Re: The Sims 3 64-Bit Keeps Crashing on Mac

Hi @puzzlezaddict I'm hoping you'd be able to help me also. I've read a lot of threads already & I don't understand what's going wrong. I used to play this years ago on an old PC and found the box today so tried to put it on my Mac. I downloaded the 64-bit version from Origin. Every time I try to launch it crashes. I've tried to delete the version.tag file, didn't work. Tried moving sims folder to desktop, didn't work. Tried to update and repair game from Origin, didn't work. Tried disabling origin in game, didn't work. Origin also downloaded the late night, high end loft stuff, and island paradise packs but when it shows up on my game library it says they need to download again. From what I've read the packs aren't compatible on this 64bit version which I'm ok with but I can't even get the actual game to load. Also, I'm not sure these would interfere with this game being played since it seems to be a common issue with most macs and this game but a few years ago I did upgrade my logic board, battery, ram and hard drive. I greatly appreciate any help you could provide!

These are my specs- 

MacOS High Sierra version 10.13.6

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)

2.2 GHz Intel Core i7

16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB

@6b62724f0a4d2139  Your Mac is a little too old to support Metal, which means it also can't run the 64-bit version of Sims 3.  You'll need to uninstall and then install the 32-bit version instead.

When you install Late Night, you'll need to apply a workaround to get the pack to work:

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/

And when you install Island Paradise, you'll also need to copy some data from LN into a folder for IP:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-3-Unknown-Error-in-El-Capitan-and-later-OS/m-p/5725514#M4852

High-End Loft Stuff installs properly on its own.

And please run the Super Patch (digital download version) to manually patch the game to 1.67.  The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job on its own.

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/

Hi, I am having a similar problem. My game will crash after I save. I just updated to Monterey and my old save is in my game, but I think there are some issues with it. Here are my specs:

macOS Monterey Version 12.1

Macbook Pro (15-inch, 2017)

Processor 2.8 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7

Memory 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Graphics Intel HD Graphics 630 1536 MB

I'm not sure if Monterey will let me download the 32-bit version 

@krabby_pattiess  Do you use iCloud, is it syncing the contents of Documents, and if so, is it full or close to it?

My icloud storage is pretty full. I have 26.55 GB available out of 50 GB

@krabby_pattiess  That's not full enough to prevent the game from saving though.  Just in case it's this simple, have you been using the buydebug cheat?  The game will often freeze or crash if buydebug is still enabled when you try to save.  There's nothing wrong with using it; just remember to disable it when you're done.

Otherwise, as a test, please move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop.  When you launch the game, a clean folder will spawn with no content.  Don't add anything to it yet; just start a new save and see whether you can save your progress without crashing.

If the new save crashes too, please temporarily disable the iCloud syncing of Documents and see whether it helps.  If the new save does NOT crash, please copy your existing save to the new Sims 3 folder and see whether it can save.  Don't move over any other content with the exception of a store or custom world if the save takes place in that world.

Let me know the results, and we'll go from there.

I have not been using buydebug at all. Just don't want to mess up my save, but honestly, it's okay because it's just one game I have been playing. How do I make a new folder without messing up my previous save? Or do you just want me to move the whole thing?

@krabby_pattiess  I want you to move the entire Sims 3 folder so the current save doesn't load at all, just as a test.  This folder or its contents can be freely swapped as necessary, so you won't break anything by moving files around.  The only reason your save might not load in a new folder is if it takes place in a store or custom world that you haven't installed into the new folder, and like I said, in that case it's fine to install just that world.

If you mean you don't want to mess up a save other than the one that's crashing, the same principle applies.  But if you prefer, you can instead put the entire original Sims 3 folder back when you're done testing.  I was just worried that the issue was something in the user folder rather than one specific save.

Now is also a good time to back up your saves, especially if you have one or more intact saves you'd like to keep playing going forward.  The user folder or some of its contents can become corrupt for any number of reasons, but with backups, you shouldn't lose anything for good.

I made a new save, and it did not crash! I backed up my old save. Could it be something with my old save?

@krabby_pattiess  Yes, the issue could definitely be your old save.  How much does the save itself matter to you (as opposed to the sims or houses)?  If you'd like, we can go through a number of ways to try to salvage it, including using mods, but you may or may not find it worth the effort.

The first thing you can try is using the backup copy instead.  Inside the Saves folder is a folder for each save plus another folder that contains the data from the second-to-last time you saved.  This is the game's automatic backup.  So you might have folders named SunsetValley.sims3 and SunsetValley.sims3.backup.  Rename the save and remove the .backup extension (e.g. SunsetValley1.sims3), and that save will be available to load from the Main Menu.  If you can play this save forward, and you can also save your progress, then just keep doing so; you'll have lost some progress but hopefully not too much.

If this doesn't work, let me know whether you'd like to pursue this further, including whether you use mods or are willing to try some.  There are also interventions that don't require mods, and we can try those regardless, but you'll have more options if mods are on the table.

I don't mind starting over tbh, idk if my starter sim from that family will work. I will try with the backup copy. I am not seeing my old save in game

@krabby_pattiess  The starter sim should work fine.  The file will be in ... The Sims 3 > Library, and its name will be a very long string of random characters.  You should be able to tell the files apart by their timestamps though, at least if you remember more or less when you created that sim.

I'd definitely suggest making backups going forward.  I use "save as" and rename the save at least once a sim-day so I'll never lose too much data.  I eventually delete the older backups, or at least most of them, when I know I won't need them, but when space isn't a concern I can get lazy about that too.

I found my sim. Can I delete the extra sims 3 folders? I have like 4 of them. 

@krabby_pattiess  Make sure that the Sims 3 folder you're currently using has all the content you want to keep, as in, you see that content when you load the game.  Then yes, go ahead and delete the other folders.  If you're not completely sure you've found all the relevant files, I'd suggest putting them in the trash but not emptying it for a few days just in case you later realize you're missing something you wanted to keep.

Hey @puzzlezaddict thanks for helping others, I hope you can help me with my issue. I have the same problem with the crashing of the sims on mi Mac, I tried updating and fixing the game through Origin but nothing helps, I can play for a bit and let me save the game but usually it just cracks whenever I'm building, playing with my sims or editing the world. I usually play on Riverview but this also happened on the world of Late Night.  

This are the specifications of my Mac:

macOS Monterey 

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017)

2.3 ghz Intel Core i5 

8GB 

Graphics Intel Iris Plus Graphics 240 1536 MB 

I have these expansions and accessories: Late night, Generations, Island Paradise, Seasons, Diesel, Master Suite, City Living, World Adventures, Showtime, University Life and High-End Loft. I do have some things from the store installed on my game. I really hope you can help me, I even tried play on window mode but didn't word either. 

@nakdsims  Try turning down the Lighting and Tree Detail options to the minimum.  Do so at the Main Menu, then quit to desktop before loading the save.  If that works, you can try raising one of the settings again by one level and see how it goes.

Hey @puzzlezaddict thanks for the response! I do what you said but it didn't work so well, my game keeps crashing ☹️ i tried restarting the RAM like other posts said but it didn't work either, do you have any other suggestion that can help me? thanks again!

@nakdsims  Please test in a clean user folder.  Move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, and when you launch the game, a clean folder will spawn with no content.  Play while your computer is offline as well; you can sign into Origin and put it in offline mode, then disable wifi before pressing Play.

Don't add anything to the new Sims 3 folder: no mods, no store content, nothing at all, at least not yet.  Just start a new save in Sunset Valley and let me know how it runs.

Your current saves and other content will be intact in the Sims 3 folder you moved but temporarily not read by the game.  That can be addressed later; for now, the point is to test the game in a completely vanilla state.

I'm having the same problem. I can play a new save for a few hours but then it starts crashing within three minutes of starting play. I uninstalled, reinstalled, started a new game, same thing. Play for a couple hours (which means a large part of it is build/buy, not active play) and then crashing. I have a small amount of cc and mods installed, but it happened when I didn't have any cc installed too (since I've run this experiment twice). I've turned down graphics to the lowest settings and it hasn't helped. This has happened in Monte Vista and Twinbrook, so I'm assuming it will in other worlds as well. Help?

My specs:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

Monterey 12.5.1

2.3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5

8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB

I have the following packs installed: Late Night, Seasons, Generations, Island Paradise, Ambitions, Into the Future, Showtime, University Life, World Adventures, Movie Stuff, Outdoor Living Stuff, Town Life Stuff.

@shgmclicious  Does this still happen if you play while your computer is offline?  Do you use iCloud, and if so, is it full or close?  Do you use an antivirus or perhaps a cleaner app, and which one(s)?

@nakdsims  I'd also like to know whether you use an antivirus or cleaner app, ahd whether iCloud is close to full.  It shouldn't matter when your computer is offline, but perhaps the way iCloud works has changed a bit since the last time I poked at it.

@puzzleaddict 

omg I was always accustomed to playing offline but I think you're right that that was the key--turns out I had been forgetting to turn off my wifi, and now it's fine (also installed nraas overwatch again, but I bet it's the offline thing. Such a duh moment I can't believe I forgot! 

@nakdsims  Definitely don't buy extra storage just for Sims 3.  The questions here are whether your iCloud drive is full enough to prevent any more data from being uploaded, or whether the syncing itself is the problem.  That's why I suggested trying to play while your computer is entirely offline: no internet connection means no syncing.

For now, I'd suggest playing in Sunset Valley, Riverview, or Twinbrook, and definitely not Isla Paradiso, which is the most unstable EA world.  Keep lighting and tree detail at the minimum settings, don't add any custom content (store stuff is fine), and keep your computer offline while the game is running.  And save often.  If things are stable, you can try changing one detail at a time, for example raising a graphics setting or going back online, to see whether the crashing comes back.

If the game is still crashing even when you do all of the above, I don't really know what else to tell you except to save frequently.  The one other thing you could try is playing in a new admin account, one not tied to your Apple ID and therefore not tied to iCloud either.  There's no reason I see that it could help in your particular case, but you might get lucky.

Hi! 
Could you maybe help me too please?

Since I installed University and World Adventures I’m having problem with the game to crash. I’m also using a old Mac. 

I started a new family in one of the new towns, and the game worked most of the time. Sometimes when I try to travel the game crache. But now something happened and I can’t travel anywhere or move to university without the game crashing. 

Do you know anything I can do? 

Thanks in advance!