So I've finally got a computer that can run The Sims 3, after many many years of not being able to run it. My friend lent me a USB DVD drive so I could install from the disc that I've owned for years—I was so excited!
But I've now been faced with days and days of the '0xc000007b' error message and seemingly no way to fix it.
Things I've already tried:
I'm at my wits end after waiting so long to play this!! Is there anything else that anyone can recommend trying?
@proverb_jackson If you're running a disc install that doesn't involve Origin, please run the Super Patch to manually patch the games files to 1.67. The launcher may claim that everything is updated, but that's not a reliable metric. You'll want the "Cumulative base game super patcher" offered here:
The Super Patch will undo the changes you've made to add your graphics card to Sims 3's database, so put aside the new copies of the .sgr files if you want to keep them. Since getting your card recognized isn't necessary for the game to work, please leave out the altered copies and try to play with the game's default versions.
If that doesn't help, please let me know which versions of DirectX, .NET Framework, and the VC++ runtimes you've replaced.
Please also run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/
@puzzlezaddict Thank you so much for the help!
Sadly the patch didn't work. I've attached my DxDiag along with a list of the .NET Framework and the VC++ versions on my laptop. At some point or another, through troubleshooting this problem, I've deleted and reinstalled all of them.
If it helps, my laptop specs are:
| CPU | 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core |
| Maximum Boost Speed | 4.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB |
| Memory Type | DDR4 |
| Total Installed Memory | 8 GB |
| Memory Configuration | 1 x 8 GB |
| Graphics Type | Dedicated |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4 GB GDDR5 VRAM |
@proverb_jackson I should have clarified before, but in case you're wondering, Sims 3 uses DirectX 9, VC++ 2005 x86, and .NET Framework 3.5, so troubleshooting issues with any other runtimes would likely be irrelevant. Also irrelevant is that your laptop's processor is actually an i5-9300HF (perfectly capable of running Sims 3), not a 9750H, but I figured I'd mention it in case you were expecting something else.
Please undo any compatibility settings you're currently using: Sims 3 runs fine in Windows 10, and compatibility settings add complicating factors. Please also run a couple of basic checks of your Windows system files:
Restart your computer, hit Windows key-i, select Update & Security, and click the box to check for updates. If any install, restart again afterwards. (Even if you keep your laptop up to date, it's important to do this after running DISM and sfc.)
If Sims 3 still won't open, try launching it from TS3W.exe rather than using the launcher. I believe the file path in a disc install should be something like this:
Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
I understand you may still want to use the launcher, but I'm curious whether this works at all.
Either way, if the launcher still isn't cooperating, try playing in a new admin Windows account. The username should contain only letters and/or numbers, no special characters, accents, etc. Make it a local account, as in, don't sign into Microsoft, and don't sync with any other services you normally use. You won't need to reinstall the game.
If that doesn't help either, please let me know what antivirus you use, and if you used to have one that you removed.
@puzzlezaddict I've attached the results of the /Restorehealth and /Scannow attempts, and everything seems to be fine.
I set up a new profile as you suggested, without a Microsoft account or syncing with any of the services I use.
I actually don't get the error when I try to use the launcher. When I do that, it seems to think about it for a second but nothing happens. This whole time I've been trying to run it from TS3W.exe, which is where I keep getting the error.
At the moment the antivirus I'm using is Windows Defender. I've been toying with the settings (adding TS3W.exe as an exemption etc.), but nothing seems to make a difference.
My laptop initially came with a free McAfee trial, which I deleted.
When I checked for Windows Updates there was a small update that installed, but the error still occurred when I tried to run TS3W.exe; however, it does say that there's a newer version of Windows 10 available so maybe I should try that?
I'm convinced there must be a way to get it to work somehow...
Thank you again for helping out!
