Hi MsDSweets ,
First -- thank you for taking the time to explain your history with The Sims and for sharing how meaningful the series has been to you. That context matters, and I want to focus on what’s actually happening rather than deflecting with generic advice.
What you’re describing (online = no games, offline = games launch) points to a library/entitlement sync failure in the EA app.
In simple terms:
- Offline mode relies on local files + cached licenses → games still appear and launch.
- Online mode forces a live account/entitlement refresh → when that process breaks, the app can temporarily show nothing installed, even though the files are still there.
That’s why this feels so jarring and why it looks “broken” rather than intermittent.
Steps that usually resolve this exact behaviour (Windows)
Please try these in order, as each step targets a specific failure point:
1) Fully close the EA app and background services
- Exit the EA app.
- Open Task Manager and end:
- EADesktop.exe
- EABackgroundService.exe (if present)
- Reopen the EA app and sign back in.
Why: If the background service hangs, the library can’t rebuild even though installs exist.
2) Clear the EA app cache (most common fix)
In the EA app:
- Menu (☰) → Help → App Recovery → Clear Cache
Let the app restart automatically.
Why: Corrupted cache data is the #1 cause of libraries appearing empty while installs still work offline.
3) Force a clean sign-in token refresh
- Sign out of the EA app
- Close it completely (again via Task Manager)
- Reopen and sign back in
Why: A stale or partially invalid auth token can block entitlement retrieval without affecting offline play.
4) Verify the install location the app is using
- EA app → Settings → Download
- Confirm the Game library location matches where The Sims is actually installed
If it doesn’t, correct it and restart the app.
Why: If the app’s expected path and the real install path diverge, the app may fail to “see” games when online.
5) Once the game reappears, run a Repair
- Sims tile → Right-click → Repair
This helps resolve manifest mismatches that can re-trigger the issue later.
One important clarification (not a contradiction)
When you say “it’s not my internet connection”, that can still be completely true, and the issue can be caused by:
- DNS resolution
- Firewall or security software filtering
- ISP routing to specific EA services
These don’t break general browsing (YouTube, Gmail, etc.) but do break entitlement checks. That’s why the symptom feels inconsistent.
If this continues after the steps above
Please reply with:
- Whether the issue returns immediately or after some time
- Where Sims is installed (C: drive, another drive, external, OneDrive-managed folder, etc.)
- The EA app version shown under Help → About
That information allows us to escalate with something actionable instead of guesswork.
We appreciate your patience -- and, more importantly, your long-standing support of The Sims. Let’s try to get this behaving the way it should.
