Re: Sims 3 won't install! (MAC)

that sucks but good to know thank you!

Hi, this is super confusing as I have had the sims3 on my mac since 2016 and I never ever had an issue. I have just re downloaded it and now it won't install even though this is the exact same computer i played it on for 2 whole years. Could this be the same issue?

@WCWife  If your Mac runs macOS 10.15 (Catalina), then yes, it's the same issue.  Otherwise, let me know your version of macOS and what happens when you try to install Sims 3.

Hi 

My Mac is running OS Mojave and its not letting me access its saying there's an error occurred I've wiped the RAM and uninstalled everything and reinstalled but I don't know what to do to make it work

@1504chelsea  Please post a screenshot of the error.  It would also be good to know the full specs of your Mac.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4756624#M2878

Bonjour, ce code erreur serait-il lié à ce problème également ? Je n'arrive pas à installer le jeu sur mon Mac non plus ...

@joynselala  Yes, that is the error code people see when they try to install Sims 3 in macOS Catalina.  If your computer runs Catalina, the same information applies to you as well.

cool, thank you... Do you know when the update will be available ?

@joynselala  If anyone at EA does know, they're not talking.  But you can keep an eye on this thread for updates:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/the-sims-3-64-bit-amp-metal-release/td-p/8631090

Which update is Catalina?

I am having the same issue too. Mine is Mac OS 10.13.6 (High Sierra). I have downloaded the game twice and tried to install it and then the code won't work that I entered into The Sims 3 installer...

@Greenthumb373  Your issue is a bit different in that Sims 3 does run in your OS.  Are you sure you're using the base game code to try to install the base game?  Each pack should have its own code.  Try downloading just the base game, no packs, and manually copy the code when offered.  You can paste it into the installer window rather than having to type it out.

You can also look up your base game code within Origin.  Open your game library, right-click on the Sims 4 icon, select Game Properties, and you should see a CD key, which is the same thing.  You can copy and paste that one too.

Thanks for the response. Yes, I did this but it won't let me hit continue when I put the copy the code in...

EA helped me solve the issue. For some reason it was not showing the right code for my base game. For all whom might have issues with installation in the future, make sure its the code for your base game. For some reason, it was giving me the code for World Adventures and not the base game.

@Demsasha  Please run the Origin reset tool for macOS:

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/how-to-reset-origin-on-mac/

Restart your computer, and download just the base game, no packs.  If the download works, great, go ahead and install.  If it gets stuck again, then yes, you can install by launching the .dmg.  But that only works if the installer is in fact fully downloaded.

Open a Finder window, and click Macintosh HD (or whatever you've renamed your hard disk) in the left panel.  If you don't see it, click Finder in the upper left corner of your screen, then Preferences > Sidebar, and check the box next to Hard disks, in the Devices category.  Open Macintosh HD, then Library > Application Support > Origin > DownloadCache, and you should see a folder labeled with a string of numbers.  Inside should be a ~6 GB .dmg file.  Drag that to your desktop and double-click to open it.

To actually install the game, you'll need your CD key.  In Origin, open your game library, right-click (or hold down the crtl key and click) on the Sims 3 icon, and select Game Properties.  The CD key is the same 20-character product code you'll need to provide the installer when it asks.

Once the base game is installed, please run the Super Patch (digital download version) to manually patch it to 1.67.

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/

Test the game, and let me know whether you get the unknown error.  If you get the server error, that's fine for now—you can fix it by installing almost any pack.  But some of the packs need their own workarounds, so please list the ones you'd like to install.

By the way, you can run the Origin reset tool any time it's stuck finalizing or downloading, or doesn't load properly.

Hi @puzzlezaddict maybe you can help me as well since the EA Support is unable to help me with this case. 

As you suggested, I searched for the DownloadCache but its empty! How can this happen and what can I do now in oder to install the game correctly. 

Your help is very much appreciated!

@11eugene11  What issue are you seeing?  If you're trying to install Sims 3 on a Mac running Catalina or Big Sur, please make sure you're downloading the 64-bit version, since the 32-bit version won't run.

If you don't have that in your account, you'll need to contact EA customer support and ask that the "entitlement," as it's called, for the 64-bit version be added.

https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/

If you have a different issue, please describe it, and post a screenshot of any error you see.

My game keeps crashing so I'm not playing Sims 3 anymore

Hello,

Sims 3 64 bit will run on Mac Book 2017, i5, Intel HD 6000, Big Sur?

@GCsabor  The game should run, yes, but maybe not all that well.  The Pets expansion in particular causes crashing for a lot of players on your type of hardware.

Other than that, if you see any performance issues, try turning down lighting and tree detail to the minimum.

@puzzlezaddict Thank you! I did not find any video on Youtube with MBA 2017 runs 64 bit Sims 3, and the The Sims 3 (64-bit & Metal) MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 or better. Intel HD 6000 earlier than 640. That's why I thought there might be a problem with 64 bits. Fortunately, they don't. Anyway, have you read or seen somewhere that there is no problem with 64 bits?

@GCsabor  I've seen numerous people post in the Sims 3 Mac section whose computers have an HD 6000 or 6100, both of which were very common in that generation of Macs.  These players do have a lot of trouble with the Pets EP, as mentioned, and they typically need to play on lower graphics settings.  But aside from Pets-related crashes and entirely avoidable problems with mods and custom content, the game appears to be reasonably stable for people on this hardware.

If you don't own the game yet, I'd recommend buying only the Starter Pack (the base game, one EP, and one SP) and seeing how it runs.  If you're one of the few that can't get it to work at all, you can request a refund.  If it runs well enough for your taste, lower graphics settings included, you can add one expansion at a time and see how things go.  After Pets, Seasons is the next most demanding, followed (with a considerable gap) by Island Paradise and Into the Future.  Stuff packs don't add much to the game's overhead at all.

@puzzlezaddictOK! Thank you!

Sims 3 runs also on MacBook Air M1? There is no problem with all expansions?