Installation on older Mac OS X versions

6a0255177420a3d2  You should see Island Paradise in your Origin game library on your old Mac as well.  You can install it from there.  You will however need one workaround to make the game start properly after installing IP.  Use the video guide in the thread linked below, and copy the folder from Ambitions into the folder for IP.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-3-Unknown-Error-in-El-Capitan-and-later-OS/m-p/5725514#M4852

The 32-bit Mac version doesn't require Origin in that it can be launched without Origin being open or even installed.  However, Origin is the only way to install new content, at least on your version of macOS.

Thanks a lot, puzzlezaddict ! I just installed Origin on the old Mac. It detected my 32bit existing (Base + Ambitions) installation, and I can even launch it from the Origin app successfully. The problem now is that I cannot download the IP extension. If I search for it, it appears as already purchased, and the options it gives me is to buy it as a gift, or to run the game from my library. If I run the game, I just get Base+Ambitions (as expected, because it didn't give me the option to download it).

Searching the net, I found that I should have a "Expansions Pack" tab next to the "Friends" tab in the game page, but that tab is not there, only the "Friends" tab is there. I found some users also saying that their "Expansion Pack" tab disappeared in Origin, but didn't find any conclusive workaround. Any suggestions?

I suppose I can try to uninstall my existing 32bit installation and install it again from Origin, but I'm a bit afraid of losing the 1.67 version if I do that (from what I've read, versions newer than 1.67 force you to run the game through the Origin app).

Besides, it seems that people who don't see the "Expansions Pack" tab, cannot install the expansions, so I'm afraid that reinstalling the game will make no difference to my current situation...

BTW: Found that people who got this same issue (no "Expansions Pack" tab, no option to download them, and appearing as "unlocked" if you search for the EPs) was the reverse of my case: their problem was related to not having the "entitlements" for the 64bit version (as you said in an older thread about this). However, I can play the 64bit version with EA app in the newer Mac. Does this mean I lack the "32bit entitlement" ? Edit: Well, to be honest, I don't know if not seeing the "Expansions Pack" tab in the 32bit version is related at all to seeing the EP "unlocked" in the tab of the 64bit version (if I click on the 64bit version, there's" an "Expansions Pack" tab, gives me the option to download Ambitions, but IP appears just as "unlocked"). So, to sum it up, I have Expansions Pack tab on the 64bit version, but not on the 32bit version (but the installed version is 32bit, and it's the only one I can run).

6a0255177420a3d2  You may well lack the 32-bit entitlement for IP, but it's impossible to say without being able to view the Expansions tab in Origin.  Ambitions at least should appear in that tab, so it's not a matter of adding the entitlement and therefore making the tab appear.  I thought the issue of the tab not appearing was resolved almost a year ago, but apparently not, and Origin isn't getting much attention these days because of how few people can still use it.

Unfortunately, there isn't a way around this issue.  You can only install the 32-bit version if Origin offers the Expansions tab in the first place, and it's just not there.

Thanks again, puzzlezaddict !! So there's no solution to it? Can I install a disc version of IP if I can find it as second-hand in ebay or similar? Would a disc version work even if the registration code has already been used by the first owner? Would it turn my installation into a disc-required version? (I mean, I remember that quite a few years ago, the Sims2 DVD was required to be on the drive for the Sims2 to start, so I'm wondering if something similar could happen to my Sims3 installation if the Base and Ambitions was a digital download and then I install IP as disc version).

6a0255177420a3d2  Disc installs don't work properly in versions of macOS starting with El Capitan (10.11).  The game throws a "disc authentication error" or something like that.  The fix is to uninstall the newest pack by release date and reinstall that pack through Origin.  So no, it's not going to help here.

If you want to experiment, you could try one of the buttons that are supposedly for downloading the 64-bit version.  That version won't install since you don't have the 64-bit base game present.  But I've heard that among the three different entries listed per pack, sometimes clicking one of them starts the 32-bit download instead.  It's one of those errors that was never sorted out, but maybe it'll help you.

It's also possible you don't have the 32-bit entitlement, and if you'd like to check, contact EA customer support and ask.  As mentioned before, this alone would probably not fix the issue with Origin not showing you the Expansions tab, but it might allow you to use the workaround above.