Re: Sims 3 won't install from disc with codes - PC

@MissMaya112  What error do you get when you try to install from Origin?  (A screenshot would be great.)  If the game is in your library already, you shouldn't need a code to install it: just click the orange Download button.  And trying to register the code a second time wouldn't work, even if you were doing so on the same account as you used the first time.

Since you need to use Origin to install either way, adding discs to the mix will only make things more complicated.

That's part of the problem, there is no error with Origin because the game's apparently already downloaded. There's nothing wrong with installing it other than the fact that installing doesn't create any files on the computer so there's nothing to play.

The error I mentioned was for the game's startup. Y'know how Sims 3 has a second starup pop-up window after opening it in Origin and before going to the actual game? That had an error that told me to check the game log. I've looked up how to fix that particular issue too but no solutions helped.

UPDATE:

In the middle of typing this response, I thought of one last thing to try. I uninstalled and reinstalled the game (using Origin), but changed the location of where it was saving files to to a location I knew existed and could easily access. This at least helped with the second pop-up window and let me click the big blue play button. From there, the screen went black as if it was loading the game, but instead did nothing for at least 3 minutes. There was nothing except my mouse on-screen and nothing invisible to click on, so I Ctrl-Esc'd to go back to my desktop to see if something else had popped up, and there it was, an error. I will attach a screenshot of this new error to this reply. (Hopefully the screenshot is attached properly!)

@MissMaya112  The service initialization error is most commonly caused by mismatched or duplicate registry entries, which you could easily have if you previously uninstalled the game (or it didn't uninstall properly) but never cleaned your computer's registry.  It's a good idea to do that now, in addition to uninstalling the game.  You can accomplish both with Revo Uninstaller.  Here's how:

• If you have user files on this computer you want to keep, like saves or created households, remove your Sims 3 folder from Documents\Electronic Arts and rename it to something without "Sims 3" in the title.  This way, Revo won't flag it.
• Download Revo Uninstaller from here (the free versions are fine).
• Install Revo, open it, and uninstall Sims 3.  When it's finished, Revo will ask you which cleaning method you want to use.  Select "Moderate" and then Browse.
• If Revo finds any remaining registry entries, select all, delete, and click Next.
• Revo will display "Remaining Data and Folders."  You can delete everything it shows.

Next, just to be thorough, clear Origin's cache, then uninstall it "the hard way."

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/

Restart your computer, download a fresh copy of Origin, and try to install and run the Sims 3 base game only.  Let me know whether it works, and if not, the error message you get.

This is the error I'm now getting. Note that Origin is both installed with a shortcut on my desktop and opened behind the Sims 3 startup window.

I don't know where to go from here except to contact customer support as it suggests, but I don't know what they'll do differently from what y'all have tried to do already.

I really hope this issue can be solved one day, but I'm just tired now. I can't even be frustrated anymore.

Thanks again to both of you for trying! All effort has been appreciated!

@MissMaya112  Is this after doing a clean uninstall with Revo, then installing through Origin?  Did you run the Super Patch or download any other patches?  One cause of the version 0 in the launcher is trying to patch a Windows/Origin install, which should never be done, as it can break the install.  If you've done this, please do another clean uninstall, then install the base game from Origin and see how it goes.

If that's not the issue, please clear Origin's cache again, then try repairing the game in Origin: open your game library, right-click on the Sims 3 icon, and select Repair.

If that doesn't help either, please shut down any third-party antivirus/firewall software you have (just long enough to test, of course), and run Origin and TS3.exe as an admin: right-click on each shortcut and select "Run as administrator."  It may help to run Origin as an admin and then repair again.

If you're not interested in troubleshooting more, I understand, although it would be unfortunate that you didn't get to play.  Sims 3 is no longer being updated, at least not in Windows, so it's unlikely that this issue will be fixed.  However, it doesn't seem like a problem with the game or how it's installed, more like an interaction between the process and the system.  Most of the time, Sims 3 does install and run just fine.

I did indeed follow all your instructions to a T. I don't use patches or mods, and I don't have any active antivirus or firewalls on this computer, third party or otherwise. I tried repairing the game in Origin as well, both as an admin and not.

I don't know where else to go from here except to support directly. Maybe they can fiddle around in my Origin account or something. Otherwise, yeah, I guess I just can't play anymore, which royally sucks.

Again, thank you so much for trying so hard to help!! I wish you the best of luck with future endeavors, and I hope you and yours are doing well enough in these trying times! If not, then I hope things get better! ^_^