play sims 3 without the disk

1. What is your operating system ?

2. Are you using custom content and or mods ?

3. What's the exact error message your getting ?

4. Do you have just the base game ?

Windows XP

just the base game

The message says that we have to insert the disk to play the game

What's the exact wording (I've seen serveral different ones)

1. The Sims 3  Game Launcher comes up from the Origin app.

2. Click the Play button just like if we had launched the Sim 3 Game Launcher from loading the disk

3. Disk Authentication Failure.   No game disk found!  Please insert The Sims 3 game disk before proceeding

We aren't supposed to have to use the disk anymore

What happens if you start the game from within Origin instead of the launcher ?

1. Start origin

2. Go to My Games

3. Cursor on The Sims 3 and pop up has Play button

4. Click that Origin Play button

5. Sims Launcher comes up

6. Click Play from Sims launcher and it gives the disk error

Did you actually uninstall the disc version and install the downlaod version ?

Any cd emulator software ?

Some where after downloading and installing Origin app am I supposed to some how download the Sims game?????

A tech person who seems to not know what the problem was had me check the Origin game cache and the folder was empty

Had me un-install and re-install Origin

Got the same error (as I expected)

Then wanted me to manually un-install The Sims 3 game and re-install.  I asked why I couldn't use the un-installer from the Windows start bar and couldn't answer that question or why it would matter.  Not sure why un-installing Sims 3 game and re-installing would make a difference.  The tech person couldn't answer if I should re-install using the disk again or some how download from the Origin app.  They just didn't seem to know how to run the game without the disk after previously running it with the disk.

Did not uninstall disk version.  Will that cause game files to be deleted?  My kid will not be happy if I lose her game files.  Where do I get the download version to install?  From the Origin app?  From the Support site?

As far as I know, you need to uninstall the disc version and install the download one, yes. It's worth a try and no, you won't loose anything.

Make sure to make a backup of the folder in documents\electronicarts\thesims 3 (that's all your savegames and downloads and what else)

Here's a few tips:

• http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/03/faq-what-files-should-i-backup.html
• http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/02/tutorial-how-to-reinstall-the-game.html

You can then download the game from Origin and install that version. I'm not very Origin savy so I can't tell you exactly where that is and since it's late here, I'm calling it a night.

If you need more assistance I'm back online tomorrow (but remember I'm just a user like you and have nothing to do with EA).