the top right, and then select Settings.
3. Now, click on Unlink this PC.
4. Click Unlink account in the confirmation prompt that appears.
5. Restart the computer and check for improvements.

As per our experts, OneDrive may alter the files stores in the Documents folder, which will cause The Sims 2 to crash or not work on Windows 11. So, disable or remove OneDrive!

6. Install the Visual C++ Redistributables

1. Go to Microsoft’s official website, and download the latest X64 Visual C++ Redistributables.
2. Run the setup and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If The Sims 2 throws an error saying that MSVCP140.dll is missing or VCRUNTIME140.dll is not found, get the latest Visual C++ Redistributable packages.

7. Reinstall The Sims 2

1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type appwiz.cpl in the text field, and hit Enter.
2. Select The Sims 2 from the list of applications, and click Uninstall.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
4. Reboot the device and then reinstall The Sims 2 from an official source or the disc.

If the problem persists, you can use a reliable software uninstaller to delete any leftover files and Registry entries. The game will work post-reinstall!

A few users could run The Sims 2 on a virtual machine when it wasn’t directly working on Windows 11. When doing so, make sure to install Windows 7 or an older iteration of the OS.

Before you leave, discover the best Windows 11 graphic settings for gaming for a finer experience!

For any queries or to share what worked for you, drop a comment below.