Hello! I have messed up my Sims 3 game once again, and I need some help putting it back together. So I just recently bought a new computer, and at first, I was able to download and play Sims 3 with no problems at all. Then I decided that I wanted to move it to a different hard drive, So I uninstalled and reinstalled it. When I did this, though, the problems started as the Deviceconfig file was now empty, and the game would not start up when I hit the start button in the launcher. I have updated my drivers, but that did not work as well. I have also downloaded the graphics files and put them in the correct location so it will recognize my graphics card. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am lost on how to fix this, and I really miss the Sims 3. Attached is also the xcpt that my computer generated, and maybe it holds the answers, but I have no idea how to read it. Also, I play on Steam.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I still have not figured it out, and I miss playing the Sims three so very much. If anyone could help or try to help, that would be amazing!

Sounds like you may have deleted Device Config while deleting script errors. Did that once. I installed an old one from a full game back up, but I think it might work if you rename your current Sims 3 folder to include something like ".backup", then start your game. Hopefully, a new device config will be generated inside the new Sims 3 folder. Just put that into your "backup", rename the new folder, ".backup2", remove the ".backup" from the folder with all of your stuff, and see if that works.

Did you do a registry clean using a trusted tool like CCleaner in between the uninstall and the reinstall? Otherwise, I think especially on a Steam install, there are likely to be remnants of the original install on the initial internal drive getting in the way of the new install starting up correctly.

The crash log you shared shows that the game is installed (and crashing) on your C drive. Is this where it was originally or where you have reinstalled it to?

Also if the processor happens to be Alder Lake (12th generation Intel or higher) and a fix was applied to the original install to get TS3 to run in the first place, then that fix would also need to be applied to the new install.


The DeviceConfig.log is purely output. It is never read from by the game, only by us humans. Replacing the log file with one from another game folder wouldn't actually do anything, good or bad, as it would just be ignored and overwritten with a fresh one the next time the game starts up. Or rather, a startup is attempted as in this case it's not getting far enough into the start sequence to even generate a DeviceConfig with anything other than blanks where the log info should be.

Thanks for the reply! I never thought of that, and that makes sense that older parts of previous installs might still be affecting it while it is loading up. I am going to download cc cleaner right now and see if that makes a difference. Do you know if it is showing why it is crashing? The game is installed on my C drive.

Downloaded the cc cleaner, and it will still not start up. When I click it starts up the launcher, but when I click the button, nothing happens, and it stops. I just wish I knew what was making it crash on start-up.

No, these crash logs are notoriously useless. Once in a great while we can get some helpful information out of them, but the Division by Zero error logged only tells us that the game hit an impossible to carry out operation during startup (not what it was or why).

Do you think uninstalling again using the cleaner and then reinstalling will help?

Uhm, not sure what you meant to say here. CCleaner is a tool that has many functions, one of which is cleaning the Windows Registry. But just downloading or installing it doesn't actually accomplish anything, you have to command it to run its utilities.

If doing a registry clean doesn't actually help though, my next questions are:

1 - Is the TS3 user game folder (in Documents) the same one that you had prior? Uninstalling the game doesn't typically remove the user game folder. What happens if you rename it or pull it out to your Desktop -- a new game folder should spawn to take its place without your added content and saves. Does that one allow the game to start?

2 - Have you tried running Steam's Repair utility on the install?

Sorry, I seem to be lagging one question behind on this conversation!

Yes, I would suggest doing that rather than relying on things to get cleaned up after the fact.

Unfortunately, that did not work I had high hopes, too, as I saw the stuff that was being deleted when I ran the CC cleaner, and it said like Steam and sims 3. I tried to play, and it wouldn't start. I tried to run the cleaner again, but it said that there was nothing left to verify. I then went into Steam and verified the files. It said that four files needed to be reinstalled and said that they were deleted. I even ran the cleaner again and it got rid of even more stuff, but even after all that it still crashes.

I wouldn't give up just yet.

What processor (CPU) does this system have? I don't think I got an answer to the Alder Lake question.

That's the thing: I tried the Alder Lake thing, but when I downloaded it, it would not start up. I would allow it to access my computer, but nothing would happen. I can try it again, though. And yes my CPU is a 12th gen.

I must be doing something wrong with this patch as I don't think Im installing it correctly.

Ah yes, that would be it. Or at least part of it. As far as I can tell, no one can run TS3 on a 12th gen Intel at all unless the cores are tamed at startup and I'm pretty sure (?) that uninstalling the original instance of the game makes the new install unfixed again.

There's more than one Alder Lake solution, from what I've seen. If the one you have just isn't working now, I would suggest asking for help at EA's AHQ Board for TS3. It's run and moderated by players who have helped many get their games up and running again since the CPU issues were first found.

Update, Making some progress, maybe...idk it's hard to tell. So I figured out how to get the patch to work and patched the game. Now when I start up, there is a new error message saying This application could not be started do you want more information? then it takes me to a link about net framework application. My computer knowledge is running very thin.

Update, Update!

I fixed it! I, of course, installed it wrong, so I had to do it over, but it works now! Thank you so much! I am forever in your debt!

The invoice is on its way in the mail. But don't worry, you can pay it in Simoleons like everyone else does.

Seriously though, glad you got it working again!