Edit: This workaround is currently not working. It has been flagged, and EA is looking into it. This thread will be updated as soon as there is any news.
@_mevan51_ Start by running the Super Patch (digital download version). The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job patching, and if it tries to patch again later, it will undo the workaround for this problem.
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/
Once the Super Patch as run, right-click (or hold the control key and click) on the green Sims 3 icon in Applications\The Sims 3 and select Show Package Contents. From there, follow this path:
Contents\Resources\transgaming\c_drive\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\Packs\TS3
Right-click on the paul.dll file inside the TS3 folder and select Move to Trash. Then go back one level, to the Packs folder, and open TS3EP03. Right-click on the paul.dll file inside this folder and select Copy, then go back to the TS3 folder, right-click inside and select Paste. (All this right-clicking is necessary because Macs are particular about how you move files from within Applications.)
Now your game should get past the connection error. Let me know if it doesn't.
@puzzlezaddictOkay, so I did everything that you said. The launcher loads up and when I press play, the Sims 3 logo pops up as usual and then it asks me for my game key because I got the key version of the game and then I enter it in and then it starts to load and then it says "Exception raised Unhandled exception 0x80000004 at address 0x00000000. Do you wish to debug it ?" What should I do? Also whenever I press play on the Origin launcher it opens up 2 Sims 3 games
@_mevan51_ You don't need to play through Origin; just launch Sims 3 by double-clicking on the plumbob icon in Applications\The Sims 3. Seeing two green plumbobs in your dock when you open the game is normal, and one of them should go away right before the screen goes black and the introduction starts.
For the unhandled exception error, it could be a memory issue. Try launching TS3 immediately after restarting your computer, with nothing else running (not even Origin). If that alone doesn't help, try bypassing the launcher.
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-how-to-bypass-the-launcher-on-a-mac/
Hi, did you find a solution for this? I got the base game to work fine, but since installing Generations I’ve been having this exact problem and cannot load my game. Any help would be much appreciated!
@bnqntm Did you run the digital download version of the Super Patch, or one of the regional disc ones? If you're not sure, you can run it again, and then reapply the license server fix. If you own any packs, it might help to install them, although four of them (Ambitions, Late Night, Fast Lane, and Outdoor Living) require a different workaround.
Let me know if none of this applies, and I'll get back to you when I can find the right EA person to respond—a lot of them aren't around right now for the holidays.
I have the same problem. My base game (The Sims 3) worked fine but when I installed high-end loft stuff the problem occured. I followed the instructions on the first page, downloaded the super patch etc. and it still doesn't work. Any ideas how to fix this problem?? I play the game through origin. @puzzlezaddict
Sadly I am getting the same error after following these steps ☹️
I only have the base game and a macbook air from 2015
@dimitrom Did you specifically copy the paul.dll file from the EP03 (Late Night) folder into the base game folder? Did you happen to run the Super Patch afterwards, or let the launcher update the game? Either one would undo the change you made. If you did, or you're not sure, run the Super Patch again (to make sure all original files are in their proper place), and then copy over the paul.dll file again.
Yes, I copied the paul.dll file into the base game folder. What exactly do you mean by "run" the super patch?
edit: i did everything as per your post and then clicked on the Sims 3 plumbob. Is that what you mean by running the patch?
@froglars If you install Late Night, the license server error should go away on its own. (This is true for any pack except HELS and World Adventures, the oldest two.) However, you'll need to manually create an alias (icon) for LN in Applications\The Sims 3, alongside the alias for the base game. Here's how:
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/
I tried running the patch, but I got an error saying "can't apply patch on this version" or something like that.
@flordenoviembre Make sure you're selecting the Sims 3 base game icon, the one with the green plumbob, not one of the packs or the folder. That's the error you'd get if you accidentally double-clicked on anything that wasn't that one plumbob icon.
This didn't work for me - gutted!
@jasminedonlan What packs, if any, have you installed? Are you still specifically getting the license server error, or something else?
I’ve installed sims 3. I’m getting the ‘can’t connect to server, check internet connection’ message. Internet is fine so really confused. It did the same on my MacBook that’s why I tried it on my iMac instead but still no luck.
It worked, thanks so much!
I have this very same Issue. I'm super annoyed because I was actually playing the sims 3 yesterday, it ran decent but wanted to clean it up a bit (delete supernatural and world adventures) but the uninstaller didn't work. I tried to remove them manually but it became messy so I decided to just reinstall the game, I don't care about my saves that much anyway. I get the 'unknown error' on main macbook profile/user with just the base game that I can't get past. So I made another mac profile/user, now it runs the launcher but it doesn't start te game because of the connection error.
I've tried to launch the game without the launcher
I've tried reinstalling with the origin reset
I've tried replacing the Paul.dll file
I've tried the downloading the 1.67 update manually
I'm running it on a Macbook Pro mid 2012, MacOS Mojave version 10.14.6.
It's extra frustrating because it ran fine yesterday, it's just that the uninstaller didn't work. Regretting life choices now ha ha
@GerianKH For the server error, try the steps in this post, earlier in the thread:
The reason you had an unknown error after uninstalling is probably because you didn't get all the hidden library files, of which there are many. But they're all in the user account's Library folder, so creating a new account bypasses the problem. If you'd like to clean up the issue and play in your main account again, here's how to find all the files:
https://bluebellflora.com/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/
Yeah I followed both of these posts. I'll admit I'm not 100% sure I completed the clean uninstall, my macbook is in Dutch and not everything translates directly, so I can find most of the folders but sometimes it looks like they're laid out a bit different. Although I have done clean uninstall's before and I've always made it work, this is I think the third/fourth time installing this game on my laptop.
I tried the paul.dll file, right clicked my way through it and I just could not get past the connection error. I followed the instructions really carefully.
At this point I've pretty much given up, but the game works on my boyfriends computer so it's not a total loss, just sucks.
