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Bluebellflora's avatar
Bluebellflora
Hero+
9 years ago
Solved

[CURRENT ISSUE]Sims 3 'Unknown Error' in El Capitan and later OS versions

The Unknown Error message is now affecting a huge amount of Mac users who are trying to play Sims 3. This error has always been around and can be caused by a variety of different issues but recently ...
mac
technical issues
  • corey_0414's avatar
    corey_0414
    9 years ago

    Hello, I have been experiencing the same issue you have for days for the same exact game so I can understand how frustrated you are. Luckily, I just found the solution. Bear with me, it might be kind of confusing but i'm going to try and explain this to you as easy as possible. Go to Applications > Sims 3> right click on Sims 3 and hit show package contents. Within Show package contents,  Go to contents> Resources> Add ons. All of your installed expansion packs should show, even the ones not working. Right click under the ones not working for you (So late night or ambitions) Within THAT folder, I want you to right click on Late night/ambitions and again right click and go to Show Package Contents. This time, I want you to go to Content> Resources> Transgaming. Inside Transgaming, open Program Files> Electronic Arts> and within that should be folders for your expansion packs. Copy the WHOLE FOLDER of the game that isn't working (Late Night/Ambitions)

    With your copied folder, go back to Applications> Sims 3> Show package contents> Resources> Add ons. Normally, when your launcher opens, its an icon of one of your expansion packs. For me, that is Island Paradise. So, I right clicked on Island Paradise>Show Package contents>Content?Resources>Transgaming>Program Files> Electronic Arts> and you will find yourself at the folders with expansion packs. Notice how Late Night/Ambitions is not there? PASTE the folder you copied into there. Once both Late Night and Ambitions is working, try relaunching the launcher and you should be good to go! I hope I helped!

Anonymous's avatar
Anonymous
8 years ago

I have a very old version of MacBook Pro that I've had since I started Highschool, in 2012. It's a model from late 2011 (MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) Identifier, MacBookPro8,1). Last year(2016) around June it was still very compatible and working with Sims 3. It never lagged, and had excellent graphics. I have the expansion packs installed in the following order as I bought them; Late Night + stuff pack(High End Loft), Pets, Seasons, Generations, and Ambitions. I've downloaded Generations and Ambitions through Origin and the rest by disc. I absolutely love all of these expansion packs and really can't imagine playing without them. 

It happened in August when I came back to school and my electronics advisor mentioned being able to upgrade my laptop using the funds that the school provided and getting a really good deal. And Interested in the idea of getting a new hard drive plus battery practically for free in my very old laptop I ordered the things and had it fixed up. I never thought about compatibility after I got my laptop back and noticed 'oh so this is what getting a new hard drive means!' kinda thing. 

Anyhow my laptop still an old model is now upgraded from a MacOS Version whatever to a macOS Sierra with a new processor, memory, and graphics. And to my Horror Sims 3 was no longer working. It'd bring up the starting screen with the plumbob after pressing play in the launcher and then the application would stop responding and I would have to force quit to exit. 

I noticed I don't get the Unknown Error message, in fact I don't get any message like other people. And I figure it's probably the Intel graphics that's incompatible. However I was wondering if there is a solution for these kind of Graphics:  Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB  Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5

Cuz I don't see any of those specifics.

I gave up trying to get it to work on my laptop but I still have a vague hope. If anything I might have to wait a while and slowly save up for parts to build my own gaming windows computer that's compatible with my old favorites. I have never uninstalled Sims 3 or it's expansion packs because I'm not sure if I'll lose saved data(not like I've already been doomed to) and I'm not sure if I'll be able to reinstall it. Especially with Origin I know you buy it and download it, but if you uninstall it is it possible to reinstall without having to re-buy it?(And because I've never uninstalled I don't know how it works *cries* lol)

Anyways the jist of this is, my game doesn't work either. Probably incompatibility with intel graphics. But my graphics aren't the same as the solutions and I don't get Error messages but Freezes instead. I've never uninstalled or tried to change anything. Hanging onto hope~ *Edit- I should mention I'm not missing any files in any of the folders that they should be in and stuff-

*EDIT ~ Thanks to Bluebellflora I realized that it's not the graphics that are the problem but Sierra. And hanging on that I changed my question when looking through google and somehow found a solution for my sorta problem ... I checked it out and tried what it said, and I've gotten past the initial stuck at the plumbob scene and straight to the menu! I haven't tried entering one of my saved files yet but it looks good/fixed so far~ Sierra just doesn't want it to launch correctly, I guess?  Thank you Bluebellflora for the help! It really did help! (I'll keep in mind to keep my old hard drives next time too in case a caddy helps~)

  • Bluebellflora's avatar
    Bluebellflora
    Hero+
    8 years ago

    @SonyNightingale

    You have't had an upgraded processor and graphics as the ones you state are the ones that came with your Mac when it was shipped. It is not possible to replace those parts as it would require a whole new logic board to do so, not just the individual components Your Intel HD 3000 is supported, there's no incompatability issue with it, it's Sierra that is the issue. If you buy a caddy for your old drive you could boot your Mac from it and play the Sims like you used to 🙂 

    • Anonymous's avatar
      Anonymous
      8 years ago

      @Bluebellflora

      Ah~ Is that how it works? x'3 I'm not very electronically adept so the more I learn ^~^/. Sadly I don't have my old hard drive anymore, since when it was replaced this laptop wasn't completely mine it still belonged to the school district so any parts they replace they keep the old ones or something along the lines (I bought the laptop from them before I graduated x'3). Essentially I never received my old hard drive, however things like games and stuff were, I think the right word is, 'backed up' and then transferred onto the new one. (My old hard drive and battery were worn out, hence replacing with newer ones that would last another few years). So if a caddy does what I think it does, I don't think I can access the previous version that doesn't have Sierra, sadly enough :'/.. Thanks for the support/idea! I wonder if I can contact my old electronics person and see if I could ever get it back, though I doubt it x'3 and I'd probably have to buy it.. I wonder if there is any other way? (If not then I'll still have to wait to save up enough 'leisure' money x'3)

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