[MAC] Sims 3 doesn't load, or update

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@Rachelamy5 wrote:

Hi, 

i just recently got a mac air and bought the superdrive so that i could play all the sims 3 games.

i installed sims 3 and everything was working fine until i tried to install the expasions. no matter what i did it wouldnt load so i signed up for origin and downloaded all the games that way.

However whenever i try to play the games now the bubble for the sims 3 pops up but after a few seconds quits by itself and wont load the game. Everynow and then when i click on the game it will come up saying update availiable, whenever i get the end of the update it quits and either says it stopped working or that no downloads available????

Honestly i paid so much moeny for the games i just want to play and not deal with all the problems that shouldnt be problems in the first place.

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Hi

Can you actually open the game's Launcher? It is normal for a temporary icon to appear in the dock while the Launcher is opening. It can take a long time for the Launcher to appear. If you have Activity Monitor open you can see whether the game appears to be opening.

There are a variety of problems you might have so we need to narrow them down. First you may have a corrupt download from Origin. Second you may not be patched up to date. Third your Macbook might be running out of free memory while trying to open. 

My advice would be to uninstall the game and Origin and start again. Follow the instructions below to ensure a clean uninstall. Then make sure you use the little "i" button when downloading from Origin (this will reduce the chance of getting a corrupt file). Patch using the superpatch so you know you are up to date. Then, when you are ready to play, purge your RAM manually and follow the other advice for Mac simmers.

Good luck!

Caspin

Uninstalling

When you uninstall TS3 games on your Mac using the uninstaller, the game leaves behind stray files and isn't completely removed from your computer. These files may conflict with future installations. It is best to completely remove them. BluebellFlora's website provides a guide on how to do this:

http://bluebellflora.com/the-sims-3-on-a-mac/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/

After cleanly uninstalling, install the base game and patch it up to date. If you cannot update via the Launcher, download and apply the latest cumulative manual patch (called the superpatch) for Mac.

Check that your game works properly. Then install any EPs and SPs that you own, in order of release date.

Using Origin

Download and install the Origin client for Mac and make sure it is up-to-date. If you already have Origin on your Mac but are having problems with downloading or installing games, delete the client and download a new copy (this sometimes fixes issues with downloading). The latest version can be downloaded from here: http://www.dm.origin.com/mac/download

Additional advice on how to download games (thank you Tremayne for this tip):
When downloading from Origin, do NOT use the first install icon. Move your cursor over the game cover and click on the information (letter i) and then click on the install button from there. For some reason, downloads from Origin frequently become corrupted. Using the i reduces the chance of your download being corrupted. If you have already been unfortunate and have a corrupted download, then it is important to remove all traces of this before trying again, by doing a thorough, clean uninstallation first.

Are you running anti-virus software or any clean-up applications? If so, disable these, as they might be deleting files that Origin needs. A fast, stable internet connection will also help you.

Manual patching

Many simmers find that patching their game via the "Game Updates" tab of the Launcher does not work properly. It is then better to download and apply the manual superpatch. It is important to download the Mac version rather than the PC version, and to pick the right one for your region.

Instructions and the links to the downloads can be found in the Mac section of the forums at thesims3.com here:

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/549552.page

If you use any mods or custom content, be sure to remove them before patching.

Tips for Mac simmers

Unfortunately a lot of TS3 players encounter problems when playing the game on their Mac. These can include crashing and freezing. A lot of these issues can be avoided or at least improved by the following measures.

Firstly, manually reset your RAM while playing. See BluebellFlora's guide on how to do this: http://bluebellflora.com/the-sims-3-on-a-mac/resetting-ram-during-gameplay/

I restart my computer before I play TS3. The memory used as seen in Activity Monitor is at about 3GB after the restart. If I open the Launcher it goes up to around 11 GB (that's all I've done - just opened the Launcher!). At this point I reset the RAM. Then I hit play and get through the opening sequence. I then press cmd-return to put the game in windowed mode from time to time while playing (and always before saving or using CAS). That way I can keep an eye on the memory and reset RAM if necessary. Being in windowed mode also allows you to close the game using force quit if it freezes up - it's better to crash the game than your whole computer.

Second tip is to save frequently. I save at least once per sim day. Use the option to Save or Save As, rather than the combined Save and Quit.

Make sure you are patched up to date. The 1.63 patch included fixes for Mac simmers that did actually improve the stability of the game on our operating systems, so it is well worth updating to at least that level. The most recent patch is 1.67.

For general advice, information and tips on how to play TS3 on a Mac, read BluebellFlora's guide here:

http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/Links-to-Mac-help-threads-and-guides/m-p/749664#U749664