Mac help threads & guides - PLEASE START HERE BEFORE POSTING A PROBLEM - *updated 05.06.15*
These threads and guides are not definitive nor exhaustive but they have proved extremely popular on my website and do seem to have helped frustrated Simmers along the way. The locked 'help' thread on here by simguruhydra has not been updated in over 4 years. Unfortunately us Mac Simmers have to help each other as EA do not offer much support for OS X, if any. If you receive advice from Customer Support to quit Processes on your Mac PLEASE ignore it. For a detailed explanation please read this.
If you are not familiar with Macs or need a little help with how they work, please read Apple's support pages. This is a good place to start:
https://www.apple.com/uk/support/macbasics/
This is a forum for The Sims 3, not how to use a Mac :)
You may also find Crinrict's blog helpful. She has provided amazing technical support for The Sims 3 and her blog pretty much covers every known issue with the game. It is primarily a blog for Windows users but her work arounds and tips, where possible in OS X, can be invaluable. You can find her blog here:
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Whenever you play the game you should play in windowed mode:
To do this hold down CMD and press Return when the main game window launches. In the highly likely event of your game freezing/hanging you can then click anywhere on the desktop and go to the Apple logo, top left, and select Force Quit. This will save you having to power off your Mac using the power switch (which can damage the HD). Tabbing between apps you have open doesn't always work when you have the game running, hence the need to play in windowed mode.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Saving and Quitting:
ALWAYS pause your game and then Save. DO NOT Save & Quit. It is also a good idea to purge your RAM before you attempt to save. If your game is hanging or crashing whilst saving, and you have saved as recommended, then try your game without any CC/Mods. There is no magical perfect solution for the Save problems - please don't expect one!
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Patching - VERY IMPORTANT:
If you play with Mods, these must be moved out prior to patching. You should then update your Mods accordingly. Tremayne4260 has written a fantastic guide on patching and the safest way to update your game here:
How to Update your game when a New Patch is Released
EA's links to manual superpatches (cumulative manual updates) is here. It's worth noting that the superpatches can become corrupted so if at first it doesn't work, redownload and try again (delete all remnants of the previous download and failed installation) - don't just give up after the first try!
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
CC & Mods:
I don't use any CC and only use Nraas ErrorTrap but here's a super duper guide on where to install CC and Mods to, courtesy of @itsaprilXD.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Primary things to try first (especially if your Launcher doesn't open or your game will not load):
- The first step to trying to figure out how to get your game working again is to try a new game, without any CC, mods, saves etc. This will help figure out if your install is dodgy or you have corrupted data. Doing this is simple, open your Documents folder then open the Electronic Arts folder. You will see one folder in there called The Sims 3. Drag this to the desktop DO NOT DELETE IT. This folder holds all your game data like downloaded content, saves and everything precious to your game.
- Now, fire up your game (it regenerates the folder you just moved) and see if you can play with a new Sim in a new world. Make sure you open CAS and make sure you try out Build/Buy mode. Try playing for at least an hour or so. If that works then the installed game and EPs/SPs is fairly stable so the issue lies somewhere within the folder you moved out. The difficult part is figuring out where the problem is within the data. You will need to move back your CC/Saves/Downloads/Mods etc. bit by bit from the folder you moved out to the newly generated folder to work out where the problem lies.
- To put your game back to how it was (not working presumably if you had to just do that step!), navigate through to the Electronic Arts folder again and trash the Sims 3 folder the game just recreated. Put your old folder, the one you moved to the desktop, back in it's place.
Navigate to the Electronic Arts folder again, this time opening The Sims 3 folder. Trash the following files:
CASPartCache.package
compositorCache.package
scriptCache.package
simCompositorCache.package
socialCache.package
Now try loading your game again. These files are regenerated.
If you want to know more about your game's user folder have a look here on the Sims Wiki page. All the individual files and folders are explained.
Tremayne4260 has posted some great tips on trying to get your game going in this post.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Constant crashing:
If your game is constantly crashing you're probably running out of RAM during gameplay. This is due to Cider not being able to access more than 2Gb RAM. You need to manually free up your Mac's RAM so the game always has access to more memory. You can download various Apps to do this or you can do it yourself VERY easily using Terminal which is already built into OS X. Links provided below under Resetting RAM.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Downloaded content not showing up:
If your Store downloads aren't showing up in game try deleting the missingdeps.idx file (thanks to Crinrict), the game will regenerate a new one:
Finder > Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sim 3 > DCCache > missingdeps.idx
This isn't a sure fire fix as Origin seems to be causing a lot of issues with the Launcher but it's worth a try. For more info read Crinrict's blog post here.
You must always make sure your Launcher is open before downloading Store content.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Bypassing the Launcher:
Bypassing the Launcher can sometimes resolve issues of, amongst other things, the game hanging on startup, crashing during the intro and the base game icon bouncing up and down in your Dock but nothing else happening. @Ashpeef has written great instructions on how to bypass here.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Not able to login to the Launcher:
This problem is REALLY irritating if you want to upload stuff to the Exchange and I am now experiencing it frequently since updating to patch 1.67. Logging in via the Main Menu screen or going through Options is an option that appears to work but it doesn't seem to carry through to the Launcher. Some suggestions from others have been to clear your internet cache and cookies. All I can recommend is to just keep trying and eventually, after several attempts, you will be logged in.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
My guides:
How to do a clean uninstall and reinstall on a Mac
Checking which patch version you're running
Finding your serial key using Terminal
Resetting RAM & How to monitor your RAM usage during gameplay
Saving Origin digital downloads
Disc Authorization Failure/No Disc errors
Successfully installing Store content on a Mac
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Unfortunately, because the game is not natively written for OS X, it is not the most stable of programs to run on your Mac. To understand it a bit better have a look here:
Understanding how The Sims 3 runs on a Mac
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
For general maintenance you could try these steps:
Get rid of MacKeeper if you have it, and some useful maintenance tips.
You could also try resetting the PRAM and SMC settings on your Mac if you're experiencing odd issues like continuous, heavy fan activity, power management issues, resolution issues etc. Please make sure you read the following links before attempting a reset (instructions on how to reset are also in the links):
PRAM reset - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
SMC reset - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
The only solution for a proper Simming experience on your Mac is to play it in Windows, the OS which the game was written for. For detailed instructions on how to install Windows on your Mac please read this thread:
How to install Windows using Boot Camp
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Checking Exchange items and downloads for nasties (dodgy CC) - Julia526's Mono tutorial:
How to use Delphys Dashboard and CUSTARD on Mac tutorial
You can also analyse your crash logs using Mono and the MTS Crash Log Analyser
@queueing's guide to using s3mpi and s3pe (also has a tutorial for mono and Delphys Dashboard):
http://tencentsims.tumblr.com/post/94131114859/tutorial-for-mac-users-how-to-use-sims-3-dashboard
And @tamalinn's excellent guide to using s3pe in Mavericks 10.9:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13332347/#Comment_13332347
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
There are numerous errors Simmers encounter whilst playing. And unfortunately there is no common denominator as to why some can play and some can't. Two of us could have the exact same spec. Mac yet one can play and one can't. The most important thing to bear in mind is that 99% of the time it is not because there is a problem with your Mac, it is Cider.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Common error threads on this forum:
Error 65538: 15000 (Unable to download from Origin) - thanks to @katoo4 for posting the link to a solution.
My game keeps freezing
Error Code 12
Custom Content not showing up in game
Disc Authorisation Failure & here
Exception Raised Error
Blacked out CAS
Can't start game process
Ghosting images then crash to desktop
Thumbnail images showing red lines in Build/Buy mode, CAS, Main Menu
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Known graphics issues:
Intel Iris & Intel Iris Pro Graphics issues
- tmethei has come up with a possible solution/workaround for this issue, see page 2 of the thread -
A fix has now been found for the game not launching on Macs with Intel Iris, Intel Iris Pro, Intel HD 6000 and AMD Radeon R9 graphics cards. Please read my guide and select your Mac for further instructions.
Graphics Glitches - NVIDIA GeForce GT cards identified
- This issue has now been fixed with patch 1.63 -
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Error Code 12 Fix
(takes you to external site - The Ever So Woderful Life of Zac M)
How To overcome Save Error code 12 on The Sims 3
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Installation freezing at a certain file number
For those suffering from a frozen installer,please post on this thread so we can try, once and for all, to fix it. make sure all Preference files have been deleted from a previous install before attempting a new install.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Origin issues
Caspinwall and Tremayne have a great thread going about issues to do with Origin. Please post in it whether you're having problems or you know of any fixes to problems you've had:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/727857.page
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
OS X Yosemite (OS 10.10)
Please see this dedicated thread for TS3 and Yosemite.
If you are not familiar with Macs or need a little help with how they work, please read Apple's support pages. This is a good place to start:
https://www.apple.com/uk/support/macbasics/
This is a forum for The Sims 3, not how to use a Mac :)
You may also find Crinrict's blog helpful. She has provided amazing technical support for The Sims 3 and her blog pretty much covers every known issue with the game. It is primarily a blog for Windows users but her work arounds and tips, where possible in OS X, can be invaluable. You can find her blog here:
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Whenever you play the game you should play in windowed mode:
To do this hold down CMD and press Return when the main game window launches. In the highly likely event of your game freezing/hanging you can then click anywhere on the desktop and go to the Apple logo, top left, and select Force Quit. This will save you having to power off your Mac using the power switch (which can damage the HD). Tabbing between apps you have open doesn't always work when you have the game running, hence the need to play in windowed mode.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Saving and Quitting:
ALWAYS pause your game and then Save. DO NOT Save & Quit. It is also a good idea to purge your RAM before you attempt to save. If your game is hanging or crashing whilst saving, and you have saved as recommended, then try your game without any CC/Mods. There is no magical perfect solution for the Save problems - please don't expect one!
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Patching - VERY IMPORTANT:
If you play with Mods, these must be moved out prior to patching. You should then update your Mods accordingly. Tremayne4260 has written a fantastic guide on patching and the safest way to update your game here:
How to Update your game when a New Patch is Released
EA's links to manual superpatches (cumulative manual updates) is here. It's worth noting that the superpatches can become corrupted so if at first it doesn't work, redownload and try again (delete all remnants of the previous download and failed installation) - don't just give up after the first try!
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
CC & Mods:
I don't use any CC and only use Nraas ErrorTrap but here's a super duper guide on where to install CC and Mods to, courtesy of @itsaprilXD.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Primary things to try first (especially if your Launcher doesn't open or your game will not load):
- The first step to trying to figure out how to get your game working again is to try a new game, without any CC, mods, saves etc. This will help figure out if your install is dodgy or you have corrupted data. Doing this is simple, open your Documents folder then open the Electronic Arts folder. You will see one folder in there called The Sims 3. Drag this to the desktop DO NOT DELETE IT. This folder holds all your game data like downloaded content, saves and everything precious to your game.
- Now, fire up your game (it regenerates the folder you just moved) and see if you can play with a new Sim in a new world. Make sure you open CAS and make sure you try out Build/Buy mode. Try playing for at least an hour or so. If that works then the installed game and EPs/SPs is fairly stable so the issue lies somewhere within the folder you moved out. The difficult part is figuring out where the problem is within the data. You will need to move back your CC/Saves/Downloads/Mods etc. bit by bit from the folder you moved out to the newly generated folder to work out where the problem lies.
- To put your game back to how it was (not working presumably if you had to just do that step!), navigate through to the Electronic Arts folder again and trash the Sims 3 folder the game just recreated. Put your old folder, the one you moved to the desktop, back in it's place.
Navigate to the Electronic Arts folder again, this time opening The Sims 3 folder. Trash the following files:
CASPartCache.package
compositorCache.package
scriptCache.package
simCompositorCache.package
socialCache.package
Now try loading your game again. These files are regenerated.
If you want to know more about your game's user folder have a look here on the Sims Wiki page. All the individual files and folders are explained.
Tremayne4260 has posted some great tips on trying to get your game going in this post.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Constant crashing:
If your game is constantly crashing you're probably running out of RAM during gameplay. This is due to Cider not being able to access more than 2Gb RAM. You need to manually free up your Mac's RAM so the game always has access to more memory. You can download various Apps to do this or you can do it yourself VERY easily using Terminal which is already built into OS X. Links provided below under Resetting RAM.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Downloaded content not showing up:
If your Store downloads aren't showing up in game try deleting the missingdeps.idx file (thanks to Crinrict), the game will regenerate a new one:
Finder > Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sim 3 > DCCache > missingdeps.idx
This isn't a sure fire fix as Origin seems to be causing a lot of issues with the Launcher but it's worth a try. For more info read Crinrict's blog post here.
You must always make sure your Launcher is open before downloading Store content.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Bypassing the Launcher:
Bypassing the Launcher can sometimes resolve issues of, amongst other things, the game hanging on startup, crashing during the intro and the base game icon bouncing up and down in your Dock but nothing else happening. @Ashpeef has written great instructions on how to bypass here.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Not able to login to the Launcher:
This problem is REALLY irritating if you want to upload stuff to the Exchange and I am now experiencing it frequently since updating to patch 1.67. Logging in via the Main Menu screen or going through Options is an option that appears to work but it doesn't seem to carry through to the Launcher. Some suggestions from others have been to clear your internet cache and cookies. All I can recommend is to just keep trying and eventually, after several attempts, you will be logged in.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
My guides:
How to do a clean uninstall and reinstall on a Mac
Checking which patch version you're running
Finding your serial key using Terminal
Resetting RAM & How to monitor your RAM usage during gameplay
Saving Origin digital downloads
Disc Authorization Failure/No Disc errors
Successfully installing Store content on a Mac
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Unfortunately, because the game is not natively written for OS X, it is not the most stable of programs to run on your Mac. To understand it a bit better have a look here:
Understanding how The Sims 3 runs on a Mac
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
For general maintenance you could try these steps:
Get rid of MacKeeper if you have it, and some useful maintenance tips.
You could also try resetting the PRAM and SMC settings on your Mac if you're experiencing odd issues like continuous, heavy fan activity, power management issues, resolution issues etc. Please make sure you read the following links before attempting a reset (instructions on how to reset are also in the links):
PRAM reset - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
SMC reset - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
The only solution for a proper Simming experience on your Mac is to play it in Windows, the OS which the game was written for. For detailed instructions on how to install Windows on your Mac please read this thread:
How to install Windows using Boot Camp
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Checking Exchange items and downloads for nasties (dodgy CC) - Julia526's Mono tutorial:
How to use Delphys Dashboard and CUSTARD on Mac tutorial
You can also analyse your crash logs using Mono and the MTS Crash Log Analyser
@queueing's guide to using s3mpi and s3pe (also has a tutorial for mono and Delphys Dashboard):
http://tencentsims.tumblr.com/post/94131114859/tutorial-for-mac-users-how-to-use-sims-3-dashboard
And @tamalinn's excellent guide to using s3pe in Mavericks 10.9:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13332347/#Comment_13332347
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
There are numerous errors Simmers encounter whilst playing. And unfortunately there is no common denominator as to why some can play and some can't. Two of us could have the exact same spec. Mac yet one can play and one can't. The most important thing to bear in mind is that 99% of the time it is not because there is a problem with your Mac, it is Cider.
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Common error threads on this forum:
Error 65538: 15000 (Unable to download from Origin) - thanks to @katoo4 for posting the link to a solution.
My game keeps freezing
Error Code 12
Custom Content not showing up in game
Disc Authorisation Failure & here
Exception Raised Error
Blacked out CAS
Can't start game process
Ghosting images then crash to desktop
Thumbnail images showing red lines in Build/Buy mode, CAS, Main Menu
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Known graphics issues:
Intel Iris & Intel Iris Pro Graphics issues
- tmethei has come up with a possible solution/workaround for this issue, see page 2 of the thread -
A fix has now been found for the game not launching on Macs with Intel Iris, Intel Iris Pro, Intel HD 6000 and AMD Radeon R9 graphics cards. Please read my guide and select your Mac for further instructions.
Graphics Glitches - NVIDIA GeForce GT cards identified
- This issue has now been fixed with patch 1.63 -
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Error Code 12 Fix
(takes you to external site - The Ever So Woderful Life of Zac M)
How To overcome Save Error code 12 on The Sims 3
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Installation freezing at a certain file number
For those suffering from a frozen installer,
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
Origin issues
Caspinwall and Tremayne have a great thread going about issues to do with Origin. Please post in it whether you're having problems or you know of any fixes to problems you've had:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/727857.page
http://bluebellflora.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/seperator.jpg
OS X Yosemite (OS 10.10)
Please see this dedicated thread for TS3 and Yosemite.
