I have the disc but not the manual. I want to play on my macbook pro, but not sure how to find the code. I originally played this game years ago on a different computer. I would like to play again with everything saved that I had played in the past. Is there any way to play Sims 3 on my new computer with my old data? Please help!
@taylormeents I've moved your post to the Sims 3 Mac section. By the way, if your Mac runs Catalina, all of the following is moot, because Sims 3 doesn't run in Catalina. Otherwise:
The Sims 3 product key is printed on the back of the insert that comes inside the CD case. To find the key without this insert, you'll need at least temporary access to the computer on which you used to play. And you'll need to have not wiped that computer—a simple uninstall wouldn't erase the key, but cleaning the registry would. Here's how to find the key, if it's still there:
Windows: https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2013/09/how-to-find-your-serial-number.html
macOS: https://bluebellflora.com/finding-your-serial-key-using-terminal/
You might not need to find the key though. If you ever registered your game in Origin or on the old Sims 3 site ( www.thesims3.com or store.thesims3.com ), it will already be in your Origin library. The old site and Origin share information, so just login with whatever email address and password you used back then.
Either way, you'll need to download the game from Origin. Every version of macOS starting with El Capitan fails to authenticate Sims 3 discs, so the only way to install the game is through Origin.
As far as your old saves and other creations go, they'll be stored on your old computer, at least if you never uninstalled. The Sims 3 user data folder is located in Documents\Electronic Arts, and inside are the Saves (saves), Library (saved builds and households), and SavedSims (sims saved in CAS) folders, which are the main ones you might want to recover. Store content, if you own any, may need to be reinstalled. Here's a complete list of the files in folders in your user data folder:
