The Real Problem
That “Invalid CD key” or “You must register your game” message usually happens because:
The Sims 3 website’s registration and Exchange login system has been partially disconnected from the EA App accounts.
The Exchange and Launcher still try to “phone home” to verify ownership — but EA’s servers often fail to respond or mismatch your account’s ownership data.
You already own the game (and EA App knows this), but the Sims 3 launcher / website don’t get the memo.
So you get that message like:
“Upgrade your registration… Please register your game…”
even though you already did years ago.
What You Can Try (Community-Tested Fixes)
Make sure you’re logged into the Sims 3 launcher using your EA credentials — the same ones you use for the EA App.
Open the launcher.
Click the “Log In” button in the upper right (it’s easy to miss).
Then reattempt the download.
Clear the launcher cache:
Go to your Documents folder → Electronic Arts → The Sims 3 → DCCache
Delete (or temporarily move) the .tmp files and missingdeps.idx.
Also clear DCBackup if it’s huge (except the ccmerged.package).
Manually install the Sims3Pack if the launcher’s broken:
Drag the downloaded .Sims3Pack file into Documents → Electronic Arts → The Sims 3 → Downloads.
Then open the launcher → “Downloads” tab → install manually.
If the Exchange refuses to let you download (and gives the registration popup):
Unfortunately, that’s on EA’s side — many users can no longer download directly from the Exchange.
Workaround: You can often find archived versions of the same sims or lots on ModTheSims, Sims Catalog, or The Sims Resource, uploaded by the same creators.
(The Exchange has been randomly blocking registered players for months now — it’s not you.)
If you just want to use custom sims, you can grab .sim files directly from your SavedSims folder or from safe reuploads (avoids the launcher mess).
And for downloading, consider the TSR CC Manager or just manual installs through Mods → Packages for reliability — the launcher’s connection to EA servers is basically a ghost town.
Always back up your saves etc before trying any fixes.
