If you see this error:
Please open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 and delete Version.tag. You'll need to open the folders manually; the file won't show up in a search.
If this doesn't help, please move your entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, then try to launch the game again.
Hi all!
I'm reaching out because I'm honestly baffled at what my problem might be.
Yesterday, I installed the Sims 3 64bit & metal on my 2017 MacBook Pro. I installed two expansion packs along with it (all at the same time), and when I tried to open the game, the launcher came up (promising!), but it kept giving me this exact message;
"Unable to start game. Your current Sims 3 Base Game is incompatible with the current Sims 3 Expansion Pack. Please update your game via the game launcher"
So of course, I checked for update within the launcher, but it said my game was up to date.
So, after spending nearly two hours yesterday restarting my computer, attempting to download the game via the Sims 3 disc onto my computer (it didn't let me), registering the game on Sims 3 dot com, trying to 'repair' the game within Origin, UNINSTALLING both expansion packs, then finally uninstalling and re-installing the entire game, it still didn't work for me. I checked in Spotlight and it says that Sims 3 is, in fact, installed.
Is there something I'm missing? I have no idea. I've had Sims 3 for ten years so this update was so exciting to me, but now it doesn't work! Can anyone help? 🙂
@graceplopes Please open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 and delete Version.tag. You'll need to manually open the folders; the file won't show up in a search.
I've done this and it still isn't working.. It'll act like its going to load but it just makes my screen smaller and has the rainbow loading wheel... any suggestions please? I just want to play Sims 3.. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling everything..
@Chanasl5 Try moving your entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts, if you haven't already. The game will create a new folder the next time you open the launcher.
If that doesn't or didn't help, open that Sims 3 folder and find the file labeled options.ini. Open it (TextEdit works fine), cmd-F to search for "fullscreen" (without quotes), and set it to 0 rather than 1.
Im having the same issue @Chanasl5 is having. I did what @puzzlezaddict recommended, and the game did indeed work, but i lost all of my save files and downloads. Good thing i didnt delete that folder 😅. So back to square one I suppose...
@xXHOLYSHIZZLEXx The file causing the issue is Version.tag, which I didn't know when I wrote the first comments. So you could delete that and put your original Sims 3 folder back if you wanted. Or you could move your saves and other content from the old Sims 3 folder to the new one.
I have the same problem, since I updated my Macbook sims 3 doesn't work anymore. I used to have sims 3 before.
Every time I press play this message shows up:
Unable to start game
Your The Sims 3 Base Game is incompatible with the current Sims 3 Expansion Pack.
Please update your game via the game launcher.
Its annoying...
@Cmluxstyle Please go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 and delete the file labeled Version.tag.
Thank you so much for your quick answer! I just tried it and it worked! Soooo happy 😇
