Game unable to start because required data is missing [SOLVED]

I have installed the game several times in the past and it always worked fine, but everytime i try now I get an error when trying to start the game

"Unable to start

cannot start because required game data is missing, reinstall or repair the game"

I own the base game and that works fine by itself, works with get to work, and get together and toddler patch installed as well. seems to be after installing parenthood that
it stops working, and installing all the other DLC doesn't fix it.

Have tried reinstalling, clearing out the my docs folder, clearing out the registry, using the G4TW version of sims 4 instead of the bought version, nothing works

No mods or cc at all, fresh install.

Any ideas? Googling comes up with lots of people that bought the game with the same issue... but clearing mods was the only fix.

I have followed all the steps (except i didnt do 5) maybe i have some registry entry hidden somewhere. annoying that it works with the first few dlc but not the rest.

Yep, all excluded in my antivirus. I have downloaded parenthood again (which seemed to be the troublesome one, but no luck.

Downloaded all the packs again and followed the instructiosn carefuilly, but now I get an error saying origin isn't open./

I have installed this game loads of times in the past with your files and never had a problem, God knows what i am messing up lol

I forgot to move it out of the EA folder... same "game data is missing" issue though must be a rogue registry file.

there is a screenshot of my main sims4 folder.

hoping i have missed something obvious lol

trying to upload screenshot but says I have exceeded the space (free space: 4) file is only 315 kb.

monkeyboysteve wrote:I forgot to move it out of the EA folder... same "game data is missing" issue though must be a rogue registry file.

You can play the Sims 4 without any entry in the registry.
I encountered the error Game data missing (not as a fatal error but more or less as a warning) when I tried to play a previously stored game after I had removed some DLC's. This didn't prevent me from playing however as all required items were still present in the Sims 4 in Documents\Electronic Arts.

Have you tried to start a game after renaming the folder The Sims 4 in Documents\Electronic Arts to f.e. The Sims_old ?
The only explanation I can think about the cause of this error is that a certain DLC has been skipped in the installation or has not been installed in the correct order: Base - Get to Work - Get Together - City Living - Toddlers/Vampires - Parenthood - Fitness.

When you skip a DLC it is obvious that game data will be missing. The instructions in the TS4.exe or TS4_x64.exe points to a DLC that not exists.
When you installed in the wrong order you will overwrite vital details of a new DLC with those of an older one. So again resulting in missing game details.

A couple of months ago I've been working on a system where you could install every single EP,GP,SP separately. That only worked when you had a The Sims 4 folder in Documents\Electronic arts that contained already all DLC's. I made that folder available via an additional download. So, once you had that folder you could install whatever DLC you really wanted, such as f.e. the base game + just Outdoor Living and nothing else.
When you started such a game you would of course get a message about missing game details, but you could play the game and once saved and restarted, the message did no longer show up.

Nope, def done it in the right order several times today, just tried renaming the documents folder as well, same error.
wish the error would tell me which data was missing.

Even have it laid it in which order to install them.

Have a look at THIS PAGE
Maybe you find something you overlooked

Not sure how but I have fixed it, I think one of the packs must have had a file corrupt when i unpacked it, becasue after downloading them all again and installing them again (for the 7th time) somehow it now works

monkeyboysteve wrote:Not sure how but I have fixed it, I think one of the packs must have had a file corrupt when i unpacked it, becasue after downloading them all again and installing them again (for the 7th time) somehow it now works

I completely suggest you to use ZLOrigin, it's an emulator of Origin. Just make an account at their site, sign in ZLclient and then enter ZLOrigin, It looks like the old version of origin. Click library and you'll see The Sims 4, *for making sure no problems will come, remove the old version registry*. 
for me i had TS4 with all the 3 eps and 7 sps and 3 Gps, i removed every single registry file, moved ts4 away, started the download from zlorigin, made it download 1%, exited zlorigin, copied my cracked game in origin games folder, entered zlorigin and resumed the download, then it updated the game itself, make sure to click repair game and remove the the sims 4 documents folder as well, (Move your saves and mods away until doing all the steps) then make sure all your mods and CC are completely up to date, then start the game.
Hope I explained that well.

Why so complicated ?
I have 3 versions of The Sims 4 on 1 PC:
1x fully pirated
1x legally via Origin
1x pirated via ZLOrigin

and they all work smoothly

As I said, it works fine now. I used ZLorigin for a while and it was great. But there were a few times the servers were busy and i couldn't play.

monkeyboysteve wrote:As I said, it works fine now. I used ZLorigin for a while and it was great. But there were a few times the servers were busy and i couldn't play.

That's quite a while ago I presume ?

yeah, when you first posted it on here.
Now I have my pirated one working again (plus my bought copy to download gallery stuff) I have no need of it.
will use it again if a future DLC isn't cracked though.