Crash logs & CrashGuard

The Sims 4 writes crash files when things go wrong. SimSweep reads those files, figures out what they're pointing at, and tries to surface something more useful than a wall of Python tracebacks.

Reading crash logs#

Crash Logs lives inside Diagnostics. After a scan, open Diagnostics and select Crash Logs to see what was found.

Each entry can include:

• Likely cause to understand what type of crash it was
• Suggested fix with a starting point for resolving it
• Involved mods when the log points at specific files in your library

You can also open any crash log directly in Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) from the Crash Logs view.

Heads up: Crash log suggestions are diagnostics, not verdicts. If a mod is listed as involved, that's worth investigating before deleting it, not a guaranteed culprit.

What SimSweep can parse#

SimSweep reads the game's lastException, lastCrash, and lastUIException files. It handles multiple formats including BetterExceptions structured advice, XML crash data, and plain text logs. It also recognizes common patterns like missing modules and known error codes, and parses Python stack frames to identify likely suspect mods or framework conflicts.

No crash log means either the game didn't write one, or the Sims 4 folder path in Settings is pointing somewhere else.

CrashGuard#

CrashGuard is a background watcher that runs while SimSweep is open. It watches crash file locations and can alert you immediately when a new crash happens, rather than waiting for you to scan again.

CrashGuard is a Decrypt feature. With Decrypt active, it also connects to the companion mod via Game Link for richer exception data. The companion mod captures structured exception info from inside the game that the crash files alone don't always contain. See Companion mod for setup details.

Note: CrashGuard companion data requires the companion mod to be installed and Game Link to be active. Without both, CrashGuard still watches crash files but won't have the in-game exception feed.

Crash report banner#

If SimSweep itself did not close cleanly last time, you may see a banner at the top of the app saying "SimSweep didn't close normally last time." From there you can:

• See details / Hide details to expand or collapse the report
• Send report to submit it (helps with app stability improvements)
• Don't send / Dismiss to clear it without sending

This setting is controlled under Settings, in the Diagnostics section, via Automatic crash reports.

Checking crash report settings#

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to the Diagnostics section.
3. Confirm Automatic crash reports is enabled if you want the banner after unclean shutdowns.
4. Recent crashes shows a summary of recent logged entries.

Next up#

A crashing mod is one thing. A flagged one is another. Check out Threats & quarantine if you want to see whether any of your script mods are raising malware signals.