Sims 3 64-bit crashing every time I select a house to play - game unplayable

@XprincessdidiY  If you've so much as opened the launcher, your computer has to have a Sims 3 user folder somewhere.  There's a faster way to find it than poking around though.  Open Applications > Utilities, launch Terminal, and enter this exact command:

find  / -type d -name "*The Sims 3*" 2>/dev/null

The command has to be exact, so please copy and paste rather than retyping it.  The command will take a while to finish, so please wait until you see the name of your Mac pop up again.  Please copy and paste the results into a post here.  You can delete your username where you see it—write [username] instead—but please leave the file paths otherwise intact.

Please also attach your deviceconfig.log, in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3.  You'll neeed to manually open the folders; the file won't show up in a search.  You can delete your user and computer names, about 25 lines down, but there's nothing else in that file that can identify you.

Hey @puzzlezaddict  - OP here. Here is my deconfig log: (put REMOVED for anythign I removed)

=== Application info ===
Name: Sims3
Version:
Build: Release
=== Rating info ===
GPU: 3 GPU Memory: 5 CPU: 3 RAM: 5 CPU Speed: 2000 Threading: 3
Adjusted CPU: 3400 RAM: 16384 Adjusted RAM: 15872 Cores: 4
Card Found in DB: 0
=== Machine info ===
OS version: Mac OS X Version 10.15.7 (Build 19H2)
OS prod type: 0
OS major ver: 10
OS minor ver: 15
OS SP major ver: 0
OS SP minor ver: 0
OS is 64Bit: 1
CPU: MacBookPro16,2
Brand: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1038NG7 CPU @ 2.00GHz
Family: 8
Model: 7
Cores: 4
HT: 1
x64: 1
Memory: 16384MB
Free memory: 3594MB
User: REMOVED
Computer: MacBook-Pro
=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Name (database): Intel Iris Plus Graphics [Found: 0, Matched: 1]
Vendor: Intel
Chipset: Vendor: 8086, Device: REMOVED, Board: REMOVED, Chipset: REMOVED
Driver: macOS Metal driver, Version: 0.0.0.0
Driver version: 0
Monitor: 00000000
Texture memory: 1536MB
Vertex program: 3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Hardware TnL: 0
=== Options ===
AnimationSmoothing 1
LightingQuality 2
GeneralReflections 1
TextureQuality 2
VisualEffects 2
TerrainQuality 1
EdgeSmoothing 0
ObjectHiding 1
AspectRatio 0
ForceSquarePixels 1
SimQuality 2
TreeQuality 2
DrawDistance 2
MaxActiveLots 2
NumMaxActiveLotOptions 6
AdvancedRendering 1
AudioQuality 3
Audi🤭utputMode 1
VoiceLevel 255
SoundFXLevel 255
MusicLevel 255
AmbientLevel 255
FocusMute 1
VoiceMute 0
SoundFXMute 0
MusicMute 0
AmbientMute 0
EdgeScrolling 1
EdgeScrollingWarning 0
SupressOpportunityDialogs 0
SuppressOpportunityDialogsWarningProducts 33417
SimWhileMinimized 0
TwelveHourClock 0
ShowPlacementGrid 0
AutonomyLevel 2
DisableAutonomyForSelectedSim 0
PetAutonomyLevel 2
AgingInterval 2
EnableAging 1
EnableTutorial 0
EnableIntroTutorial 0
EnableTombResets 1
EnableInGameStore 0
EnableTelemetry 1
EnableMemories 1
AgingStageLengthBaby 3
AgingStageLengthToddler 7
AgingStageLengthChild 7
AgingStageLengthTeen 14
AgingStageLengthYoungAdult 21
AgingStageLengthAdult 21
AgingStageLengthElder 17
EnableInteractiveLoading 1
AgingStageLengthPuppy 0
AgingStageLengthDogAdult 0
AgingStageLengthDogElder 0
AgingStageLengthKitten 0
AgingStageLengthCatAdult 0
AgingStageLengthCatElder 0
AgingStageLengthFoal 0
AgingStageLengthHorseAdult 0
AgingStageLengthHorseElder 0
LunarCycleLength 3
LunarPhaseLength 0
EnableLunarCycle 1
EnableLunarPhase 0
EnableStoryProgression 1
EnableVampires 1
EnableWerewolves 1
EnablePets 1
EnableCelebrities 1
EnableFairies 1
EnableWitches 1
EnableHorses 1
EnableOptOutCeleb 0
ReceiveConnectTNS 0
ReceivedDevGift 0
PostFilterFlags 0
RequireLoginBeforeLoad 0
SummerLength 7
FallLength 7
WinterLength 7
SpringLength 7
SummerEnabled 1
FallEnabled 1
WinterEnabled 1
SpringEnabled 1
IsCelcius 0
FogEnabled 1
RainEnabled 1
SnowEnabled 1
HailEnabled 1
InvertHorizontalRotation 0
InvertVerticalRotation 0
VideoCaptureSize 1
VideoCaptureQuality 2
VideoCaptureSound 0
VideoCaptureTime 60
VideoCaptureHideUI 1
=== Default Options ===
AnimationSmoothing 1
LightingQuality 2
GeneralReflections 1
TextureQuality 2
VisualEffects 2
TerrainQuality 1
EdgeSmoothing 0
ObjectHiding 1
AspectRatio 0
ForceSquarePixels 1
SimQuality 2
TreeQuality 2
DrawDistance 2
MaxActiveLots 2
NumMaxActiveLotOptions 6
AdvancedRendering 1
AudioQuality 3
Audi🤭utputMode 1
VoiceLevel 255
SoundFXLevel 255
MusicLevel 255
AmbientLevel 255
FocusMute 1
VoiceMute 0
SoundFXMute 0
MusicMute 0
AmbientMute 0
EdgeScrolling 0
EdgeScrollingWarning 1
SupressOpportunityDialogs 0
SuppressOpportunityDialogsWarningProducts 0
SimWhileMinimized 0
TwelveHourClock 1
ShowPlacementGrid 0
AutonomyLevel 2
DisableAutonomyForSelectedSim 0
PetAutonomyLevel 2
AgingInterval 2
EnableAging 1
EnableTutorial 1
EnableIntroTutorial 1
EnableTombResets 1
EnableInGameStore 1
EnableTelemetry 1
EnableMemories 1
AgingStageLengthBaby 3
AgingStageLengthToddler 7
AgingStageLengthChild 7
AgingStageLengthTeen 14
AgingStageLengthYoungAdult 21
AgingStageLengthAdult 21
AgingStageLengthElder 17
EnableInteractiveLoading 1
AgingStageLengthPuppy 0
AgingStageLengthDogAdult 0
AgingStageLengthDogElder 0
AgingStageLengthKitten 0
AgingStageLengthCatAdult 0
AgingStageLengthCatElder 0
AgingStageLengthFoal 0
AgingStageLengthHorseAdult 0
AgingStageLengthHorseElder 0
LunarCycleLength 3
LunarPhaseLength 0
EnableLunarCycle 1
EnableLunarPhase 0
EnableStoryProgression 1
EnableVampires 1
EnableWerewolves 1
EnablePets 1
EnableCelebrities 1
EnableFairies 1
EnableWitches 1
EnableHorses 1
EnableOptOutCeleb 0
ReceiveConnectTNS 1
ReceivedDevGift 0
PostFilterFlags 0
RequireLoginBeforeLoad 0
SummerLength 7
FallLength 7
WinterLength 7
SpringLength 7
SummerEnabled 1
FallEnabled 1
WinterEnabled 1
SpringEnabled 1
IsCelcius 0
FogEnabled 1
RainEnabled 1
SnowEnabled 1
HailEnabled 1
InvertHorizontalRotation 0
InvertVerticalRotation 0
VideoCaptureSize 1
VideoCaptureQuality 2
VideoCaptureSound 0
VideoCaptureTime 60
VideoCaptureHideUI 1

@puzzlezaddict Hi! Thank you so much. I found it. Turns out I have two EA folders? One has "TS3 packs" folder and the other has "TS3" folder and everything in it. I'm assuming it doesn't matter if they're not in the same place since the game loads up etc. 

Here's what I got from the terminal as well as my deviceconfig.log. I wasn't sure if you needed just a part of it or the whole thing. Let me know if you need another format. (I'm sorry Im so unfamiliar with all this haha).

@XprincessdidiY  The deviceconfig.log is exactly what I wanted, although you could have attached the original log file to a post as well, and the screenshot of the Terminal output works fine.

What's interesting is that you have two distinct sets of Sims 3 game files and user data.  One set, the last three entries in your Terminal output, is on your hard drive, with the game installed into a folder on your desktop and your user data in a folder in Documents > Electronic Arts.  You can't find this folder by searching for it; you need to manually open the folders to see the Sims 3 folder inside.

The second set of files is on, I guess, an external hard drive, maybe a Time Machine backup?  I don't think that should prevent the game from loading into live mode, but try unplugging the external drive to see whether it makes a difference.  (Be sure to safely eject it first: right-click on the drive and select Eject, then wait for it to disappear from your desktop or a Finder window.)

@puzzlezaddict Hi! Thank you so much. This is super helpful. You mention having two sets of sims 3 game files: I don't have an external hard drive... I DO however have a virtual machine through parallels desktop (if that changes anything since ik all my data on my Mac is also available on my "windows 10") and I also know my Mac has two memory sloths (each with 8 GB). 

In the EA folder on my desktop, I have TS3 packs while in the other EA folder, I have JUST TS3 folder, no TS3 packs (or at least, I can't see it ? even with the hidden files on)... So it looks as though the sims 3 files/folders have been split between two locations. Could I just drag TS3 folder into my desktop EA folder ? So all my sims 3 files are in the same folder ?....

If not, how could I ensure everything downloads in the same place in my Mac?

The game does load up fine and it seems to work alright without a pet in the household (tho I have only attempted this for a few minutes and with a single sim). 

@XprincessdidiY  There are supposed to be to completely separate sets of Sims 3 data, and they shouldn't be combined.  One is the game files, as in, the game itself, which Origin installs onto your computer.  In Terminal, these antries are the ones with Sims3Launcher.app in them (base game) and the Sims 3 Packs folders (installed expansions and stuff packs).  The other folders, the ones in Documents > Electronic Arts, are your user data: saves, saved households and builds, mods and custom content, etc.  There is not supposed to be a Packs folder anywhere in Documents.

In the Electronic Arts folder on your desktop, the reason you only see a Sims 3 Packs folder is because the Sims 3 base game entry is hidden.  Hit cmd-shift-. (period) to see it.

Again, please don't combine these two sets of data.  At best, it will do nothing; at worst, it will break everything further.

I wouldn't think that Parallels would be the source of your second set of Sims 3 entries.  The Windows version of Sims 3 has a completely different file structure, and there's no Sims3Launcher.app or Packs folder.  So then the question is what exactly are we looking at.  This might be a Catalina thing; I've been working with Mojave and haven't installed the game into Catalina yet, so I can't compare.

However, if the game works in live mode when you don't include a pet in the household, then the issue is almost certainly not the phantom second set of files.

@puzzlezaddict  I see. I won’t combine them then. I’ll leave everything where it is. I’m in the game now and it’s running fine aside from a few minor short freezes (rainbow wheel) when I go from build mode to live mode. Nothing I’m not used to after all these years haha. 

I’m hoping the issue is then coming from the pets expansion pack since it seemed to be what caused my game to quit and it has caused other people issues as well. Do you know if there’s a thread on the specific pets issue/a fix for it/if anyone has been able to successfully play with a pet ? 

I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it but, when I first downloaded the new 64 bit version, I was in a main thread where people couldn’t play it (before the CD key) and I moved my EA folder to my desktop. Perhaps that confused my computer later on and that’s why I now have two EA folders ?  

Could it be that EA has double installed the game ? In which case, wouldn’t that cause a problem while playing?

If the second set of files doesn’t have any effect on my game, I will just wait for EA to fix the pets expansion pack (again, assuming that’s the issue). Fingers crossed it all gets fixed. 

Thank you so much for your help and guidance so far 

@XprincessdidiY  It depends on what you moved to your desktop: the Sims 3 game files or the folder in Documents > Electronic Arts.  Origin is only going to read one set of game files, so deleting the duplicate shouldn't in theory be an issue, but in practice you might have to reinstall your game.

There are a lot of reports of people not being able to move in a household that contains a pet.  I tried it, and it worked fine for me, but I have stronger hardware, so it's not really a useful comparison.  I'll keep an eye out for any possible fixes or workarounds.

One thing you could try is having your sim(s) adopt a pet once you're playing them.  It would be interesting to see whether it worked, and if so, whether you could still load that save after you quit and reloaded the game.  If you do this, use "save as" to rename the save first, so you create a new save file.  That way, the old save will be intact as a backup if something happens with the new one.

I've tried moving in a household without pets and then adopting one - it crashes randomly through out so I needed to save every 2 minutes or so but worked until it was the puppy's birthday - it could not handle aging up and can't get back into the file since. I'm sure it will likely be the same with Sims aging up, but haven't been able to get far enough in a game to find out.... Really need a fix or update from EA I think. All of this worked fine on a much weaker Mac than my current one in the 32bit version